PG New Orleans - Bucks Show Up in Third Quarter, Come Up Short

[DrWood]

Who thinks we're more than a 3rd seed and a second round loss kind of team? Maybe first round loss if it's the right team.

[Pachinko_]

Jrue's numbers are down across the board from last few years, he has really taken a step back offensively to make room for Giannis and Khris.

Problem is, if that's what he's gonna do, what did we pay for exactly? Per 36 he's taking and making less shots than Bledsoe last year, so where is the benefit.

the ability to switch defensively.

Yeah, you don't sell the farm for a switch.
I don't think defense was the problem we were trying to solve by getting Jrue.
Regardless, if that's what we were trying to do, we didn't do it.

[HKPackFan]

The early second quarter lineup was ridiculously awful.

No starters, our 6-10 players were pathetic, and they allowed the lead to grow so much, it was disgusting to watch.
The first quarter our starters were sleeping, the 2nd quarter the lineup was awful and there was no catching up with them raining down 3s.


Of course got killed by the Aqua Dagger on a career night, but it was kinda funny, when the bucks were coming back in the 4th and the intensity went higher, Eric's shots just resorted to complete junk. I was thinking, Eric's KEEPING US IN THE GAME!

But the Pelicans were smart they took the ball out of his hands and let Ball control the half court. I was so disappointed, and then I thought...aww man, we didn't do that enough with Eric.

[HKPackFan]

When you are one of the worst 3pt shooting teams in the league, and you see you have the bucks up next on the schedule.

[Perseus1966]

Really guys? Open 3s ? Melis 3 was open ? If you want to see open 3s watch juzz-mavs .

[Cythaps]

One small thing they have to take care of that will go a long way is the closing possessions each quarter. We always start the offense too soon, like at 10 or 9 seconds. It's better to take a worse shot than give the other team a chance to breakaway. We always try to go for a 2 for 1 and it always goes 2 for 2. That 5 point turnaround at the end of the third lost all momentum for us.

[Sigra]

Just finished watching. Pressure game (national TV + Bledsoe story) = Bucks choke

At the start of game Bledsoe was hitting everything from 3 which make it "revenge game" and make us unconformable. We started to play like guys who feel bad. They continue to play like guys who feel good.

In 3th quarter we started to play "nothing to lose" basketball which lowered pressure. As soon as game become close the pressure was back and we started to play bad again.

Giannis passing is just not accurate so many times. Ball in legs or not anticipating his teammate moving (passing to where teammate was second ago).

Considering that I can watch mostly those games that you call "national TV games" because those are games showed here, and considering that the Bucks usually play bad in those games (also games in black uniforms) it explain why I am more pessimistic in my view than average Bucks fan. I really dont have opportunity to watch them against bad opponents most of the time.

[Cythaps]

About last 10 nights (aka interesting stats from our last 10 games stint) :

- Opponent 3pt% is .412 . Just as as a reference, the best 3pt shooting team in the league is Utah at .414 and all the rest shoot below 40%. It's like playing the best shooting team in the league every single night.

- We're shooting 3pt at .352. No starter shoots better than that, and our second best starter is Giannis. Our best overall is Portis.

- Our Offensive rating would be 1st in the league, our defensive rating would be 25th.

- DJ Augustin is shooting .304 inside the 3pt line (7-23)

- Best individual offensive rating is Pat with 128 (lol). He's also the best in in net rtg with 18.

- Worst Offensive rating is Augustin with 102. He's also the worst in net rtg with -15.

- Best Defensive rating is Portis (!) with 109. Worst def rtg is Forbes with 119.

- Our starting lineup ratings are 106.1 - 113.8, net -7.7 . In the first 8 games of the season it was 117.9 - 96.5, net 23.2

- Our most fun lineup with probably the best offense and worst defense of all time remains Giannis, Brook, Pat, Donte, Forbes with 153 - 133 ratings (!!!). If you count all games, they're 157 - 120. It's also our fourth most frequent lineup (even if it's just 28 minutes total). Best off rtg lineup in the whole league that played over 20 minutes together.

