are they finally going to cover on tuesday? -1.5 ?
There's nothing wrong with the Bucks. They're simply overrated.
There's nothing wrong with the Bucks. They're simply overrated.
As bad as they are on the court right now they’re still the biggest threat on paper to the Celtics in the playoffs for the east so it wouldn’t surprise me if the Celtics rested guys tomorrow in an attempt to avoid a potential second round matchup with them and not risk the bucks dropping to the 4/5 line. We’ll know their intentions before the game once lineups are out but wouldn’t surprise me if Cs rested guys, the line balloons to bucks -8 then they trail by 7 in the 4th and win a “miracle” by 1-3 But no way I’d take the Bucks tomorrow if C’s play their normal guys
As bad as they are on the court right now they’re still the biggest threat on paper to the Celtics in the playoffs for the east so it wouldn’t surprise me if the Celtics rested guys tomorrow in an attempt to avoid a potential second round matchup with them and not risk the bucks dropping to the 4/5 line. We’ll know their intentions before the game once lineups are out but wouldn’t surprise me if Cs rested guys, the line balloons to bucks -8 then they trail by 7 in the 4th and win a “miracle” by 1-3 But no way I’d take the Bucks tomorrow if C’s play their normal guys
This sort of question seems to imply that they should be better than they are. Just not sure I agree. What is it going to take for Jrue to get his flowers? Some guys never do. He is literally one of the best point of attack defenders in the league, if not the best. Boston now has two of the best with him and White. When Milwaukee can't stop the ball handler, it makes the job of other guys like Brook and Giannis so much more difficult. Everybody ends up out of position because there's no resistance 10 or more feet from the basket and the team, as a whole, spends so much more energy than they should cleaning things up (or they simply don't and that's when we see teams drop 120+ on the Bucks).
Part of the issue may also be just not realizing how good the Celtics are. Holiday, White, Tatum, Brown, Porzingis, and Horford are EASILY ten wins better than Lillard, Beasley, Middleton, Antetokounmpo, Lopez, Portis. Break it down. Let's say Giannis and Tatum basically cancel out. Both MVP caliber players. Slight edge to Giannis but whatever. Even if you don't appreciate Jrue for everything that he does, I think most people would take Jrue and Jaylen Brown over Dame, Beasley, AND Middleton at this point in his career. This doesn't even take into account Derrick White. Lopez and Portis or Horford and KP. Clearly the latter. The rest of these rosters are mostly irrelevant as we head into the playoffs and I'd still take guys like Tillman, Pritchard, and even Kornet or Hauser over guys like Connaughton, Crowder, AJ Green etc.
I guess we kind of just expect them to be there because they have been before and "Giannis" but the reality is that this Bucks team is a lot worse than the one that won a few years back. Loss of Middleton (to age and injury) and Holiday just isn't appreciated enough. The Bucks are simply not that good and the Celtics are.
This sort of question seems to imply that they should be better than they are. Just not sure I agree. What is it going to take for Jrue to get his flowers? Some guys never do. He is literally one of the best point of attack defenders in the league, if not the best. Boston now has two of the best with him and White. When Milwaukee can't stop the ball handler, it makes the job of other guys like Brook and Giannis so much more difficult. Everybody ends up out of position because there's no resistance 10 or more feet from the basket and the team, as a whole, spends so much more energy than they should cleaning things up (or they simply don't and that's when we see teams drop 120+ on the Bucks).
Part of the issue may also be just not realizing how good the Celtics are. Holiday, White, Tatum, Brown, Porzingis, and Horford are EASILY ten wins better than Lillard, Beasley, Middleton, Antetokounmpo, Lopez, Portis. Break it down. Let's say Giannis and Tatum basically cancel out. Both MVP caliber players. Slight edge to Giannis but whatever. Even if you don't appreciate Jrue for everything that he does, I think most people would take Jrue and Jaylen Brown over Dame, Beasley, AND Middleton at this point in his career. This doesn't even take into account Derrick White. Lopez and Portis or Horford and KP. Clearly the latter. The rest of these rosters are mostly irrelevant as we head into the playoffs and I'd still take guys like Tillman, Pritchard, and even Kornet or Hauser over guys like Connaughton, Crowder, AJ Green etc.
