Bucks News, Trade Ideas, Transactions - Livingston Back on a 1 Year Deal - Page 76

[old skool]

Or it could be that Nehm monitors this forum and asked questions intended to flush out Horst's views on various fan narratives.

Alternately, the Bucks P.R. apparatus might be monitoring social media fan attitudes about Bucks moves and then feeding Horst a summary if those fan attitudes so he can address them in mass market interviews like the one conducted by the Times.

[emunney]

I do think there've been times in Kuzma's career when he looked like a really good defender. A few years back when the Wizards had Porzingis he was good. The capacity is in there. Even those first 10 or so games with us, you could see it. More worried about the volume bricklayer thing.

[Ron Swanson]

I just never care to read between the lines of this stuff. It's these guys' jobs to be as political as possible in the way they speak because no one wants to tip their hand. I believe that they'd aggressively deal any one player on this roster outside of Giannis if the right trade is there, but I'll believe they're still stubbornly holding out hope on Kuzma until I see either him or Doc gone. I personally think they should be desperately trying to dump him for any equal or slightly worse contract that doesn't require attaching an asset, but I doubt they feel the same way.

[jute2003]

Even if he believed it, he's not gonna say kuzma is the worst player to have ever suited up and is undeserving of his roster spot. What do you expect from him? He could be frantically working to trade him and his quotes would still be exactly as they are.

[Prez]

I’m open to the possibility that Kuzma really gives a **** this offseason and takes it seriously (his social media would seem to indicate he is) and that he’s actually a playable backup PF next year, perhaps even alongside Giannis at the 5. Doc should be arrested immediately if he’s playing him heavy minutes at the 3 though.

[Bernman]

I think it's a fallacy that if you simply slip Turner for Bobby in that same lineup it'll work because generally Myles is the better player. Also, why is GTJ talked about like he's the 3? He typically guards smaller guys. Green the bigger ones. He's stronger.

I'm intrigued to see what Kuzma looks like when he doesn't come in out of shape, is utilized better, & maybe accepts a role finally. There's a lot more to gain than lose. Could even have many of the same people desperate to trade him, wanting to keep him, though we should sell high(er).

[CharityStripe34]

It would make no sense for Horst to publicly say "Yeah, we screwed up on Kuzma. The idea of him is better than the player." He's going to talk him up, they're going to see (likely) until the deadline if he can beef up his value a bit and make a move that they don't have to attach assets for. A lot of that will depend on if Kuzma is willing to be a baseline cutter, defender, dunker spot, dirty work type of player who is very selective with his shots.

[MVP2110]

It is interesting that in the part 1 interview he mentioned the front court rotation primarily being Turner/Giannis/Bobby/Sims, but then in this portion he says Kuzma needs to play more at the 4. I don't think Kuzma is being benched so I'm not sure how to read that

[stillgotgame]

Call it naive, but I believe if Horts is talking as unambiguously about the KPJ-GTJ-AJ line-ups as he is here, that Glenn is on-board. Otherwise, this is a submarining of one against the other. The Kuz stuff is boilerplate "we like our guys" but he doesn't wave away the crapping the playoff bed part.

Or he’s just pointing out the obvious that we all can see: Prince at the 2 and Kuzma at the 3 is moronic.
If Doc doubles down on the big,old,slow lineup he better be gone. This isn’t complicated.

[MickeyDavis]

Not sure how serious you can take someone that says they care about the data a lot but calls Kuzma a target and someone that gives the team a chance to create mismatch lineups and brings versatility to the team.

Please, oh please, someone post the data that Horst is referring to with Kuzma? I’d be willing to bet that there isn’t a lick of data you can find that proves Kuzma is a plus player that a winning team needs to thrive..

That’s frustrating. Unless, of course, I’m actually wrong and there is data somewhere that supports Kyle Kuzma? I’m betting against that, tho.

Horst said positive things about Kuzma? Seriously what do you expect him to say? "Kuz is a terrible fit and we are actively looking to move him"?

Horst, and every other GM in the history of GM's, will talk up his team, talk up his players. It would be dumb to do otherwise. Of course it was hyperbole.

[msiris]

Not sure how serious you can take someone that says they care about the data a lot but calls Kuzma a target and someone that gives the team a chance to create mismatch lineups and brings versatility to the team.

Please, oh please, someone post the data that Horst is referring to with Kuzma? I’d be willing to bet that there isn’t a lick of data you can find that proves Kuzma is a plus player that a winning team needs to thrive..

That’s frustrating. Unless, of course, I’m actually wrong and there is data somewhere that supports Kyle Kuzma? I’m betting against that, tho.

Horst said positive things about Kuzma? Seriously what do you expect him to say? "Kuz is a terrible fit and we are actively looking to move him"?

Horst, and every other GM in the history of GM's, will talk up his team, talk up his players. It would be dumb to do otherwise. Of course it was hyperbole.

Yep. He needs to be like a used car salesman. Looks good runs good and I have a good deal fo you.

