PG: Bucks Fall to Cavs

[mediocrityrules]

So we clearly have a low BBIQ coach in charge of a team of really low BBIQ players. There's no way that this ends well.

Also, how do so many of our guys play in traffic like their hands are made of concrete. No one can seem to keep the ball secure leading to so many broken plays.

[nagawicka]

With the caveat that things might be different in the playoffs this team doesn't feel close to being a contender. I wonder how Giannis and Dame feel about that.

Do you think they tell each other to go ISO when no one else is around to . .. . to be generous! no you do it! . .. to try and undermine the other's status with the rest of the roster. 'If we don't do it who will!' Coulda run some plays last night; they look hella better when everyone else is involved--and they'll have to, these guys aren't fringe extras. Why: Horst left PattyC, Portis, G and Brook Lopez from 2021. That's the Old Core. Compare that roster to this one, you'll feel better. You can't really have a rotation consisting of only two guys; and the complaint that Green isn't MJ or Taurean Prince isn't Larry Bird misses the issue. The season's gonna ride on whether Kuz KPJ Green Trent Prince are treated like bystanders or involved as the New Core w/Dame & G. Dame & Giannis both scored close to 40 the other night, but we lose the game if KPJ doesn't score his triple double, in few minutes, from the bench. Whenever a few other guys score in double digits 12 14 16 points we tend to win handily

[FrieAaron]

I know no one expected us to win this one, but it'd be great if we stopped going down double digits quickly in every single game. Something has to change.

[Packbuckman]

The difference in this game was their role players made their shots every time we closed it to two or three they hit the open 3 where we missed that’s how close this game was. I am more upbeat about this loss than a lot of you guys are. Trent was missing shots he’s been making even after last nite he still should be starting. I still like our chances come playoffs with a healthy Giannis and Dame.

[pifhluk23]

Anybody that thinks this team is making it past Cleveland in the playoffs is crazy

Our only hope is the game really slows down and there are 20% less shots or something crazy. But in that case, why trade Middleton...

[Milbucks96]

The bucks broadcast mentioned it early on but you could tell the bucks were working a lot harder and still had the more difficult shot diet vs the cavs.

[CharityStripe34]

The bucks broadcast mentioned it early on but you could tell the bucks were working a lot harder and still had the more difficult shot diet vs the cavs.

That was the most glaring issue. The Cavs ran sets whenever it was close to get easy, open looks for their shooters whereas our "sets" seem very remedial. And even when the main guys kicked it out or the ball swung to an open shooter ours missed whereas their guys were hitting. In tight games the coaches have to have a handful of sets that have 2-3 outlets for easy looks so that not every halfcourt possession is an adventure.

[Ron Swanson]

I'd like to just chalk this one up to the B2B and bad 3PT shooting, but idk man. Our defense has supposedly been our strong suit after the trades, but the Cavs just got whatever they wanted against us. It's not even really a matchup problem. We're just constantly going up against good teams that are gonna beat us in the math game, i.e. something we did to other teams for years under Bud.

Maybe being the 6th seed wouldn't be so bad after all. Would rather go up against a bum like Mazzulla in a potential 2nd round series as opposed to watching Kenny coach circles around Doc in a gentleman's sweep series loss, but I guess if you believe we have to go through Cleveland eventually anyways, it's kinda moot.

[soboMP3]

Surprised nobody has brought this up, but our rebounding, particularly in the first half was atrocious. Even the broadcast kept harping on it. It’s been a problem all year. So many second chance (or third) points. Is it coaching? Effort?

[Baddy Chuck]

Felt like last night would have been one of the better nights to not play Dame 12 straight minutes to start the game.

Not that they ever really sparked imagination or anything but Doc's rotations are really annoying. Understand we're missing a big minute eater, the roster isn't close to perfect by any stretch, guys aren't exactly showing out, etc but we're so far into the season and I don't think he has any idea of what he's doing with the team on any given night.

That's before he even calls a play...

