Bucks News, Transactions, Trade Ideas - Sign Pete Nance to 2-way

[TroyD92]

Instead of bouncing ideas off Bud, Horst is bouncing ideas off Giannis lol

[emunney]

PP laid it out better than I could a few weeks back, but I'm gonna go ahead and push back real hard at this notion that we "should have won multiple rings" with this previous core. We did the best we could with a "meh" supporting cast of guys like Bledsoe, Jrue, Khris, Brook, and some solid role players, and what we got was a Mavs/Dirk run of consistent winning and a championship. We exceeded our talent level in many ways and I'm not buying the "wasted dynasty" narrative.

This discussion goes back to when Bud was fired and continued for the next year. i.e. teams that win multiple titles have a core with at least two HOF players, many times three. I don't have a link to those posts, but if I recall it went something like this:

Spurs - Robinson, Duncan, Manu, Parker, Kawhi
GSW - Steph, Klay, Draymond, Durant
Heat - LeBron, Bosh, Wade
Lakers - multiple eras of Shaq, Kobe, Pau

We're more like Dallas 2011, Raptors 2019 or even Cleveland 2016.

Just damn grateful we got one.

I bet if you did all the simulations they'd spit out that we should have expected like 1.3 rings or something from the Giannis era. Like, not getting one would have been an upset. Probably more than two conference finals, though.

That said, ****'s not over yet. Enough with eulogizing the career of a 30 year old who's still improving.

[fansinceforever]

Khris getting hurt legitimately derailed us in 2022. We're championship bound if that doesn't happen.

In my opinion, it's not fair to say the Bucks are champions if Giannis doesn't get hurt the past two years. They weren't good enough. Not even close, really.

[fansinceforever]

At this point, I'm kind of expecting to get the news that Giannis wants out this off-season. Won't really be surprised or upset by it either.

[emunney]

I don't understand how the Middleton trade was about depth. The depth part of it (Wright for Sims) was basically a separate trade, wasn't it? So if you trade a forward and a guard for a forward, he's saying we addressed depth because ACTUALLY Kuzma plays every position? Not a great take.

[tydett]

Horst isn't super creative as a speaker, but Horst can't just come out and say "We don't trust Khris' body - he's a supremely good player if he gets right, but we can't take the chance on it, especially with the second apron being as punishing as it is." Don't want to do a franchise legend dirty like that, especially before he might opt for free agency, so you get the pu pu platter of other excuses.

[MickeyDavis]

Horst isn't super creative as a speaker, but Horst can't just come out and say "We don't trust Khris' body - he's a supremely good player if he gets right, but we can't take the chance on it, especially with the second apron being as punishing as it is." Don't want to do a franchise legend dirty like that, especially before he might opt for free agency, so you get the pu pu platter of other excuses.

I think with Khris being here so long and being so popular Horst just wanted to take the high road and praise him. Everyone knows injury concerns were the impetus, there was no need to go into it further.

[jimmybones]

PP laid it out better than I could a few weeks back, but I'm gonna go ahead and push back real hard at this notion that we "should have won multiple rings" with this previous core. We did the best we could with a "meh" supporting cast of guys like Bledsoe, Jrue, Khris, Brook, and some solid role players, and what we got was a Mavs/Dirk run of consistent winning and a championship. We exceeded our talent level in many ways and I'm not buying the "wasted dynasty" narrative.

This discussion goes back to when Bud was fired and continued for the next year. i.e. teams that win multiple titles have a core with at least two HOF players, many times three. I don't have a link to those posts, but if I recall it went something like this:

Spurs - Robinson, Duncan, Manu, Parker, Kawhi
GSW - Steph, Klay, Draymond, Durant
Heat - LeBron, Bosh, Wade
Lakers - multiple eras of Shaq, Kobe, Pau

We're more like Dallas 2011, Raptors 2019 or even Cleveland 2016.

Just damn grateful we got one.

I bet if you did all the simulations they'd spit out that we should have expected like 1.3 rings or something from the Giannis era. Like, not getting one would have been an upset. Probably more than two conference finals, though.

That said, ****'s not over yet. Enough with eulogizing the career of a 30 year old who's still improving.

Loving that energy, hell yeah brother

[theFireBlanket]

Khris getting hurt legitimately derailed us in 2022. We're championship bound if that doesn't happen.

In my opinion, it's not fair to say the Bucks are champions if Giannis doesn't get hurt the past two years. They weren't good enough. Not even close, really.

Team construction is altered with the first repeat title secured. And yes, if Khris is available in that Celtics series, Bucks get to the Finals. They were on the ropes, without him.

[Be Here Now]

I feel like 2019-22 were the only seasons we were actual contenders. That 2019 team was stacked with young studs like Giannis, Khris, Brogdon. A guy in Lopez who was trying to revive his career on a one year prove it deal and then also really good vet role players like Ersan, Hill, Mirotic and Bledsoe that weren't cooked like our current vets of the past several years. Bud was also a fresh voice and seemed like a genius compared to Kidd. Losing to the Raptors after nearly being up 3-0 was definitely the biggest missed opportunity of the Giannis era. They just choked and had a wounded Warriors squad waiting to be steam rolled in the finals.