[tedbrogen]

It is interesting that in the part 1 interview he mentioned the front court rotation primarily being Turner/Giannis/Bobby/Sims, but then in this portion he says Kuzma needs to play more at the 4. I don't think Kuzma is being benched so I'm not sure how to read that

Saying the thing about Kuz allowing them to play big reeks of Kuz at the three lineups.

Also, I don’t get why people keep saying the best use of Kuz is backing up GA at the four when there are literally no minutes available unless you reduce GA or Bobby’s minutes and Kuz is significantly worse than both of them so that’s also not a solution.

The best use of Kuz if he’s horrifically still on the team to start the season is benched entirely and used only when GA is out as a backup four behind Bobby. I’d doubt Doc does that.

[Frank Nova]

Not sure how serious you can take someone that says they care about the data a lot but calls Kuzma a target and someone that gives the team a chance to create mismatch lineups and brings versatility to the team.

Please, oh please, someone post the data that Horst is referring to with Kuzma? I’d be willing to bet that there isn’t a lick of data you can find that proves Kuzma is a plus player that a winning team needs to thrive..

That’s frustrating. Unless, of course, I’m actually wrong and there is data somewhere that supports Kyle Kuzma? I’m betting against that, tho.

Horst said positive things about Kuzma? Seriously what do you expect him to say? "Kuz is a terrible fit and we are actively looking to move him"?

Horst, and every other GM in the history of GM's, will talk up his team, talk up his players. It would be dumb to do otherwise. Of course it was hyperbole.

I’m not upset Horst spoke about Kuzma in a positive light. Like you said, that’s a good thing. I don’t like blanket statements about believing in data when that data shows what you’re saying about someone is way off base. Horst opened himself up to looking foolish in that regard. Does he actually understand the irony there? It was the very 1st thing that caught my attention when reading the interview. You can’t care about data and winning and deploy a losing player with data that proves he craters all your lineups. Especially when you have a moron coach playing him out of position for the sake of “big lineups”. Big and fast doesn’t work when you’re dumb, this ain’t football.

[drew881]

Is it at all weird how many of our posts are echoed in these? Does Horst post here? <looks at hands frantically> AM I HORST

We need to plant the seeds on a player comparison narrative that is just so bizarre, but keep repeating it to see if it gets picked up.

"Now with Markovic, we're excited to have him. Ultimately, we see him as a Logan Vander Velden-type where he's comfortable beyond the arc, but he loves mixing it up in the paint just like him, too. Cannot have too many of those guys."

The dream is to have Horts use the adjective "Vander Velden-esque."

Has Kenneth Lofton Jr’s appetite to win

[GoldenAntlers]

Highlights from Horst interview part 2 from Eric Nehm:

From an analytics perspective, I care a great deal about the data; you know that. You want a big enough sample size where it’s not a bet, but a certainty. I don’t know that we have that level of sample size on some of those lineups yet, but I will tell you that in the playoffs and throughout the course of the regular season, some of our highest net rating lineups, both because they were elite offensively and they were very good defensively, had AJ Green, Gary Trent, Giannis, Kevin Porter Jr. and Bobby Portis in them. And, in fact, the AJ, Gary, Kevin, and Giannis lineup, that four-man lineup, was as good as any four-man lineup against the Pacers the entire playoffs.

I think Gary Trent had his two best games of the season, maybe, in our two most important games of the season. In two closeout opportunities, the guy played unbelievable. And AJ Green was unbelievable also, and I think that says a lot about them. And don’t forget, these guys are 25, 26 years old, so they’re just entering their prime. And so I think the best is in front of those guys. I’m happy about them. They’re not just shooters. They’re tough, physical guys that can grind and defend, make a play off the bounce and those guys are going to be a lot better this year than they were last year.

we’ve already made the contact [with AJ Green about an extension]. AJ wants to be here, AJ wants to figure something out.

[KPJ is] another player that I think stepped up in the biggest moments in the playoffs. With no playoff experience, he came into a very hostile environment, pressure-loaded environment, and I thought was very, very good.

He plays well off of Giannis, and people forget that a few years ago he was one of the best catch-and-shoot 3-point shooters in the league. He’s big, he’s physical, he can create for himself, he can create for others and can make shots. And he grew defensively with us this year, and I think he’s very capable on that end.

Kyle was a target and nothing’s changed. I think Kyle gives us a chance to play fast, gives us a chance to be huge, play a lot of different big lineups. He’s a plus-plus defender at multiple positions and he’s a guy that offensively, when he plays with confidence and plays within the flow, is very impactful.

We still believe in Kyle. He struggled. He hadn’t been to the playoffs in a while either. And I thought he played great for us for most of the regular season after we acquired him and I think he struggled in the playoffs. And he would tell you that. Doc and I have already gone to L.A. to spend time with him. Doc’s gonna spend time with him again.