[TroyD92]

This season is a just the culmination of poor asset management, poor contracts, and overvaluation of what was already here. Jrue is great and I’m a big fan, but you sold essentially whatever possible moveable assets you had left to bring him in. The Middleton contract is fine in retrospect, but resigning Brook was a terrible move both at the time and In retrospect. Bud’s schemes hiding these guys weaknesses for a year or two gave many players an inflated sense of value on this board, but now that Bud’s scheme has once again been figured out (Atlanta) reality is starting to set in.

Donte is fine, but he’s a major offensive liability despite his feel and defense.

Brook is okay in good matchups for him, but with the way the modern nba is going he’s finding less and less of those. His stupid happy go lucky shot when we are getting creamed is pretty annoying tho.

Pat, DJA ?? Both okayish role players who you gave long contracts to. Which is something I’ve said forever you just don’t do. But the bucks willingly destroyed their draft capital, and it shows when you need to pay these kind of players.

Who else is even worth mentioning ?? The guys they brought in on one year contracts I don’t have much issue with.

Giannis needed to take that next step to lebron tier and he hasn’t done that.

I’d say fire Horst but the damage has already been done, and I think the ceiling this team can get to has already come and gone, and I don’t really know what can be done to improve the team in any significant way without trading Middleton or Jrue

[BroncoBuck]

Teams are absolutely comfortable shooting against us. Gotta take that in to any equation when talking about opposing teams shooting god like against us every other game.

I’m told by some guy on twitter that three point shooting nights are completely random events. Beyond the control of the Bucks, and that it will all even out in the end.

Playing in an empty gym has compounded the issue. It’s been a problem for the whole league this season. It’s just far too easy to shoot right now. We’re seeing massive blowouts where one team gets hot early and the other team just quits (props to the Bucks for fighting through this one)

I wouldn’t be surprised if the league tinkers with the 3 point line in the future. Maybe they try extending it further back in the G League in a couple years. The current state of the NBA is a problem. Some of these games are just boring as hell to watch.

[BigO]

This season is a just the culmination of poor asset management, poor contracts, and overvaluation of what was already here. Jrue is great and I’m a big fan, but you sold essentially whatever possible moveable assets you had left to bring him in. The Middleton contract is fine in retrospect, but resigning Brook was a terrible move both at the time and In retrospect. Bud’s schemes hiding these guys weaknesses for a year or two gave many players an inflated sense of value on this board, but now that Bud’s scheme has once again been figured out (Atlanta) reality is starting to set in.

Donte is fine, but he’s a major offensive liability despite his feel and defense.

Brook is okay in good matchups for him, but with the way the modern nba is going he’s finding less and less of those. His stupid happy go lucky shot when we are getting creamed is pretty annoying tho.

Pat, DJA ?? Both okayish role players who you gave long contracts to. Which is something I’ve said forever you just don’t do. But the bucks willingly destroyed their draft capital, and it shows when you need to pay these kind of players.

Who else is even worth mentioning ?? The guys they brought in on one year contracts I don’t have much issue with.

Giannis needed to take that next step to lebron tier and he hasn’t done that.

I’d say fire Horst but the damage has already been done, and I think the ceiling this team can get to has already come and gone, and I don’t really know what can be done to improve the team in any significant way without trading Middleton or Jrue

You're barking up the wrong tree. The personnel could be better but every team has flaws. The problem isn't personnel, it's the coach.
You can't blame any of the players for continually leaving open threes. While our bench isn't great, benches don't win titles. The Clippers had a great bench last year and it didn't matter. The Lakers had a mediocre bench and they won the title. They had good coaching and a two superstars.

[msiris]

The next logical step is fire Bud. We are not winning anything this year anyways. If not blow this **** up. Trade Middleton for picks and younger studs and fillers. . Same with Jrue. Same with Brook

[SirChurros]

The next logical step is fire Bud. We are not winning anything this year anyways. If not blow this **** up. Trade Middleton for picks and younger studs and fillers. . Same with Jrue. Same with Brook

Might as well trade Giannis then too. For Zion.

[msiris]

The next logical step is fire Bud. We are not winning anything this year anyways. If not blow this **** up. Trade Middleton for picks and younger studs and fillers. . Same with Jrue. Same with Brook

Might as well trade Giannis then too. For Zion.