I guess we kind of just expect them to be there because they have been before and "Giannis" but the reality is that this Bucks team is a lot worse than the one that won a few years back. Loss of Middleton (to age and injury) and Holiday just isn't appreciated enough. The Bucks are simply not that good and the Celtics are.
Not to mention coaching/leadership. Maybe change their name to the Milwaukee taxidermy because they cut off the head of that championship squad and mounted it on the wall but what remains is going nowhere. The leaders in Milwaukee just deflect. Doc blames travel guys, Giannis takes shots at equipment managers. Nobody is really held accountable here. So much finger pointing. Also, Doc is a coward. I think this whole squad, including him, is just trying to avoid another first round exit. They probably know they don't have what it takes to beat Boston or Denver or a handful of others in a 7 game series. They just don't want to be embarrassed like last year. Easier said than done when you see Philadelphia and Miami chilling in those 7&8 spots. Might they feel more comfortable against a team like Cleveland that also fell flat last year and is currently also struggling? Or perhaps I could interest you in a Pacers matchup where Giannis avg like 50 against them and they will at least have the advantage of experience? There are a lot of great young coaches these days with wonderful integrity. Doc Rivers is not one of them. Post season failure and not holding himself accountable are this guy's calling cards. It's not a question of whether the Bucks will be eliminated. Simply a matter of when and who will be blamed.
Orlando and NYK trail by a game. Cavs just 1.5
My guess is one of those first two actually climb up and take the 2 spot and Bucks finish in 3 or 4. They won't want to lose home court, but I do believe that this group with this leadership would try to game the system a bit like this. Either way, I think the Giannis numbers in the first round will be bonkers. He's the one guy I expect to bring the intensity every night and if they get the Pacers matchup we are basically guaranteed to see some kind of record broken.
TL;DR - There's nothing wrong with them. People still look at the Bucks and think "Championship caliber" but the reality is that they simply are not that skilled on the floor and have an incredibly fragile psyche without the proper veterans or coaching to keep it in check.
Not to mention coaching/leadership. Maybe change their name to the Milwaukee taxidermy because they cut off the head of that championship squad and mounted it on the wall but what remains is going nowhere. The leaders in Milwaukee just deflect. Doc blames travel guys, Giannis takes shots at equipment managers. Nobody is really held accountable here. So much finger pointing. Also, Doc is a coward. I think this whole squad, including him, is just trying to avoid another first round exit. They probably know they don't have what it takes to beat Boston or Denver or a handful of others in a 7 game series. They just don't want to be embarrassed like last year. Easier said than done when you see Philadelphia and Miami chilling in those 7&8 spots. Might they feel more comfortable against a team like Cleveland that also fell flat last year and is currently also struggling? Or perhaps I could interest you in a Pacers matchup where Giannis avg like 50 against them and they will at least have the advantage of experience? There are a lot of great young coaches these days with wonderful integrity. Doc Rivers is not one of them. Post season failure and not holding himself accountable are this guy's calling cards. It's not a question of whether the Bucks will be eliminated. Simply a matter of when and who will be blamed.
Orlando and NYK trail by a game. Cavs just 1.5
My guess is one of those first two actually climb up and take the 2 spot and Bucks finish in 3 or 4. They won't want to lose home court, but I do believe that this group with this leadership would try to game the system a bit like this. Either way, I think the Giannis numbers in the first round will be bonkers. He's the one guy I expect to bring the intensity every night and if they get the Pacers matchup we are basically guaranteed to see some kind of record broken.
TL;DR - There's nothing wrong with them. People still look at the Bucks and think "Championship caliber" but the reality is that they simply are not that skilled on the floor and have an incredibly fragile psyche without the proper veterans or coaching to keep it in check.
