Bucks Roster this year is objectively better

[old skool]

I find it difficult to criticize Budenholzer as a coach, when he won more regular season games than any other coach in the NBA last season. In five seasons he led the Bucks to the #1 seed 3 times, and to a title in one of the other seasons.

But for all of that success, the Bucks seemed unprepared for a confident Heat team in the playoffs last year. They got to the 4th quarter hoping to run out the clock before Miami could catch them. Ultimately, they did not have a go-to offensive play to get a needed basket. They couldn't staunch a Heat run. They looked scared and unprepared.

Their offensive philosophy might have contributed to that lack of offensive focus. Playing organically and finding the open man might work when playing regular season games against the Orlandos and Detroits of the NBA, but in the playoffs it led to Grayson Allen not getting a decent shot off at the end of a key game.

I don't think this roster is necessarily better than a year ago. I think Carter and Ingles will be missed. You don't win titles in the NBA relying on rookies drafted in the second round. More significantly, there is no way the Bucks can expect to get as many games out of Antetokounmpo, Middleton, Holiday and Lopez as they did a year ago. Injuries happen to veteran players in the NBA.

Particularly troubling are the injuries to Antetokounmpo that have caused him to miss playoff games 3 of the last 4 seasons. Giannis missing playoff games has become a regular occurrence. It would be folly to expect that trend to just go away. The reality is that the Bucks have not had a fully healthy complement of AG/KM/DH/BL for every playoff game for 4 straight seasons.

[theFireBlanket]

The offense routinely **** the bed in the postseason because players couldn't make their open shots and now we're hoping a defensive coach and a couple retread assistants can turn it around with our top pick that snihoots the three like he's in a shot put contest.

calling terry stotts a retread assistant is so **** disengious lol

One might say calling this staff/roster objectively better is a bit disingenuous.

Prunty is a retread for Giannis & Khris. Stotts is a Bucks retread.

So was Josh Oppenheimer, who returned the year they won the Finals.

[Badgerlander]

bet·ter
/ˈbedər/
adjective

2. partly or fully recovered from illness, injury, or mental stress; less unwell.

[JayMKE]

I'm not sure replacing Jevon Carter with Malik Beasley is an upgrade and who knows about Griffin or the rookies at this point, hopefully we're lucky and have a healthy year but everything else is mostly the same.

[StickeeFingaz]

I find it difficult to criticize Budenholzer as a coach, when he won more regular season games than any other coach in the NBA last season. In five seasons he led the Bucks to the #1 seed 3 times, and to a title in one of the other seasons.

But for all of that success, the Bucks seemed unprepared for a confident Heat team in the playoffs last year. They got to the 4th quarter hoping to run out the clock before Miami could catch them. Ultimately, they did not have a go-to offensive play to get a needed basket. They couldn't staunch a Heat run. They looked scared and unprepared.

Their offensive philosophy might have contributed to that lack of offensive focus. Playing organically and finding the open man might work when playing regular season games against the Orlandos and Detroits of the NBA, but in the playoffs it led to Grayson Allen not getting a decent shot off at the end of a key game.

I don't think this roster is necessarily better than a year ago. I think Carter and Ingles will be missed. You don't win titles in the NBA relying on rookies drafted in the second round. More significantly, there is no way the Bucks can expect to get as many games out of Antetokounmpo, Middleton, Holiday and Lopez as they did a year ago. Injuries happen to veteran players in the NBA.

Particularly troubling are the injuries to Antetokounmpo that have caused him to miss playoff games 3 of the last 4 seasons. Giannis missing playoff games has become a regular occurrence. It would be folly to expect that trend to just go away. The reality is that the Bucks have not had a fully healthy complement of AG/KM/DH/BL for every playoff game for 4 straight seasons.

Good post but the initials you used nearly made my head explode.

[emunney]

I find it difficult to criticize Budenholzer as a coach, when he won more regular season games than any other coach in the NBA last season. In five seasons he led the Bucks to the #1 seed 3 times, and to a title in one of the other seasons.

But for all of that success, the Bucks seemed unprepared for a confident Heat team in the playoffs last year. They got to the 4th quarter hoping to run out the clock before Miami could catch them. Ultimately, they did not have a go-to offensive play to get a needed basket. They couldn't staunch a Heat run. They looked scared and unprepared.

Their offensive philosophy might have contributed to that lack of offensive focus. Playing organically and finding the open man might work when playing regular season games against the Orlandos and Detroits of the NBA, but in the playoffs it led to Grayson Allen not getting a decent shot off at the end of a key game.

I don't think this roster is necessarily better than a year ago. I think Carter and Ingles will be missed. You don't win titles in the NBA relying on rookies drafted in the second round. More significantly, there is no way the Bucks can expect to get as many games out of Antetokounmpo, Middleton, Holiday and Lopez as they did a year ago. Injuries happen to veteran players in the NBA.