I think the biggest thing with Kyle is just getting the familiarity, working with our coaches in the off-season, being part of a training camp and just really building into a system where he understands where he’s gonna get his looks, how he can have his impact and where we can understand him better. He’s very, very good (at power forward). And so I think getting him more minutes at the four … is going to be helpful.

He’s a guy we believe in a lot, and I think he’s going to have a big year with us this year, just having continuity with a good team and a full offseason with a good team, which he hasn’t had in a while. So we’re excited for him.

I think our roster … is better suited for Taurean this year than it was last year. I think Taurean had a hell of a year for us.

He was one of the top five in the league in 3-point shooting. Again, a plus defender, a great professional, a great locker-room guy, just someone that you want to be part of your organization, but also can play. He played most of the year guarding ones and twos and being guarded by twos and threes and he should be like a wing-forward, like a three-four. And the way that our team is built now, he’s gonna have a lot more of those matchups.

I felt like it was a tough negotiation with [Bobby’s] agent, Mark Bartelstein, who I love in this business as much as anybody, and I thought we got to the right place. But it was a tough negotiation.

Bobby chose us. Bobby wasn’t short on options, but he wanted to be here.

People probably don’t think about it a lot, but Ryan had a decision midway through this season to play or not with a pretty serious shoulder situation and he played. That just shows you how tough he is and how committed he is. He played a good half of our season and in the playoffs with a pretty painful shoulder situation, which he’s gotten taken care of. It’s totally resolved. He is totally healthy now, and that alone I think is going to give him more confidence in fighting through screens defensively and taking hits offensively.

But he is a big guard that’s physical, that can shoot. He’s been coming on as a playmaker, can finish in traffic, and is a good defender on the ball, which we want. I say this all the time and I say this with affection because he is one of my favorite people and I think he’ll love this shout-out. he reminds me of George Hill. I think he has a George Hill-type career in front of him and that’s high, high praise in my opinion because G-Hill is one of the best people that I’ve been around.

For us to be able to invest in him, give him a deal that keeps him with us for a couple of years, it’s a bit of a bridge deal. He’s got a chance to outplay it, and we’ll take care of him, we hope to figure it out at the end, but it gives him some security that I think he’s earned. I think Ryan was an important pick-up for us. Doc was pushing for the Ryan pick-up. It’s something that we wanted to figure out.

I hope he takes this as an affectionate thing, and this is true, when I saw the idea of Cole Anthony, him being free and our chance to get him, I think he’s like a guard version of Bobby Portis. I think he can bring so much swag and energy to our team.

He’s capable of winning a game by himself any given night. And I think he’ll grow in our system having less possession-by-possession pressure on him playing with Giannis and playing in Doc’s system and Doc having been a point guard and being able to mentor him the way he has with Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6497810/2025/07/18/jon-horst-milwaukee-bucks-interview-exclusive-nba/?source=dailyemail&campaign=601983&userId=6188822&source=dailyemail

Is it at all weird how many of our posts are echoed in these? Does Horst post here? <looks at hands frantically> AM I HORST

Let's see how you hit the ground.

[soxperry]

So if i have any reading comprehension skills at all, i think its clear that Kuzma and Prince are not starting.

They may very well just roll out

Kpj
Green
Trent
Giannis
Turner

If only to get that bigger sample size before making any additional decisions

[RRyder823]

Not sure how serious you can take someone that says they care about the data a lot but calls Kuzma a target and someone that gives the team a chance to create mismatch lineups and brings versatility to the team.

Please, oh please, someone post the data that Horst is referring to with Kuzma? I’d be willing to bet that there isn’t a lick of data you can find that proves Kuzma is a plus player that a winning team needs to thrive..

That’s frustrating. Unless, of course, I’m actually wrong and there is data somewhere that supports Kyle Kuzma? I’m betting against that, tho.

Tell me what you would've preferred he said about Kuzma?

Sent from my SM-S918U using RealGM mobile app

[raferfenix]

So if i have any reading comprehension skills at all, i think its clear that Kuzma and Prince are not starting.

Horst was careful to couch everything with how it's an open competition and Doc's call who starts including for players like KPJ.

That said it sure seems like those guys are coming off the bench:

[Kuzma's] a very, very good (at power forward). And so I think getting him more minutes at the four … is going to be helpful.

Probably, [Prince] will come off the bench, although who knows, it’ll be open competition, but I think if you put him in a position where he’s playing against the right positions night in and night out and he’s doing it off the bench versus a starter and he can have the same type of production that he had last year, I think it’s going to be a home run for us. I’m excited to have him back.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6497810/2025/07/18/jon-horst-milwaukee-bucks-interview-exclusive-nba/?source=dailyemail&campaign=601983&userId=6188822&source=dailyemail

[-Jragon-]

Any word on Thanasis? Do we have 1 spot left and inevitably it's his? Not complaining, just wondering.

[raferfenix]

Also should we be calling Kevin Porter Jr. "Scoot" now?

These interviews were the first I've heard that nickname I think.