[chonestown]

<Vinny Del Negro calls Max Struce (sp?)>

VDN: Struse, Vinny Del Negro.
MS: Who is this?
VDN: COACH Vinny Del Negro. I coached the Clippers. I coached the Bulls.
MS: The Whores?
VDN: Look Struce, a paycheck's a paycheck. I got something to discuss with you.
MS: Fiiiine.
VDN: The haircut. That's mine.
MS: I don't think the haircut is a licensed product.
VDN: Tell that to SportClips. Give'em 20 bucks and tell'em you want the Del Negro, that's what you get.
MS: Vicenzo, I don't have time for this. Good-bye.
VDN: Maybe you'll love me when I fade to Del Negro.

-fin-

[Matches Malone]

<Vinny Del Negro calls Max Struce (sp?)>

VDN: Struse, Vinny Del Negro.
MS: Who is this?
VDN: COACH Vinny Del Negro. I coached the Clippers. I coached the Bulls.
MS: The Whores?
VDN: Look Struce, a paycheck's a paycheck. I got something to discuss with you.
MS: Fiiiine.
VDN: The haircut. That's mine.
MS: I don't think the haircut is a licensed product.
VDN: Tell that to SportClips. Give'em 20 bucks and tell'em you want the Del Negro, that's what you get.
MS: Vicenzo, I don't have time for this. Good-bye.
VDN: Maybe you'll love me when I fade to Del Negro.

-fin-

[BigO]

For all of you criticizing the coaching, tell me what you would do with this lineup against good teams. I don't like all the combinations Doc runs, but he has limited talent and different combinations isn't the difference between winning and losing.

The only saving grace is that in the playoffs, most of the bums the Bucks have will not see the floor. Watching Kuzma, I've changed my playoff minutes:

Giannis 43
Dame 43
Brook 40
Trent 35
BP 35
Kuzma 25
That still leaves you with about 20 minutes of scrub action divide it up between KPJ, Green and Rollins. This still isn't a championship lineup, but you can't make a silk purse out a sow's ear.

[GoldenAntlers]

^Prince will play.

[ShootingtheJ]

By the way, there is NO EXCUSE for running lineups without Dame and Giannis. When will Doc figure that out?

If he hasn't yet, he won't. Maybe the next coach this offseason will, assuming the roster stays intact.

Especially when it's been effective in a bunch of games, including the previous game.

The problem is Dame lineups don't dominate, and we can't have depth because Dame makes $48.7 million.

Dame with back to back 4 assist games just doesn't get it done.

[Brewhoopfan]

Someone already mentioned it, but the Cavs style on offense also reminds me of Bud's early Bucks teams. You can plug guys in like Merrill and Jerome and they can be successful. Everyone is always aware of where their teammates are at all times. Extra pass is utilized often. They are a fun watch. Will the Cavs role players hold up in the playoffs? Who is their backup big? Looks like they currently just slide Mobley to the 5 and play small?

Better than average effort on the offensive glass kept the Bucks in the game. Turnovers (18) killed them.

[BigO]

Someone already mentioned it, but the Cavs style on offense also reminds me of Bud's early Bucks teams. You can plug guys in like Merrill and Jerome and they can be successful. Everyone is always aware of where their teammates are at all times. Extra pass is utilized often. They are a fun watch. Will the Cavs role players hold up in the playoffs? Who is their backup big? Looks like they currently just slide Mobley to the 5 and play small?

Better than average effort on the offensive glass kept the Bucks in the game. Turnovers (18) killed them.

Posters underestimate the importantce of not turrning the ball over. If you score on 40% of those possessions, that's around 14 points or more.

Giannis and Dame are high usage guys. You can live with 4 turnovers for Giannis. But you can't live with 4 for Kuzma and 3 for Lopez..

Kuzma has the unbelievable assist to turnover ratio of 2.1 to 2.4. That's beyond horrible. It's losing us games.

[Dick Tate]

Schedule/Suspension loss. NBD.

[Dick Tate]

All 5 cavs starters score in DF we have 3 out of 5 ffs will never win a cip with prince as your starting 2 .Dont have enough scoring from our starting 5 to compete with this cavs team.FU... BRUTAL

I was waiting for your Trent follow-up

[paulpressey25]

Cav’s leading scorer last night was….checks notes…Max Strus with 17 points.

DeAndre Hunter hitting that back breaking 3 was the point of no return. The fact they were able to add that guy to an incredibly deep team.

I understand this Lillard chap may have an extra-gear come playoffs, but if he doesn’t we’re done in the East.