Particularly troubling are the injuries to Antetokounmpo that have caused him to miss playoff games 3 of the last 4 seasons. Giannis missing playoff games has become a regular occurrence. It would be folly to expect that trend to just go away. The reality is that the Bucks have not had a fully healthy complement of AG/KM/DH/BL for every playoff game for 4 straight seasons.

Good post but the initials you used nearly made my head explode.

It's just Bud's bad luck that we did not have a periodic table available

[rilamann]

The offense routinely **** the bed in the postseason because players couldn't make their open shots and now we're hoping a defensive coach and a couple retread assistants can turn it around with our top pick that shoots the three like he's in a shot put contest.

Bud couldn't make guys hit shots, but how many 4-33 nights (using game 7 vs Bos as the example) in the playoffs do you need before you change up your Let it fly and Play Random offensive philosophy.

AG and Stotts don't have to be miracle workers here. All they have to do is what Bud didn't do. And that is tell a bunch of guys who can't hit 3's to stop spamming 3's. Do that and the offense should be noticeably improved.

Hopefully the days are over of Giannis scoring easily in the paint on 3 straight possessions, only to proceed to go 0-8 on 3's as his coach did nothing.

[jute2003]

The team was old and slow last year and the guys expected to make the team less slow and old this year are young and entirely unproven. The guys that matter most likely aren't any better or any more likely to be healthy when the games count. For all his faults, Bud was a proven winner and Griffin has proven absolutely nothing.

It is possible that getting embarrassed last year will light a fire under them and the new coaching staff will focus them better. I wouldn't say the roster is guaranteed to be anything though.

[H2tObes]

I think the difference in roster is mostly negligible, really depends how Marjon, AJJ, and Jae look. I will say that there is a real chance that a fresh coaching philosophy and an installation of some youthful athleticism might make the team much more fun to watch, and harder to solve come playoff time which has been our Achilles heel.

[engelmartin]

If Middleton is healthy and plays the whole year we are a totally different team.

The year we won the championship, that Brooklyn series was all Khris “Misdimeanor” Middleton

[Prez]

I’ve already deluded myself into thinking MarJon and Dre are gonna be real contributors this year, so I’m on board with this take lol.

Like if those two can play, we would’ve just added two young, explosive 6’7” wings and that completely changes what we can do lineup wise. If not, then it’s looking a bit grim barring another trade.

Feel pretty confident Horst gets a shot creating guard at some point before the deadline though, just don’t know who.

[JayMKE]

Who knows about Griffin but Stotts runs a pretty similar offensive system to Budenholzer and IS NOT known for adjusting it so the hope of schematic improvement is mostly wishful thinking. I imagine we'll even see a lot of the drop too still since we spent so much on Lopez. Very little change this upcoming season imo

[Mtsportsfan]

The offense routinely **** the bed in the postseason because players couldn't make their open shots and now we're hoping a defensive coach and a couple retread assistants can turn it around with our top pick that shoots the three like he's in a shot put contest.

Bud couldn't make guys hit shots, but how many 4-33 nights (using game 7 vs Bos as the example) in the playoffs do you need before you change up your Let it fly and Play Random offensive philosophy.

AG and Stotts don't have to be miracle workers here. All they have to do is what Bud didn't do. And that is tell a bunch of guys who can't hit 3's to stop spamming 3's. Do that and the offense should be noticeably improved.

Hopefully the days are over of Giannis scoring easily in the paint on 3 straight possessions, only to proceed to go 0-8 on 3's as his coach did nothing.

Excellent post in my opinion ! Buds in ability to make adjustments at key times or just the randomness of his offense was a killer ! The idea of just let it fly when we couldn't hit the broadside of barn and just keep doing drove me nuts, while Brooks down low was working against the heat only to not go back to it ( small example ) things like that drove me crazy !

[Daver]

The offense routinely **** the bed in the postseason because players couldn't make their open shots and now we're hoping a defensive coach and a couple retread assistants can turn it around with our top pick that shoots the three like he's in a shot put contest.

Bud couldn't make guys hit shots, but how many 4-33 nights (using game 7 vs Bos as the example) in the playoffs do you need before you change up your Let it fly and Play Random offensive philosophy.

AG and Stotts don't have to be miracle workers here. All they have to do is what Bud didn't do. And that is tell a bunch of guys who can't hit 3's to stop spamming 3's. Do that and the offense should be noticeably improved.

Hopefully the days are over of Giannis scoring easily in the paint on 3 straight possessions, only to proceed to go 0-8 on 3's as his coach did nothing.

Excellent post in my opinion ! Buds in ability to make adjustments at key times or just the randomness of his offense was a killer ! The idea of just let it fly when we couldn't hit the broadside of barn and just keep doing drove me nuts, while Brooks down low was working against the heat only to not go back to it ( small example ) things like that drove me crazy !

