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Milwaukee Bucks
Game 64: Jazz/Bucks
Brew Hoop Mar 12, 2010 | 5:39 am PST
| 2009/2010 NBA Season | ||
|---|---|---|
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| 42-22 (15-14 road) | vs. | 34-29 (21-9 home) |
| March 12, 2010 | ||
| Bradley Center |
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| 7:30 PM | ||
| Radio: WTMJ AM 620 TV: FSN Wisconsin HD |
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| Probable starters: | ||
| Deron Williams |
PG | Brandon Jennings |
| Wesley Matthews |
SG | John Salmons |
| Andrei Kirilenko | SF | Carlos Delfino |
| Carlos Boozer |
PF | Luc Mbah a Moute |
| Mehmet Okur |
C | Andrew Bogut |
| (6th) 110.7 - OFFENSE - 104.5 (23rd) |
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| (8th) 104.8 - DEFENSE - 102.7 (5th) |
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| (19th) 92.2 - PACE - 92.7 (17th) |
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Offensive.
At 42-22 (.656), the Jazz have the best record of any opponent that the Bucks face at home the rest of the year. Utah is very good defensively, and something of an offensive juggernaut. They are sixth in offensive efficiency and lead the NBA shooting 49.0 % from the field. The Jazz also are first in percent of field goals assisted, at 67.9 %.
Utah has hit triple digits in six straight games and have gone 132+ twice in that span, and this is a major test for Milwaukee's defense, which hasn't allowed an opponent to reach 88 points in four March games.
Cool Jazz.
This one might not get as rough and rowdy as the C's game. Whereas Boston is second in the NBA with 82 technicals, the Jazz are last in the NBA with 25.
Inside.
Andrew Bogut should have plenty of opportunities to extend his streak of games with a blocked shot against Utah. The Jazz attempt the third most shots at the rim in the NBA, averaging 30.9 per game. However, they convert on a healthy 64.3 % on those shots. In comparison, the Bucks attempt 24.4 shots at the rim per game, making 56.8 %.
2.0.
The Bucks are exactly two games ahead of Toronto, Charlotte, and Miami, and lead reeling, ninth-place Chicago by 3.5 games. Derrick Rose left last night's loss to the Magic with a sprained wrist after going up against Dwight Howard in the lane. Tonight, Charlotte hosts the Clippers and Chicago plays in Miami.
Wesley.
Undrafted, former Marquette hooper Wesley Matthews is the starting at shooting guard for the Jazz these days. Utah curiously dealt away Ronnie Brewer to Memphis last month. Not a popular move at the time, but Brewer only made it 11 minutes into his Memphis career before straining his hamstring, and Matthews has played solid, unspectacular basketball. Wesley is limited offfensively, but is a real defensive player, even accumulating five steals in 25 minutes in a win over the Bulls on Tuesday.
Respecting Skiles, NBA beginning to fear the deer, Salmons' spirituality
Brew Hoop Mar 11, 2010 | 12:30 pm PST
CNNSI: Skiles the league's most underappreciated coach
Frank Hughes gives Scott Skiles some well-deserved respect...no argument here. If you want to talk about John Hammond's best moves as a GM, I still say it starts with hiring Skiles as his partner in crime. It's not always ideal for the coach to play a major role in personnel decisions, but Hammond and Skiles seem to have developed a good understanding about what kind of players they need to win games--and how to get them on a reasonable budget. Thankfully the rest of the league seems to be noticing as well. Skiles won East coach of the month honors in February and the always-on-point Kelly Dwyer has him narrowly ahead of Jerry Sloan and Scott Brooks for COY honors.
One NBA insider said Skiles comes up with some of the most creative play-calling in the league and has a firm handle on the mismatches that give Milwaukee an advantage. He has handled Jennings masterfully, even as the rookie has struggled with his shot for a while. And Skiles has Andrew Bogut playing so well that he looks like the league's next great center.
Courtside Analyst: Don't let the weak schedule fool you
Ty offers some reassurance that the Bucks' strong play since the break has been more than just the benefits of a weak schedule. Here's a sample to whet your appetite:
The Bucks winning percentage in the last 12 games is +.289 higher than the winning percentage you would expect an average NBA team to achieve against the very same schedule, meaning the Bucks "Relative Winning Percentage" (as I call it) since the All Star break is roughly.685%. To put that another way, since the All-Star break the Bucks have played like a team you would expect to win 56.5 games over the course of an 82 game season. Very, very good.