Nope. People need to wake up. The window is closed.

[TroyD92]

This season is a just the culmination of poor asset management, poor contracts, and overvaluation of what was already here. Jrue is great and I’m a big fan, but you sold essentially whatever possible moveable assets you had left to bring him in. The Middleton contract is fine in retrospect, but resigning Brook was a terrible move both at the time and In retrospect. Bud’s schemes hiding these guys weaknesses for a year or two gave many players an inflated sense of value on this board, but now that Bud’s scheme has once again been figured out (Atlanta) reality is starting to set in.

Donte is fine, but he’s a major offensive liability despite his feel and defense.

Brook is okay in good matchups for him, but with the way the modern nba is going he’s finding less and less of those. His stupid happy go lucky shot when we are getting creamed is pretty annoying tho.

Pat, DJA ?? Both okayish role players who you gave long contracts to. Which is something I’ve said forever you just don’t do. But the bucks willingly destroyed their draft capital, and it shows when you need to pay these kind of players.

Who else is even worth mentioning ?? The guys they brought in on one year contracts I don’t have much issue with.

Giannis needed to take that next step to lebron tier and he hasn’t done that.

I’d say fire Horst but the damage has already been done, and I think the ceiling this team can get to has already come and gone, and I don’t really know what can be done to improve the team in any significant way without trading Middleton or Jrue

You're barking up the wrong tree. The personnel could be better but every team has flaws. The problem isn't personnel, it's the coach.
You can't blame any of the players for continually leaving open threes. While our bench isn't great, benches don't win titles. The Clippers had a great bench last year and it didn't matter. The Lakers had a mediocre bench and they won the title. They had good coaching and a two superstars.

The problem is everything. The coach, the players, and the management.

[StickeeFingaz]

Uhh, but you weren't?

Read on Twitter

[StickeeFingaz]

There is something to the idea of allowing the opponent to get comfortable from three. Don't know the exact number but it felt like we took maybe 6 or 7 threes in our first 10 possessions and clanked most of them. Meanwhile, the Pelicans are pulling up and making theirs. The game felt a lot like our loss to the Knicks.

[mke_design]

Things aren’t as bad or as good as they seem. The NBA as a whole is in a really tough place sans fans. I mean, since we’ve gone to that format this team has shriveled. Could it be that easy?

[paulpressey25]

Things aren’t as bad or as good as they seem. The NBA as a whole is in a really tough place sans fans. I mean, since we’ve gone to that format this team has shriveled. Could it be that easy?

This has been a major factor. On the NFL side, I’m completely convinced Aaron Rodgers loved those empty stadiums. His brain never got distracted by 70,000 people yelling and jumping. On the NBA side, for whatever reasons, our team just can’t get motivated like they were. And as noted above by Bronco Buck, a lot of opponents are more comfortable shooting the 3.

One thing I observed last night was the lack of courtside fans. I watched Donte chase a loose ball, and he didn’t have to stop. In a normal setting, he’s crashing into rows of fans. It is different.

[fan230]

There is something to the idea of allowing the opponent to get comfortable from three. Don't know the exact number but it felt like we took maybe 6 or 7 threes in our first 10 possessions and clanked most of them. Meanwhile, the Pelicans are pulling up and making theirs. The game felt a lot like our loss to the Knicks.

This is a super important point.

I think we minimize our 3 point attempts in the first few minutes. Score at the rim and via mid rangers. Our clanking of 3 pointers allows the opponent to thrive as said above.

Once we score, the opponent will feel pressured when they try 3 pointers.

Bud’s scheme or/and our players or whatever—— our defense is unable to stop 3 pointers now. It is best to let our offense put pressure on their offense’s likelihood of happy go lucky attempts at 3 point shooting.

“Offense is the best form of defense “. For now I believe this is the best strategy. But our offense should not be a clanking 3 point offense.

Brook and Giannis should play at the rim. Khris anywhere. Jrue and ddv at the midrange 2 s. If and when we can play forbes nworo merrill more minutes, we can try more 3 pointers.