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

[GHOSTofSIKMA]

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he looks like a a steak with some steak fries would have been a thing in this pic. eat brother!!

[-Jragon-]

The first half of the season was the time to try things and the Bucks did. Trying to acclimate Prince, Green,AJJ, Rollins, Trent and now Kuzma and Porter is more than enough experimentation.

Now is the time to solidify a rotation for the playoffs. It doesn't mean you have to play Giannis and Dame 38 minutes. But starting to just throw a rookie in there after having a mediocre Herd season doesn't make sense to me. Same with Sims.

The Bucks are just a few games out of being in the play-in. Get to work.

This. But I think there is plenty of reasons to be optimistic. The new acquisitions (GTJ & TP) are shooting the lights out from 3. AJ Green continues shoot over 40% 3pt with increased minutes and his defense is obviously improved. Giannis is performing at an MVP level, and Dame is showing no signs of slowing down. Kuzma is not as good as Middleton but will be more impactful by filling areas of need with his energy, rebounding, defense, and health. Maybe even catch lightning in a bottle with KPJ filling the backup PG duties. Just get healthy AND stay healthy and it's not hard to imagine the Bucks going on a dominant run post all-star break.

I gave you an And 1, not because I share your optimism, but becasue you correctly laid out the best case scenario. To give the other side:

1) I don't see TP being able to get off his shots in the playoffs. Same with Green. The playoffs are a different animal. One trick ponies are usually shut down.

2) I don't include GTJ in #1, because of his superquick release. But the idea is the same.

3) As to Kuzma, any replacement for prime KM would be an efficiency dropoff, but Kuzma's dropoff is huge (doesn't even include his 60% free throw percentage). If he can limit himself to good shots, he can be a plus. But the thing about Khris is that he took bad shots and was still efficient, because for him they weren't bad shots. Who is the third efficient scoring option you can count on in the playoffs?

I think whether or not TP and Green get off shots in the playoffs directly relates to how teams choose to stay home or sell out and double GA and DL.. historically teams would choose 1 guy to leave open to double and just hope he misses -- DDV, Pat, Bobby, etc.. guessing they'll leave Kuz b4 TP or AJG.. Kuz will have to be aggressive driving/cutting if his 3 shot stays broke

[pifhluk23]

This. But I think there is plenty of reasons to be optimistic. The new acquisitions (GTJ & TP) are shooting the lights out from 3. AJ Green continues shoot over 40% 3pt with increased minutes and his defense is obviously improved. Giannis is performing at an MVP level, and Dame is showing no signs of slowing down. Kuzma is not as good as Middleton but will be more impactful by filling areas of need with his energy, rebounding, defense, and health. Maybe even catch lightning in a bottle with KPJ filling the backup PG duties. Just get healthy AND stay healthy and it's not hard to imagine the Bucks going on a dominant run post all-star break.

I gave you an And 1, not because I share your optimism, but becasue you correctly laid out the best case scenario. To give the other side:

1) I don't see TP being able to get off his shots in the playoffs. Same with Green. The playoffs are a different animal. One trick ponies are usually shut down.

2) I don't include GTJ in #1, because of his superquick release. But the idea is the same.

3) As to Kuzma, any replacement for prime KM would be an efficiency dropoff, but Kuzma's dropoff is huge (doesn't even include his 60% free throw percentage). If he can limit himself to good shots, he can be a plus. But the thing about Khris is that he took bad shots and was still efficient, because for him they weren't bad shots. Who is the third efficient scoring option you can count on in the playoffs?

I think whether or not TP and Green get off shots in the playoffs directly relates to how teams choose to stay home or sell out and double GA and DL.. historically teams would choose 1 guy to leave open to double and just hope he misses -- DDV, Pat, Bobby, etc.. guessing they'll leave Kuz b4 TP or AJG.. Kuz will have to be aggressive driving/cutting if his 3 shot stays broke

They will double off Lopez, going to see guards on him all playoffs just like Curry in the GSW game. A below league average 3p shooter with a slow release and slow to the rim if he fakes, easy choice. Lopez going to the rim off a hard closeout 3 is like the ideal situation for our opponents. He won't get back on D and you'll have the closeout guy leaking out. To me this is by far our biggest weakness on offense when the games get tight.

[raferfenix]

Counterpoint: There are no juggernauts this season.

Some team/s will step up in the playoffs yes.