Hollinger: Bucks 11th in latest power rankings
John Hollinger explains why he has the streaking Bucks ahead of the Mavs (winners of 13 straight) in his power rankings. Marc Stein also had them 11th, but that was before the Celtics game.
Would I take Dallas to beat them in a series?
No. Dallas won both meetings versus Milwaukee but by the smallest of margins (one in overtime, the other by a single point). Because both contests happened before the Bucks' recent rejuvenation, I'd lean toward Milwaukee in a neutral-site series. The Bucks are unquestionably the East's most dangerous low seed heading into the playoffs.
Whoa.
Fanhouse: Fear the Deer
Ziller and Co. have the Bucks 9th in their latest rankings. Plus, some more level for Bogut's defense. Also, it seems like everyone's latching onto the "Fear the Deer" slogan, but that's been around for a while, right? Not sure where I first heard it.
Andrew Bogut has been a flat-out beast of late, averaging 3.7 blocks per game over the past 10, and blocking a monstrous six percent of all opponent shots on the season, good for fourth in the league. If not for Mr. Dwight Howard, this dude'd be a legit All-Defense first-teamer. He'll have to be content with the second team, assuming voters list Tim Duncan as a forward.
Woelfel: Spiritual Salmons helping Bucks find playoff promised land
Gery Woelfel has a long feature on the Bucks' newest difference-maker, including some interesting stuff about the impact of Salmons' faith on his career. Everyone knows about Redd's Christianity, so perhaps it's fitting that the man replacing him is of similar devotion--though as Salmons alludes to, I'd never heard this mentioned about him previously.
"I know when I have gotten interviewed, reporters don't really like talking about God," Salmons said slowly. "I have mentioned God a lot, but I never see it in the papers when I do read the papers."Like if I hit a big shot, I'd say it's God," Salmons said. "And I really believe that. I don't believe that was me who made that shot. I believe it was all God's doing. When I'm out there, I rely on him 100 percent."
Nothing Easy: Google search suggestions for "Kevin Garnett"
I saw this just before the Bucks/Celtics game, which is pretty ironic given all the buzz about Brandon Jennings' trash talking of the former MVP after the game. I'm sure this won't be the last we hear of KG and the C's, but then again it says a lot about the Bucks' newfound spunk that their little point isn't afraid to stand up to the big boys. Besides, KG will probably take the high road anyway...
Playoffs? Yes, we're talking Bucks playoffs
Brew Hoop Mar 10, 2010 | 10:21 am PST
I could watch this over and over (h/t BLKOUT)
I still tend to start sweating and look around nervously when the words "Bucks" and "playoffs" are mentioned in the same sentence, but after yesterday's win it's hard to avoid thinking about what April might hold. A crushing collapse of epic proportions? A shocking upset of a first round Goliath? I'll play it safe and say it'll probably be something in between, but that's certainly not a bad outcome all things considered. Rome wasn't built in a day, and the Bucks' metamorphosis from lottery fodder to legit contender won't happen in a single season either. It's OK--we're having fun anyway.
The funny part is of course that now even the national media is taking notice of the little basketball team that could. Next week's Clipper game is on ESPN, the Canadians are talking, and if you're looking for positive reinforcement about the Bucks' playoff chops, John Hollinger's playoff numbers are looking pretty good for the Bucks.
We've been talking about five teams battling for four spots in the East for weeks, but Milwaukee's win over Boston on Tuesday essentially cemented a playoff berth for the Bucks. Milwaukee has 34 wins in the bank with 11 home games remaining, and it is the hottest team in the league right now (sorry, Dallas) with 10 wins in 11 games since acquiring John Salmons.
If that wasn't enough, the Bucks should own every tiebreaker with teams still fighting for playoff slots. They clinched the head-to-head series with Toronto and Miami, and their 25-15 conference record should give them an edge over Charlotte and Chicago, even if the Bucks lose their final meeting against each team. As an added bonus, the Bucks' final three games -- against Boston, Atlanta and Boston again -- could become gimmes if the playoff seedings of the Hawks and Celtics are locked in place.
CoolStandings.com pegs the Bucks a 98.5% lock to make the East's final eight, only a tick less than Hollinger's 99.2%. That might seem like a lot given the Bucks are only three games ahead of the ninth-seeded Bulls, but the Bucks home-heavy schedule the rest of the way, their level of recent play, and their ownership of most tiebreakers give them a clear edge over the chasing pack. Aside from that, all these projections rely at least somewhat on Pythagorean projections (ie points scored vs. points allowed) and the Bucks' expected winning percentage (.559) is still higher than their actual percentage (.540), owing largely to their 5-10 record in games decided by three points or less.