Anybody thinking the Bucks will "flip a switch" in the postseason isn't paying attention. They are AWFUL defensively. Brunson was killing them yesterday, so they start running two guys at him, which leaves shooters more open than they find themselves in warmups (wish I could post some vids). Any offensive improvement made by signing Dame is offset (and then some) by his defense. The guy is a pylon on the defensive end. Perhaps the Celtics throw the game tomorrow, but it wouldn't be because they fear the Bucks in the second round - it would be so they don't have to play the Bucks, period. No way are the Bucks making it to the conf finals, no matter who they play.
Anybody thinking the Bucks will "flip a switch" in the postseason isn't paying attention. They are AWFUL defensively. Brunson was killing them yesterday, so they start running two guys at him, which leaves shooters more open than they find themselves in warmups (wish I could post some vids). Any offensive improvement made by signing Dame is offset (and then some) by his defense. The guy is a pylon on the defensive end. Perhaps the Celtics throw the game tomorrow, but it wouldn't be because they fear the Bucks in the second round - it would be so they don't have to play the Bucks, period. No way are the Bucks making it to the conf finals, no matter who they play.
There not a a contender, good team that got weaker after they were lucky and good enough to win a championship. Boston in the East and Denver in the West is my take on things.
There not a a contender, good team that got weaker after they were lucky and good enough to win a championship. Boston in the East and Denver in the West is my take on things.
Lots of problems with that team. Coach Bud has a big part in bringing that team a Championship and 2 years later he is out the door. Then hire a young coach and fire him 45 games or so in the season is just assenine. Their record was better under him than it is under Doc. This team has been terrible defensively for the last 2 seasons and all the coaching or game planning isn't going to change that. The only great defender they had they traded away. They did win a championship which is great for them, but they aren't winning another one for the foreseeable future.
Lots of problems with that team. Coach Bud has a big part in bringing that team a Championship and 2 years later he is out the door. Then hire a young coach and fire him 45 games or so in the season is just assenine. Their record was better under him than it is under Doc. This team has been terrible defensively for the last 2 seasons and all the coaching or game planning isn't going to change that. The only great defender they had they traded away. They did win a championship which is great for them, but they aren't winning another one for the foreseeable future.
Lakers Pat Riley?
Lakers Pat Riley?
Tyrone Lue with the Cavs..
Tyrone Lue with the Cavs..
They fired Adrian Griffin and hired Mr. Bean...the season became an instant write off the moment they did that...but hey, at least Lillard now has the green light to shoot 3s from center court with a coach's smile & approval
They fired Adrian Griffin and hired Mr. Bean...the season became an instant write off the moment they did that...but hey, at least Lillard now has the green light to shoot 3s from center court with a coach's smile & approval
Nothing is wrong with them. It's just the regular season. Like most veteran/playoff established teams they couldn't care less about playing crap teams like wizards and pistons.
Yes today they will beat the Celtics because of motivation.
Nothing is wrong with them. It's just the regular season. Like most veteran/playoff established teams they couldn't care less about playing crap teams like wizards and pistons.
Yes today they will beat the Celtics because of motivation.
@LedZe
So "not caring" is your theory as to why they were the first team in over 30 years to lose 3 straight games as double digit faves. How about getting blown out after holding an 11 point lead at half to the Knicks, who are now 1 game behind them for the 2 spot? If the 2 seed isnt motivating (they can now end up as the 4 or 5 seed lmao), then that's an issue in and of itself. So, either something is wrong because they don't care, or something is wrong because they are broken.
@LedZe
So "not caring" is your theory as to why they were the first team in over 30 years to lose 3 straight games as double digit faves. How about getting blown out after holding an 11 point lead at half to the Knicks, who are now 1 game behind them for the 2 spot? If the 2 seed isnt motivating (they can now end up as the 4 or 5 seed lmao), then that's an issue in and of itself. So, either something is wrong because they don't care, or something is wrong because they are broken.
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