But all have flaws. And the Bucks have the best 2-way player in the league.

[tedbrogen]

I gave you an And 1, not because I share your optimism, but becasue you correctly laid out the best case scenario. To give the other side:

1) I don't see TP being able to get off his shots in the playoffs. Same with Green. The playoffs are a different animal. One trick ponies are usually shut down.

2) I don't include GTJ in #1, because of his superquick release. But the idea is the same.

3) As to Kuzma, any replacement for prime KM would be an efficiency dropoff, but Kuzma's dropoff is huge (doesn't even include his 60% free throw percentage). If he can limit himself to good shots, he can be a plus. But the thing about Khris is that he took bad shots and was still efficient, because for him they weren't bad shots. Who is the third efficient scoring option you can count on in the playoffs?

I think whether or not TP and Green get off shots in the playoffs directly relates to how teams choose to stay home or sell out and double GA and DL.. historically teams would choose 1 guy to leave open to double and just hope he misses -- DDV, Pat, Bobby, etc.. guessing they'll leave Kuz b4 TP or AJG.. Kuz will have to be aggressive driving/cutting if his 3 shot stays broke

They will double off Lopez, going to see guards on him all playoffs just like Curry in the GSW game. A below league average 3p shooter with a slow release and slow to the rim if he fakes, easy choice. Lopez going to the rim off a hard closeout 3 is like the ideal situation for our opponents. He won't get back on D and you'll have the closeout guy leaking out. To me this is by far our biggest weakness on offense when the games get tight.

This is why you want Giannis at center lineups. Have Kuz cut to the rim. Then the options are leaving open legit three point shooters. Can’t toss someone like Curry on Kuz because he can actually attack that matchup and get to the rim.

[braindazer]

Any time table for Thanasis coming back? Wonder what the odds are of him taking the open spot? Might be just what the doctor ordered.

[SupremeHustle]

Is Giannis back immediately after the break or just sometime after the break?

[MickeyDavis]

Is Giannis back immediately after the break or just sometime after the break?

No one knows.

[Neuromancer56]

I think I've found the solution to our roster aging and injury problems:

Watch on YouTube

[-Jragon-]

I think whether or not TP and Green get off shots in the playoffs directly relates to how teams choose to stay home or sell out and double GA and DL.. historically teams would choose 1 guy to leave open to double and just hope he misses -- DDV, Pat, Bobby, etc.. guessing they'll leave Kuz b4 TP or AJG.. Kuz will have to be aggressive driving/cutting if his 3 shot stays broke

They will double off Lopez, going to see guards on him all playoffs just like Curry in the GSW game. A below league average 3p shooter with a slow release and slow to the rim if he fakes, easy choice. Lopez going to the rim off a hard closeout 3 is like the ideal situation for our opponents. He won't get back on D and you'll have the closeout guy leaking out. To me this is by far our biggest weakness on offense when the games get tight.

This is why you want Giannis at center lineups. Have Kuz cut to the rim. Then the options are leaving open legit three point shooters. Can’t toss someone like Curry on Kuz because he can actually attack that matchup and get to the rim.

These are both great posts/points. Circling back to the OP, as we change the lineup and people placement over time we will
catch them rotating late - if we swing the ball there will be times when TP and AJG have time to load up an open 3. It will take patience and ball movement which we're not necessarily famous for (hero ball).

Beyond that, Giannis and Dame (by just gravity and pure talent) will likely catch the corner guy open several times per game, that could be an AJ, Kuz or TP need to make them.

[fan230]

Bucks have been struggling to choose between a Ajax who is a great defender and a terrible offensive player & Green who is an elite shooter but an average defender. On balance it seems to me that Green should get more minutes simply based on relative strengths. Also Kuzma’s strength as a defender, I think, tilts the balance even more towards Green.

But I have a feeling that Kevin Porter (or possibly Gary Trent on the days that he is in his on days as a scorer only) might be the one to try out; Porter might be the one. Any thoughts on this?

[ShootingtheJ]

If the Bucks don't give Rollins the final roster spot, Killian Hayes could be an option. He's finally developing as a shooter in the G League. He's a solid defender, and still just 23.

[BigO]

Bucks have been struggling to choose between a Ajax who is a great defender and a terrible offensive player & Green who is an elite shooter but an average defender. On balance it seems to me that Green should get more minutes simply based on relative strengths. Also Kuzma’s strength as a defender, I think, tilts the balance even more towards Green.