Who will they face? There's a fair bit of separation between the Magic (45-20) and Hawks (40-23) in the Southeast, so you'd guess Orlando hangs on there and condemns Atlanta to the 3rd or 4th seed--indeed, Cool Standings has Orlando a 96% favorite to win the division. That leaves the Celtics (40-22) fairly locked into the third seed unless they can catch Orlando for #2 left to fight with the Hawks for 3/4 spots [thanks to ZV for noting that since 06/07 the division winners are guaranteed a top four seed, not a top three...sadly, I haven't had to brush up on my playoff seeding rules since 05/06].
Which means it will mostly be up to the Bucks to determine which team they face, which is about how you'd want it. As much as the Celtics may not be at their best right now, I can't honestly say I'd prefer to play them over a younger, less playoff-tested squad like the Hawks. We'll get a better feel for how the Bucks match up with both teams in the final 19 games, as the Bucks play Atlanta three more times (twice at home) and face the Celtics twice more. If the Bucks slip they could end up facing the Cavs or Magic, neither of whom I'd feel too good about--primarily because their bigs match up better with Bogut. Check out our playoff matchup discussion for more.
In other good news, don't forget the fine print on the John Salmons trade. Aside from getting the Bulls' 2010 and 2011 second rounders, the Bucks also have the right to swap first round picks with the Bulls provided Chicago's not in the top ten, which as of now that means they'd move up a fair bit in the draft. Considering Salmons has been exactly what the Bucks needed, that's some pretty nice gravy.
Chicago just dropped a half game behind Miami last night for the 8th spot, meaning the Bucks--who would pick 18th if the season ended today--could move all the way up to 11th in the first round if Chicago ends up just outside the playoffs. Still a long way to go, but Hollinger is predicting the final spot to come down to the Raptors and Bulls, so there's a chance the Bucks could get the best of both worlds.
Recap: Bucks 86, Celtics 84
Brew Hoop Mar 9, 2010 | 10:43 pm PST
MILWAUKEE - Last March, right around this time, the Celtics came to town, the fans made Ray Allen feel right at home, and the Bucks scored 86 points, enough for a win.
Those are the similarities. But this is about differences. The mighty big changes in pro basketball in this city.
Because while the name still reads the same on the front of the jersey, they are just about all different on the back. The starting lineup from the March 15, 2009 win over Boston? Try Ramon Sessions, Luc Mbah a Moute, Richard Jefferson, Charlie Villanueva, and Francisco Elson. The only remaining starter, The Principal, went from shooting guard to power forward. Yeah.
So maybe we shouldn't be so surprised that it's March and the Bucks are still good.
After all, they are still the Bucks, but with Brandon Jennings, John Salmons, Carlos Delfino, Ersan Ilyasova, Luc Mbah a Moute, and this Andrew Bogut, they aren't quite like anything we remember. And try as we might to forget, we do remember.
We remember five straight last place finishes, and the players remember how it was supposed to be six straight. Even a teenager half a world away last year was apparently briefed about the past and the expectations, or lack thereof. After the game, Brandon Jennings:
I know a lot of people doubted us in the beginning of the season, had us almost last. But we are here too, we are fighting for a spot in the playoffs too. So don't forget about us.
So now we have something we actually want to remember. And the latest is a Bucks win over the Celtics, chiefly the result of magnificent play by Bogut, and magnificent plays by Bogut. The center started the game as strongly as ever, picking up right where he left off in Boston about three months ago. But as the Bucks moved away from him, the Celtics moved into the lead. Not coincidentally, Boston won its only period in the second quarter when Bogut was scoreless.
The Bucks trailed entering the fourth quarter and didn't score during the final 2:41 of regulation, but they did enough in between to make it work. Namely, Bogut carried the team on both ends while the sickly Delfino hit his fifth three of the game, Salmons popped in five quick ones, Ilyasova was eternally right-place/right-time, Jennings scooped in a floater for the final points, and the defense, oh, the defense.
Up two in the final moments, Milwaukee took a foul with 3.9 seconds to go. A good idea, but also just enough time for Ray Allen to sink his first shot of the game, a three pointer of course. But the ball went to Pierce, and, well, the Bucks defended just like they had all game, all month, all season. Still could have gone in, we know that and that. But not this time.
This was a chippy affair, a game that looked more like late-April than early-March by the time Glen Davis barreled into Jennings on a fast break, earning technicals for each.