Absolutely spot on.How in the hell after brooks eats bam alive in game 2 to a tume of what 30 points or so do you not even attempt to go back to it 1 time in games 3 4 and 5.WTF bud they cant a 3 to save their ass in games 4 and 5 and yet lets not start going down low to brook to try n get some buckets.Bam couldnt stop him.
Probably 1 reason there was that rumor last year that brook wasnt none to happy in buds system.
It was frustrating seeing things work then not going back to it.( jevon game 1 vs celts) played great D ) last time you saw him.Wtf

[MVP2110]

The offense routinely **** the bed in the postseason because players couldn't make their open shots and now we're hoping a defensive coach and a couple retread assistants can turn it around with our top pick that shoots the three like he's in a shot put contest.

Bud couldn't make guys hit shots, but how many 4-33 nights (using game 7 vs Bos as the example) in the playoffs do you need before you change up your Let it fly and Play Random offensive philosophy.

AG and Stotts don't have to be miracle workers here. All they have to do is what Bud didn't do. And that is tell a bunch of guys who can't hit 3's to stop spamming 3's. Do that and the offense should be noticeably improved.

Hopefully the days are over of Giannis scoring easily in the paint on 3 straight possessions, only to proceed to go 0-8 on 3's as his coach did nothing.

Excellent post in my opinion ! Buds in ability to make adjustments at key times or just the randomness of his offense was a killer ! The idea of just let it fly when we couldn't hit the broadside of barn and just keep doing drove me nuts, while Brooks down low was working against the heat only to not go back to it ( small example ) things like that drove me crazy !

If you hated Bud's let it fly approach I have a feeling you aren't going to like the Stotts offense very much

[midranger]

I’m hoping the Giannis playoff injury bug will improve if the new coach doesn’t have him going 1-on-5 from the top of the key every offensive playoff possession.

[mattg]

I think there's too much criticism for Bud saying "play random", that's literally just coach speak for motion offense without calling sets. Other coaches call it the same thing at times.


...The issue is that our players are legit low BBIQ on offense and sorta stupid. Some guys CANNOT reliably play in a motion offense because they aren't adept at moving without the ball/don't have great spatial awareness/aren't great instinctual offensive players. And if we're being honest, that's all of Jrue/Khris/Giannis. None of them excel in that way whatsoever. They need more guidance and structure to ensure they are taking good shots. That's why our playoff offense was always trash. We had a good macro shot profile in the regular season as a team, tons of 3s and Giannis pressuring the rim. The math is gonna work out on that. However in the playoffs, against strictly higher end teams that also get a chance to game plan for us, they are always able to limit Giannis from what he can do in the regular season, and then everyone else is literally standing around for standstill 3s. We are playing basic drive and kick, 1 or 2 pass possessions consistently, no off ball actions to get our guys a touch/catch already with an advantage. WE can't even reliably run pick and roll with Giannis and either Khris or Jrue. Think about how simple of an action that is and as a team, the guys were unable to consistently even run that. It's honestly really mind boggling to think about (and honestly makes the fact that we won a title truly amazing). That's why our offense is consistently garbage in the playoffs.

Now was that all on Bud? It's hard to say. It's at least partially so since he was the coach, but perhaps he really tried and our guys were straight up too stupid to even remember plays, or just flat out refused to do those things. Hard to know for sure.

[msiris]

I say we are pretty much the same. We will see how much the coaching change will upgrade the Bucks boneheaded tendencies. Add the likes of one of the other guys floated around and maybe I would be more excited, Still contnders but not better than any of the other cotenders.

[emunney]

There are 300 posters on this board with clips full of "Objectively better" posts ready to spray in the first double digit loss PG thread.

[Daver]

Bud couldn't make guys hit shots, but how many 4-33 nights (using game 7 vs Bos as the example) in the playoffs do you need before you change up your Let it fly and Play Random offensive philosophy.

AG and Stotts don't have to be miracle workers here. All they have to do is what Bud didn't do. And that is tell a bunch of guys who can't hit 3's to stop spamming 3's. Do that and the offense should be noticeably improved.

Hopefully the days are over of Giannis scoring easily in the paint on 3 straight possessions, only to proceed to go 0-8 on 3's as his coach did nothing.

Excellent post in my opinion ! Buds in ability to make adjustments at key times or just the randomness of his offense was a killer ! The idea of just let it fly when we couldn't hit the broadside of barn and just keep doing drove me nuts, while Brooks down low was working against the heat only to not go back to it ( small example ) things like that drove me crazy !

If you hated Bud's let it fly approach I have a feeling you aren't going to like the Stotts offense very much

It will be a improvement if all he does is get brook more involved down low n gets giannis to stop shooting 3s n wprk more inside those 2 things happen bucks O will be really good.You really cant stop either brook or giannis down low bam sure in the hell couldnt