2021 in a way made up for that 2019 choke job. I remember deciding to go golfing with some friends like halfway thru the second quarter of game 3 vs the Nets because it seemed inevitable we were on our way to getting swept. We were a couple holes in when we heard Kyrie got hurt and we came back and won that game. Taking that series, getting the Hawks in the ecf, Giannis going down, Mids turning into baby Jordan. Just an incredible series of events. That was super fortunate. Jrue was terrible offensively during that postseason. Like 40/30/70 iirc.

At this point I would say 2nd round is our ceiling. I just want to see Giannis and Dame healthy TOGETHER for the playoffs and have some meaningful games to watch.

[Bernman]

I feel like we were big-time contenders last season w/ the most high-powered core in the league, when they were together had an elite regular season net rating, then during the postseason improved their level when they were healthy.

We were moderately lesser contenders this yr w/ health issues of Khris. But those could have improved, & we did address some issues before the season. Then it depended on what we did before the deadline, which was a big flop. Likely an end of an era.

[soxperry]

Khris still not making a public statement is crazy... Hes either really hurt or really pissed.

No thank you to the fans though??

Maybe hes opting out to re sign for MLE. You know, because when you can make 30 million over 3 years instead of one, you dont pass that up.

[-Jragon-]

Khris still not making a public statement is crazy... Hes either really hurt or really pissed.

No thank you to the fans though??

Maybe hes opting out to re sign for MLE. You know, because when you can make 30 million over 3 years instead of one, you dont pass that up.

I'd take him on a minimum contract only if he commits to weight training and fitness.

[Prez]

I'm still a firm believer that both Giannis and Dame have a switch that they can flip for the playoffs. I know with 100% certainty that Giannis has one. The BITW-level two-way destroyer is still in there, it's just a matter of when he chooses to flip that switch, like we saw in the Cup game against OKC. Dame I saw that switch flip in the first two games of the Pacers series before he got hurt. It literally just comes down to health with those two imo.

My concerns outside of health is that Horst seemingly didn't think it was worth getting an athletic C (no, Jericho Sims doesn't count lol) or 2nd ball handler (no, KPJ doesn't count lol) when both are glaring weaknesses that almost certainly will be our downfall when it really matters. Also Doc doesn't seem to grasp what our best lineups are or what lineups shouldn't see the floor.

I think if our full rotation is healthy we have a puncher's chance against almost anybody, but realistically against the likes of Boston/Cleveland and probably NYK, Brook/Bobby are going to get smoked and our lack of a 2nd ball handler is going to get exposed, and Doc won't have the answers in the moment.

[theFireBlanket]

We are royally f--ked. No doubt in my mind. Everything has been a mess for two years.

Team needs more than Giannis & Dame hero ball. Doc isn't good enough to get that out of them.

[BUCKnation]

My copium is that Dame, Giannis and the rest of the team will take it up a notch. Had no real business being in a mostly tight 6 game series last year with the hand we were dealt, but that adds to the confidence this year.

As far as wasting the window, I don't think we really did. I think we win at least 2 out of 3 with good health and I'm very confident we go b2b if Khris doesn't slip.

[WeMajor34]

What's really interesting about our 2021 championship run and the subsequent years that followed is that we are pretty much in the same class as every single Champion from 2019-2023 and potentially 2024. No one has repeated and none of the Championship teams have made it out of the second round the year after they win.

2019 Raptors-2020 Bubble loss in 2nd round to Boston

2020 Lakers-2021 loss in 1st round to Phoenix

2021 Bucks-2022 loss in 2nd round to Boston

2022 Warriors-2023 loss in 2nd round to Los Angeles

2023 Nuggets-2024 loss in 2nd round to Minnesota

2024 Celtics-?

Just a strange period in the league for parity. It's not a bad thing, but it surely has stopped any dynasties from emerging, which we all know is ultimately what the league wants.

With that being said, it is really disappointing to see our lack of deep playoff runs with a player like Giannis. Hopefully we get one more, but it's going to take a reset sooner rather than later.

[fansinceforever]

Even just the way GS schemed up several easy baskets against man and zone last night seems beyond our capabilities...

Coaching, bbiq & individual talent are all just not where they need to be.

[-Jragon-]

Even just the way GS schemed up several easy baskets against man and zone last night seems beyond our capabilities...

Coaching, bbiq & individual talent are all just not where they need to be.

Kuzma and kpj don't even know the defense.. it was a back to back and we were tied until we got forced into Pat minutes and then blink and we're down 8.. there will be a gelling process.. it's one thing to have 1 dude on the floor that doesn't know the defense yet but having 2 is crazy ... also going against 2 all stars and your best player is out... we'll be ok

[-Jragon-]

All in favor of keeping Pat in street clothes the rest of the year to further Doc-proof the playing time say "I"..... There's literally no reason to play him.. we're not going to win if he plays, it's not developing a young guy, it's not acclimating a new guy.... there are zero reasons to ever call his name to put him in.