But I have a feeling that Kevin Porter (or possibly Gary Trent on the days that he is in his on days as a scorer only) might be the one to try out; Porter might be the one. Any thoughts on this?

I fail to see Ajax as a great defender. Maybe the "advanced" stats say soemthing different, but I see guards, even without ball screens, get by him easily.

So no, I wouldn't play Ajax a ton. Probably Trent and then Green, with Porter as the wild card. Whoever is the best combination of offense and defense and that's not Ajax.

[raferfenix]

Anything to read into the Bucks looking at Fultz?

Could be we were choosing btw KPJ and him, but it also didn’t need to be mutually exclusive since MarJon wasn’t a keeper:

Fultz said he has been training Monday through Friday in Los Angeles in recent months while preparing for his comeback. He drew interest from the Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks and other teams before reaching an agreement with the Kings following a private workout in front of assistant general manager Wes Wilcox and other members of the organization.

https://hoopshype.com/rumor/clippers-bucks-expressed-interest-in-markelle-fultz/

[Bernman]

Bucks have been struggling to choose between a Ajax who is a great defender and a terrible offensive player & Green who is an elite shooter but an average defender. On balance it seems to me that Green should get more minutes simply based on relative strengths. Also Kuzma’s strength as a defender, I think, tilts the balance even more towards Green.

But I have a feeling that Kevin Porter (or possibly Gary Trent on the days that he is in his on days as a scorer only) might be the one to try out; Porter might be the one. Any thoughts on this?

I think it's a myth & false dichotomy/dilemma you're choosing between great defense or an offense threat. Green actually has a better d-rating. And I don't think that's overly deceptive. Ajax has been burnt for quicks/bad angles plenty lately.

Whoever we utilize has to defend smalls Kuz can't, so I don't think his introduction changes the equation, in regards to d. The d & lineup data demonstrates Green deserves his shot to prove he translates w/ the pressure + match-ups of starting.

In regards to KPJ, I think that's the best d fit from what I've seen, & the rebounding's nice, but offensive fit on paper is really odd. Can he adapt to play off ball & have a high % on catch and shoots? He's been up & down in the data. It's also not his instinct.

[Dick Tate]

Bucks have been struggling to choose between a Ajax who is a great defender and a terrible offensive player & Green who is an elite shooter but an average defender. On balance it seems to me that Green should get more minutes simply based on relative strengths. Also Kuzma’s strength as a defender, I think, tilts the balance even more towards Green.

But I have a feeling that Kevin Porter (or possibly Gary Trent on the days that he is in his on days as a scorer only) might be the one to try out; Porter might be the one. Any thoughts on this?

Porter will be starting by the next game or so, would be my prediction.

[fan230]

Thanks all for the responses. Enjoyed reading those.

[MickeyDavis]

I think we kicked the tires on a number of players. Most teams do.

Anything to read into the Bucks looking at Fultz?

Could be we were choosing btw KPJ and him, but it also didn’t need to be mutually exclusive since MarJon wasn’t a keeper:

Fultz said he has been training Monday through Friday in Los Angeles in recent months while preparing for his comeback. He drew interest from the Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks and other teams before reaching an agreement with the Kings following a private workout in front of assistant general manager Wes Wilcox and other members of the organization.

https://hoopshype.com/rumor/clippers-bucks-expressed-interest-in-markelle-fultz/

[soxperry]

Bucks have been struggling to choose between a Ajax who is a great defender and a terrible offensive player & Green who is an elite shooter but an average defender. On balance it seems to me that Green should get more minutes simply based on relative strengths. Also Kuzma’s strength as a defender, I think, tilts the balance even more towards Green.

But I have a feeling that Kevin Porter (or possibly Gary Trent on the days that he is in his on days as a scorer only) might be the one to try out; Porter might be the one. Any thoughts on this?

Porter will be starting by the next game or so, would be my prediction.

I would be very surprised by that. Seems like hes more valuable coming off the bench when Dame sits

[SupremeHustle]

If the Bucks don't give Rollins the final roster spot, Killian Hayes could be an option. He's finally developing as a shooter in the G League. He's a solid defender, and still just 23.

I thought that kid took his ball and went home. Good for him for keeping at it. I got the impression he was an entitled snot when he was with the Pistons. Maybe he'll be okay now since there are no lofty expectations.

If he can make it, there is real hope for a guy like AJ Johnson.