And if this keeps up, we will soon get to watch games that are late-April instead of ones that just look the part.
THREE BUCKS
Andrew Bogut. Looking every bit the best player on a court with at least six future Hall of Fame feet running around but certainly never through him, Bogut smashed the Celtics for 10 points, six rebounds and a couple blocks in a first quarter highlighted by a slam on Big Baby Davis Big Baby Davis.
And then the second quarter happened, and so went Bogut, so went the Bucks: Nowhere. He neither demanded the ball nor did his teammates look for him, and when they did, the entry passes were telegraphed. I thought we were past that. And for the most part, we are.
Bogut stormed back to the forefront of the night in the second half with 15 more points and a couple more blocks, at once turning the game offensively, and turning the game defensively. Something like a phenomenon at both ends of the court, this Aussie.
All sorts of memorable plays: the ferocious rebound-dunk off a corner Charlie Bell three-point miss to tie the game 59-59, the epic stuff of Paul Pierce and perfect full-court outlet to Brandon Jennings who was subsequently clobbered by Glen Davis, and just when the Celtics had no answer for Bogut, the picture-perfect feed to Ersan Ilyasova for an and-one.
And in he end, he looked every bit the best player on the court -- one of the best on any court -- with 25 points, 17 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 5-5 at the line.
Carlos Delfino. Pretty early on, Jeremy dubbed this his flu game. Well, this wasn't that, but it was a nice performance for someone feeling and looking a bit under the weather, as Skiles had revealed before the game that Delfino had been suffering from the flu.
A couple of his five threes were low-probability, but they were fortunately falling on a night the Bucks needed all of his 19 points.
Delfino threaded a pretty backdoor pass to Jennings, generally found open spaces against a sticky Boston defense, and in the end clearly outplayed Paul Pierce.
Brandon Jennings. So, at 20, Jennings might not be out of his prime after all?
The learning curve is steep for all rookie point guards. For Brandon, it has been mountainous -- only he started at just about the top in November. Since then, he's taken some hard tumbles down, but continues to climb back up. And now, against two of the conference's dominant clubs against Cleveland and now Boston, Jennings has strung together two very excellent games.
An eventful night toward the end, as he missed that potential game-sealing jumper at the end, got into it with Kevin Garnett in the tunnel after the game, and had plenty to say in the post-game locker room.
Jennings and Glen Davis were both hit with technicals after Davis pretty much tackled Brandon on his way to the hoop, where it looked a lot like he wanted to dunk.
It was a hard foul. They are known for punking people, but they weren't going to come in here and just punk me.
THREE NUMBERS
18-3. Boston outscored Milwaukee 18-3 on the fastbreak, as Rajon Rondo cooked up dreamy dishes in transition while the Bucks had to work, mostly through Bogut, to score in the halfcourt. Quite an accomplishment to get just about all of those points the hard way against such a stout defense.
8-17. Milwaukee shot 8-17 (.471) on threes against the team ranking third in three point defense entering the night. I was surprised to see the Bucks were given at least three wide-open looks from deep in the first quarter alone, but I'm just getting used to this ball movement stuff.
90 %. The Bucks are playing .900 (9-1) ball since the arrival of John Salmons. After netting a personal-Bucks-low 12 points against the Cavs, John Salmons pitched in with 16 tonight despite not making a free throw for just the second time since arriving from Chicago. Such a gift to this team.
THREE GOOD
Bogut v. Boston. After putting up 25/14 with a couple blocks in round one in Boston, the center played even better tonight with 25/17 and four blocks.
From beginning to end, he had a fairly easy time using either hand to loft hooks over the awfully quiet Kendrick Perkins.
So maybe it's not so bad that the Bucks play Celtics twice more in the regular season, and perhaps more than a couple more times in the playoffs.
BC. Even in a win on Saturday over the NBA's best team, the Bradley Center didn't burst like it did tonight. The horrifying reality of paying top dollar to watch LeBron James and seeing Jawad Williams may have muted some of the customers, but the atmosphere resembled a playoff match against Boston.
Not a sellout with 14,316 on hand tonight, but the crowd was loud and ready when the drama escalated late.
With all of the road success, don't lose sight of how Milwaukee has held home court all year, not just lately. Tenth best home mark in basketball at 21-9.
Jennings was diggin' the atmosphere:
This was the craziest I think it has ever been in here so far.
Defending the stars. The Cavaliers with LeBron are title favorites, without him they are merely okay. So that win over Cleveland on Saturday rightfully led with a disclaimer.
