Bucks/Pacers Lead-up - Dame Cleared for Practice

[tydett]

Doc probably gonna have to realize this is not the series for 36 minutes per game of Brook. Hopefully Sims is back to be able to keep up with these (front)runners.

[fansinceforever]

I think we beat these guys.

[James1980]

Giannis should slowly change his sleep schedule this week, like someone going overseas, so he gets his pre-game nap in haha. Bucks in 6 though.

[CharityStripe34]

It's great that he feels more comfortable taking those shots and it bodes well for his game as he ages, but if Giannis gets baited into having a mid-range jumper party, then I doubt this series is gonna be all that competitive. Indy obviously wants to get out and run as much as they can, so you can't be gifting them possessions off of shots they'll gladly give us. We need Ruthless Aggression Giannis. Attack the rim, drive and kick, and then attack the rim even more.

Agreed, I just think it's a godsend for his game that he has a mid range J he can go to comfortably. The recent improvement at the stripe would be amazing if it held up at 70% or above.

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[German Athens]

Saw an interesting video comparing 2025 Giannis to 2015 & 2018 LeBron. As far as having to carry a mediocre roster with his running mate going down. The now reliable mid-range J and excellent decision-making with the PG duties should shine in the playoffs. They won't be able to simply just wall off the paint with 2-3 guys and leave others wide open. Just need the others to knock down shots and cut to the right spots. And Giannis has to continue to trust them.

Keep playing with pace and moving the ball. And, for the love of God Doc, do NOT stick with that idiotic starting lineup for too long.

I think the Giannis/Lebron comparison is an interesting one, but I do think the league is in a vastly different place right now. We’re in the parity era where there’s just a lot more quality teams around the league than there was in even 2015 or 2018.

Take the case of the pacers - Haliburton’s a better player than anyone LeBron ran into in either 2015 or 2018 until he got to the finals. In 2018, the best player he ran into was probably Kyle Lowry prior to meeting the super team warriors, and in 2015, it was probably Al Horford.

Much like that 2015 cavs squad, though, once Kyrie went down in the conference finals, we’ll need all the dudes to channel their inner Delly, leave their souls on the court, and defend their asses off.

[Bernman]

I'm pretty shocked by the lack of respect we're getting at this level of opponent. If they want to say we're going to get annihilated by the Cavs, we earned that. But we also earned the belief we'd beat a Pacers' level team w/ our head-to-head & NBA Cup. It's popular to pile on.

[Prez]

4 straight postseasons where a top 2 player on the team is out, very cool. Love that for us.

Series largely depends on Doc starting and leaning into the lineups that work and minimizing the lineups that don’t. That and KPJ’s emergence has to be real and scale to a 35mpg role in the playoffs.

If Doc is still starting the Prince/Kuzma 2/3 lineups and playing them serious minutes, and KPJ can’t scale his recent play to 35+ playoff minutes, we’re going out in like 5 games imo. If Doc gets his **** together and adjusts the starting lineup, maximizes Giannis lineups with shooting/guard play around him while moving Kuzma to a 6th/7th man backup PF role, and KPJ rises to the occasion, we have a chance.

I think Doc is pretty dumb so I’m not particularly optimistic tbh but I am super open to him proving me wrong.

[drew881]

Whether or not KPJ shows up in the playoffs is a huge variable. Hope he passes the test.

[Gant]

The Pacers play really hard across their whole rotation, and don't let up. They're a pain to play.

[Bernman]

A lot of the playoffs are about who has the mettle to carry over or up their regular season play, & in that regard you don't doubt KPJ. I genuinely think yesterday was the start of Kuz & Pat leveling up. And that means the former being useful as a 6th man, the latter at all.

W/ the starting lineup, can Doc just use one of his big ball 2/3's off the bench instead? I'd probably send Kuz there to space off Giannis. But Prince would be palatable. Giannis will be playing 42 minutes so guys will mostly pare w/ him regardless. But I don't see the wisdom in digging holes. And you gotta have a quick hook w/ Brook. We have 3 potentially different/better looks against Turner & co. this yr.

