Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks are once again among Eastern elite teams.
Summary in first half: This was always going to be a difficult season for the Bucks. It was fun to rub the regular season as they did in 2018-19 and (mostly) 2019-20. But in the end it got nothing for them with their sudden playoff proceedings against Toronto and Miami, respectively. These were the teams that made punk of the Milwaukee Finals tickets so great. They still want that as their destination, but will try to get there by arriving at the right time. As if that were completely under their control.
By reigning two-time Kia MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will get a few more votes again for that award, and sidekick Khris Middleton was seen as an All-Star snub for another strong yet strong season. New entrant Jrue Holiday still looks like a winning move, while Donte DiVicenzo has brought energy, defense and bonus scoring to the start of shooting guard. But here ‘s also: In their first two seasons under coach Mike Budenholzer, the Bucks were fourth and first in offensive and defensive effectiveness (2018-19), then eighth and first one last year. They are currently in second offense – scoring more than any Bucks team in history, of course – but 12th waterproof. Not bad, but not choking as it has been lately.
In fact, if you wanted a block, you might just wonder what the rest of this season would look like for Milwaukee if Antetokounmpo in December refused to sign his five – year, $ 228 million contract. and he planned to hit the free agency in the summer. That “win” for the start of the season is one thing the Bucks would like to go with at the end.
Biggest question going into the second half: Where will Jrue Holiday fit in for the Bucks ’efficiency over the second half and postseason, as well as their long-term plans? Holidays missed 10 games to health and safety protocols, admitting he contracted the virus and felt bad for a spell. The Bucks scoop those, which means they are 17-9 when Holiday has played, and the winning percentage (.654) would have been good for two more wins by this time. , putting the Bucks in a 24-14 tie with Philadelphia at the East top.
But there was still a bit of fame going on before Holiday went out – for them, for them – to run the Bucks as a good-oil defender. And now that he deserves to negotiate an expansion to hold in Milwaukee for seasons to come, there’s more clock on what this season’s results will mean until 2021-22 and beyond . Bringing up what the Bucks did (Eric Bledsoe and a handful of select versions) it is imperative that he stays on holiday and plays more than once.
Playoffs no lottery ?: Playoffs. But how deep? Many Bucks fans think it needs to be very deep – as in the conference finals, at least, if not a trip to the tournament round – for Budenholzer to return for a fourth season. The tweaks he and his staff have made at each end so far have been okay – it hasn’t been Bucks’ thing to change defensively so far – but the test will come incorporates in-game and in-series changes when locked into the optimal seven survival level.
At best, there’s no reason the Bucks can’t emerge from the East. And that’s the approach this season has taken, to be at its best in July and August, not in March.
– Steve Aschburner