PG Pacers - Bucks Drop Game 1

[ajb905]

Feels like home with the coach punting a game one on his favourite lineup instead of what might work. It's a small series so lets have 6 guys who are either PFs or Cs in the rotation. What do we do with our 3 best guards? Start none of them and have the 4th guard in the lineup do it alone.

Yep. Doc is playing the wrong guys in the wrong configurations, and often out of position. Kuz is a 4, Prince is a 3, and Rollins is a defensive guard, but certainly not a PG. At least Kuz and Rollins can usually hold up on defense.

Prince has been getting way too much burn all season, but asking him to play the 2 is complete nonsense against a small and fast group like Indy. He knows what he's supposed to be doing, and that has been a huge trap for Doc all season. Who cares if he knows he's supposed to do something if he can't do it? He gets dusted on the perimeter regularly, can't rebound, and doesn't shoot at a volume worth caring about. It's maddening to watch how often defensive breakdowns begin with him losing his guy.

Also, I'm going to throw a party the next (first?) time I see AJ get an off ball screen.

Kuzma can be solid on ball but he was getting lost/over helping in a disastrous fashion. Trainwreck performance

[sidney lanier]

Was that Kuzma or old Tony Snell
Who ran up and ran down for a spell
And amassed zero stats
Like some tame pussycats
Might be time for some new personnel

I'm not despondent over a Game One loss on the road, but if the others don't wake up, it will be a short series.

Best takeaway for a Bucks-in-Six outcome: Dame engaging that punk Haliburton from the bench and getting a tech. We need him to have a Popeye moment.

[fan230]

We have problems with team construction and also with playoff roster construction given that we are stuck with the team construction for now.

For the present: play kuzma as the backup pf to Giannis. That way kk plays at his natural position.
Start tp at sf. Dame plays as starter. The other starting guard could be any one of kpj, green or trent; probably Green since he will be a strong defender along side the weakish defense of Dame. When Dame sits kpj should be his backup pg. kpj should play big minutes overall. Trent also needs to play big minutes. Someone needs to backup tp at sf; perhaps Pat or Portis. Portis should back up Brook, not backup Giannis who should be backed up by Kk.

The future: will write in a separate post.

[fan230]

For the future:
We need players who are versatile; those who can play both offense and defense.
We had GA, Km, Jh who were like that. Even Brook was that but the 5 out offense of opponents that became popular
In the last couple of years, rendered him weak. We now need a mobile center.
We absolutely need players who can play both offense and defense well although a player could be stronger in one of those two aspects, a good example of this was JH.
DL is super on offense but considerably weaker on defense.

Players like Sims and Ajax who focus almost exclusively on defense are not going to be as useful as those who can play defense well not ferocious defense but can also play some offense.

The balance of offense, defense is what gave us success in 2021. It, I believe, is still very important today; one new attribute needed is for the center to be able to play poa defense also.

This above is for future team construction after this season.

[soxperry]

Theres that long held opinion that role players just dont travel well. Problem is, we got too many role players and not enough real guys. Brook is a real guy but this is a horrible matchup for his slow feet. So that leaves Giannis and KPJ, sort of. Trent showed fearlessness but hes still a role player. Kpj has real guy capacity but looked a little hesitant to shoot. Still, he could have had way more assists if guys hit their shots. He generated some great looks.

He has to start now. Enough is enough. Trent too.

[kanyon]

Yall need to put some respect on Tony Snell's name. He was only -9 in his invisible game. Kuz was -24.

[machu46]

For the future:
We need players who are versatile; those who can play both offense and defense.
We had GA, Km, Jh who were like that. Even Brook was that but the 5 out offense of opponents that became popular
In the last couple of years, rendered him weak. We now need a mobile center.
We absolutely need players who can play both offense and defense well although a player could be stronger in one of those two aspects, a good example of this was JH.
DL is super on offense but considerably weaker on defense.

Players like Sims and Ajax who focus almost exclusively on defense are not going to be as useful as those who can play defense well not ferocious defense but can also play some offense.

The balance of offense, defense is what gave us success in 2021. It, I believe, is still very important today; one new attribute needed is for the center to be able to play poa defense also.

This above is for future team construction after this season.

When I first read JH, my brain went to John Henson before it dawned on me that you were obviously referring to Jrue and for those 5 seconds that I thought you meant Henson...let's just say I was very confused.

Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro using Tapatalk

[jimmybones]

The "it doesn't matter who starts, it's about minutes and who closes" stuff has to be one of the most irritating takes I've seen from Bucks fans the past however many weeks that this Prince/Kuzma bull **** has been happening. I don't see it as much here but I do elsewhere, I see it all the time and it is baffling. Like no, it actually does matter. Starting a garbage lineup each half that digs you into holes and lets the opposing team get into easy shooting rhythm absolutely can sink you. Like it did today.

I know you’ve been beating this drum and I’m right there with you. I could somewhat stomach the starting unit stuff, I’d still think it was insane but less insane, if he’d use an extremely short leash. But the fact that he stays with the jumbo unit for such long stretches it’s literally mind boggling.

That huge lineup doesn’t bode well against any team but it’s amplified against a team that plays with pace. They start essentially 3 guards, their front court is not massive either. We’re starting 3 forwards, 3 big forwards at that.

And as you stated, the answer is sitting right there. Our roster is far from perfect, but playing 3, or at bare minimum at least 2, of our actual guards gives a shot to run with faster teams. This applies to most matchups but especially to this one.

Group A: KPJ, Rollins, Green, Trent

Group B: Prince, Kuzma, Brook

1. Play more of group A. A minimum of 2 on the court at all times and 3 most of the time.


2. Play less of group B. Play one or two of these guys on the floor at one time in spots that make sense and adjust when they are getting cooked. They obviously have to play some so we don’t run the rest of the guys into the ground but you don’t have to play them all together and it absolutely should not be for long stretches.

3. To a lesser degree, use Sims more and Brook less in this specific matchup.

TLDR: play the better basketball players more, those same players just so happen to be better athletes to run and matchup with this specific (and most) opponent

[soxperry]

Was scratching my head as to why prices would go up for our first home game after that abysmal showing yesterday...

Pacers fans. Get ready guys. They are coming.

[Wooderson]

The "it doesn't matter who starts, it's about minutes and who closes" stuff has to be one of the most irritating takes I've seen from Bucks fans the past however many weeks that this Prince/Kuzma bull **** has been happening. I don't see it as much here but I do elsewhere, I see it all the time and it is baffling. Like no, it actually does matter. Starting a garbage lineup each half that digs you into holes and lets the opposing team get into easy shooting rhythm absolutely can sink you. Like it did today.

I know you’ve been beating this drum and I’m right there with you. I could somewhat stomach the starting unit stuff, I’d still think it was insane but less insane, if he’d use an extremely short leash. But the fact that he stays with the jumbo unit for such long stretches it’s literally mind boggling.

That huge lineup doesn’t bode well against any team but it’s amplified against a team that plays with pace. They start essentially 3 guards, their front court is not massive either. We’re starting 3 forwards, 3 big forwards at that.

And as you stated, the answer is sitting right there. Our roster is far from perfect, but playing 3, or at bare minimum at least 2, of our actual guards gives a shot to run with faster teams. This applies to most matchups but especially to this one.

Group A: KPJ, Rollins, Green, Trent

Group B: Prince, Kuzma, Brook

1. Play more of group A. A minimum of 2 on the court at all times and 3 most of the time.


2. Play less of group B. Play one or two of these guys on the floor at one time in spots that make sense and adjust when they are getting cooked. They obviously have to play some so we don’t run the rest of the guys into the ground but you don’t have to play them all together and it absolutely should not be for long stretches.

3. To a lesser degree, use Sims more and Brook less in this specific matchup.

TLDR: play the better basketball players more, those same players just so happen to be better athletes to run and matchup with this specific (and most) opponent

Yeah this is the thing most bothersome. A lot of "it doesn't matter who starts, but who closes/gets most minutes" floating around.

After the first few minutes it's clear that starting group was dead and had no shot creation after Giannis and Indy was playing sound D/not overhelping so role guys around Giannis could not get good looks or pressure the D even if they had slight advantages.

Yet Doc STILL played the entire starting 5 together for 13 minutes in the first half and another 5 in the second half despite being down like 25! First half Giannis barely spent any time with KPJ/Trent/Green.

KPJ/Trent/Green all only played 10 min in first half. You're capping their max possible and even to get them 30 they have to play nearly the entire 2nd half. It's terrible minutes distribution and they're just shooting themselves in the face running this Prince/Kuz at the 2/3 lineup. Makes no sense positionally, fit, or talent.

[Dick Tate]

[quote="fan230"]We have problems with team construction and also with playoff roster construction given that we are stuck with the team construction for now.