[KidA24]

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[Ron Swanson]

Think the "parity era" narrative is getting a little overplayed and going to lead to just as many dumb, franchise altering decisions as before. Especially so for teams trying to build around middling "franchise" talent (Phoenix, Sacramento, Memphis, etc.), but it's also probably relevant for us even with Giannis going destroyer-of-worlds mode. Banking on Giannis pulling a heliocentric Lebron and prioritizing a supporting cast of "fit" over talent shouldn't be some ideal blueprint to follow.

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

So just comparing it from last year where I thought it was relatively close 6 game series. (Game 3 was was tied with 8 seconds left in the first OT. We win that we are up 2-1. Wheels kind of fell off after that with Dame missing 4/5.)

Top 8 guys:
They gain Mathurin.
Bucks lost: Dame, Midds, Beasley, Pat Bev, but get Giannis, KPj, Kuz, Prince, GTj

I think we are stronger this year but maybe I'm biasing with my love of Giannis? I don't think it cold be understated that a washed Pat Bev was #2 in minutes last year second only to Midds. I just don't see anything from last year's playoffs, this year's regular season and head to head that makes me afraid of the Pacers.

[neiLz]

My fear is The kuz/prince/brook/giannis/rollins lineup is going to get out hustled and run out the building every first quarter. Need to start fast and not let up.

[SupremeHustle]

I'd feel so much better about this series if Sims played. Dame too, obviously, but definitely Sims.

I think Brook could be a difference-maker. He had some games this year where he looked pretty spry. He wasn't anything special this year against the Pacers. His +/- was 0. He should be able to deal with Turner, who didn't even know how to run until after he was drafted. Like literally, guys.

But they have one of the GOAT head coaches. At least he coaches like it against the Bucks. I dunno.

That said, we have Giannis, and most importantly, we have a team that can run up and down with them. This is the series I wanted to see KPJ in, so now that I'm getting what I wished for -- Bucks in 6.

[SupremeHustle]

My fear is The kuz/prince/brook/giannis/rollins lineup is going to get out hustled and run out the building every first quarter. Need to start fast and not let up.

Doc will change the starting lineup when the Bucks go down 2-1. That's my real prediction.

[tsamo]

Just remember people, we only need one in their court.
Hell, I'd take us getting blown up 3/4 times in their court and squeaking 1 point wins at home and at the final game at their home.

We are the underdogs but honestly, it always felt like we are better with a court disadvantage than advantage over the years.

[tydett]

I just will not be able to handle it if TJ McConnell is a difference maker in this series. Dude gets by literally by effort and matching his effort is the way to shut him down, but the Bucks have almost never been able to do that.

[slos]

Bucks don’t need Dame to return to win the Indy series. They just need Prince not to be available. It’s not Prince’s fault and I can never hope for a player injury. I’m putting the blame on Doc for this.

Let me explain. Whenever just Dame isn’t available Doc just replaces him with Rollins in the starting lineup with Prince/Kuzma/Giannis/Brook. Porter has only started twice in the two games Giannis missed (L at DEN, W at NOP). Both along with Trent and Rollins suddenly coming from the bench.

It’s clear that Doc loves KPJ/GTJ lineups, but for some reason he won’t stop this nonsense with Prince starting at SG. Which leads to the conclusion that if somehow Doc was forced not to play Prince, that’s a playoff rotation Bucks would probably have.

KPJ (32)/Rollins (16)
GTJ (32)/Green (8)/Rollins (8)
Kuzma (32)/Green (16)
Giannis (40)/Bobby (8)
Brook (32)/Bobby (16)

I’m OK with Prince soaking minutes as 9th. I’m just not OK with Doc’s stubbornness not to accept this.

[tsamo]

By the way, do we know anything about Sims?
He may be extremely limited, but even 8-10 minutes of good defense, alley-oops and good screening can go a lot of way in these series.
I'm just afraid we will not see him due to the injury preventing him from having some burn leading up to the playoffs...