For the present: play kuzma as the backup pf to Giannis. That way kk plays at his natural position.
Start tp at sf. Dame plays as starter. The other starting guard could be any one of kpj, green or trent; probably Green since he will be a strong defender along side the weakish defense of Dame. When Dame sits kpj should be his backup pg. kpj should play big minutes overall. Trent also needs to play big minutes. Someone needs to backup tp at sf; perhaps Pat or Portis. Portis should back up Brook, not backup Giannis who should be backed up by Kk. [/quote]
-
I agree with your lineup. The solution to getting big minutes for Porter is having him play the backup SF minutes.

[msiris]

We have problems with team construction and also with playoff roster construction given that we are stuck with the team construction for now.

For the present: play kuzma as the backup pf to Giannis. That way kk plays at his natural position.
Start tp at sf. Dame plays as starter. The other starting guard could be any one of kpj, green or trent; probably Green since he will be a strong defender along side the weakish defense of Dame. When Dame sits kpj should be his backup pg. kpj should play big minutes overall. Trent also needs to play big minutes. Someone needs to backup tp at sf; perhaps Pat or Portis. Portis should back up Brook, not backup Giannis who should be backed up by Kk.

The future: will write in a separate post.

I like KPJ more than Green because he can scor in different ways plus he can play d as well.

[theFireBlanket]

Demote Doc to "people person coach" & give an assistant with a brain the reigns, starting game 2.

[drew881]

Dame coming back is only going to make the starting defense worse. It could be:

[Dame, Rollins, Kuzma, Giannis, Brooke] and this still isn’t close to the best line up.

Doc will go [Dame, Prince, Kuzma, Giannis, Brook] which is going to be puke.

I’d probably go with Dame, AJ Green, Kuzma, Giannis, Brook and then you have Rollins, KPJ, Trent, Portis and Sims off the bench.

[mke_design]

Dame coming back is only going to make the starting defense worse. It could be:

[Dame, Rollins, Kuzma, Giannis, Brooke] and this still isn’t close to the best line up.

Doc will go [Dame, Prince, Kuzma, Giannis, Brook] which is going to be puke.

I’d probably go with Dame, AJ Green, Kuzma, Giannis, Brook and then you have Rollins, KPJ, Trent, Portis and Sims off the bench.

Adding dame doesn’t need to be a death knell when the team can’t stop a fart.

[blazza18]

Looking at some stats from last night.

We shot 4 of 18 on wide open 3’s. They shot 11 of 23. Feels like this is the look every year.

Giannis had 17 drives, KPJ had 15, next most was Rollins at 4. This fits with what we all know - we have very limited on ball ability to get where we want.

We need to find more ways to get into the teeth of the defense that isn’t just Giannis at full speed.

Giannis had 8 potential assists, KPJ 14. I want that Giannis number to double, but I’m surprised, frankly, it was that high.

Giannis was pushing 18 potential assists a game in his April run. Gotta hope we can find that game style again.

[chonestown]

Grievance Kuzma.

[fan230]

Kuzma has an injured thumb

[Baddy Chuck]

KUZMA HURT HIS HAND

[raferfenix]

The Bucks did nearly everything wrong defensively in the first half. The Pacers scored 26 points in the paint. They got out on the run and put up 15 points on fast breaks. Indiana made 61 percent of its shots in the first half. One of the league’s most efficient offenses got everything it wanted for the first 24 minutes.

On the other end, Antetokounmpo was forced to do everything by himself. And he tried to do it, but he couldn’t pull off the impossible. Giannis drew nine fouls on Pacers defenders and scored 19 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Bucks went 2-for-16 from behind the 3-point line. Things got better for the Bucks in the second half, but not by much, as Game 1 of this series was essentially over by halftime.

The Bucks made a push in the fourth quarter with a unit featuring Antetokounmpo and four 3-point threats — Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Trent Jr., AJ Green and Bobby Portis — off the bench, but it wasn’t enough. That lineup has been one of the Bucks’ best in the final few weeks of the season, but the Bucks are going to have to find something else that works if they want to upset the Pacers in this series.

Milwaukee needs to find a way to make things tougher on the Pacers defensively for the entire game. And on the other end, they are going to need to find Antetokounmpo some help. The two-time MVP scored 36 of the Bucks’ 98 points, while the Bucks went 8-of-35 from the 3-point line and two starters (Taurean Prince and Kyle Kuzma) played 20-plus minutes without scoring. Maybe that extra help comes in the form of Lillard, but if he can’t play in Game 2 on Tuesday, the Bucks will need more from the rest of the roster. — Eric Nehm

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6292216/2025/04/19/nba-playoffs-results-scores/