Not this time. The Bucks beat a Boston squad in full effect, a team fighting for playoff positioning, and eager to claw, argue, and fight its way to a win.
All the stars were out (or in, if you will), including the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce/Ray Allen troika. Garnett (14/10) was a tough cover, but Luc Mbah a Moute and the Bucks mostly held him in check and KG only made one bucket in the final 16 minutes of regulation.
Even better was the defense on Pierce (3-13, four turnovers) and especially hometown hero Allen (0-3 in 34 minutes).
Scott Skiles doesn't offer compliments for fun:
We were really sharp on the defensive end. It was not an easy game for us, it was back and forth, a physical game... we needed our defense to keep us in the game, and it did.
THREE BAD
Battle of the benches. Sans Jerry Stackhouse, the Bucks didn't bring much off the bench. Literally.
Skiles, after the game.
The absence of Jerry was big tonight, we could have used him tonight.
Indeed. Skiles rode the starters atypically extensive minutes -- four of them played 40+ minutes -- as only Ersan Ilyasova was effective whatsoever among the backups. Charlie Bell and Luke Ridnour were particularly ineffective, to the point I can't decide who was worse.
Meanwhile, Boston received lavish production from its reserves, and the team played best when Rasheed Wallace (+11), Marquis Daniels (+4), and Nate Robinson (+2) were on the floor.
'Sheed. Not sure how he avoided a technical, but on offense, defense, during timeouts, in between quarters, possibly via telephone before and after the game, Rasheed Wallace barked at the refs. 'Sheed's natural reaction to sinking a wide-open three? Like anything else: Rather impolitely berate the official all the way down the court, of course. In the league since 1995, and this act hasn't expired?
Rondo's free throws. Rajon Rondo entered the night shooting 60.6 % from the free throw line this year, 62.8 % for his career, and 83.3 % for his career against Milwaukee. Law of percentages, that has to go down, right. So of course, Rajon just kills the Bucks, making 8-9 at the line. Nifty player though.
Moute Kicks Boute T-Shirt
The Bratwurst - Milwaukee Bucks Blog Mar 9, 2010 | 10:59 am PST
It’s time for another edition of everyone’s favorite infrequently posted blog segment, the NBA Clothing Spotlight. With the Bucks recent hot play, this item is centered around one of the deer that should be feared.
Moute Kicks Boute
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is the silent assassin on the Bucks. He typically has to defend the best offensive player on the other team, be it Dirk Nowitzki or Kevin Durant. As a reward for his hard work, Mbah a Moute never gets a single play called for him. So how does he post a career average of seven points a game? The offensive glass. Despite being undersized as a starting power forward, Luc Richard yanks down over two offensive rebounds a game. Those rebounds usually go straight back up and result in two points for the good guys.
How can you honor a defensive stopper who is arguably the hardest worker in the league? Buy his t-shirt.
Past Editions of NBA Clothing Spotlight
Game 63: Celtics/Bucks
Brew Hoop Mar 9, 2010 | 7:01 am PST
| 2009/2010 NBA Season | ||
|---|---|---|
| vs. |  |
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| 40-21 (22-10 home) | 33-29 (20-9 home) |
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| March 9, 2010 | ||
| Bradley Center |
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| 7:00 PM CT |
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| Radio: 620 WTMJ TV: FSN Wisconsin |
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| Probable starters: | ||
| Rajon Rondo | PG | Brandon Jennings |
| Ray Allen |
SG | Carlos Delfino |
| Paul Pierce |
SF | John Salmons |
| Kevin Garnett |
PF | Luc Mbah a Moute |
| Kendrick Perkins |
C | Andrew Bogut |
| 106.9 (8th) - OFFENSE - 104.5 (23rd) |
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| 101.9 (1st) - DEFENSE - 102.8 (3rd) |
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91.6 (22nd) - PACE - 92.6 (15th) |
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Linkage:
CelticsBlog / Celtics Hub / Red's Army / Loy's Place / Bucks GameDay
News/analysis after the jump...
Up/Down. When the Celtics held off a Bogut-led Bucks squad 98-89 on December 8, it dropped Milwaukee to 9-11 and upped Boston's record to 17-4. Seemed about right all things considered.
But since then, the Bucks have gone 24-18 while the Celtics have been only a shade better at 24-17. Which begs the question: how many people would have bet that the Bucks could match the Celtics over any 42-game stretch? I'll let you decide whether it says more about the Bucks' improvement or the Celtics' relative struggles.
That said, the C's have bounced back from a bad end to February (a home loss to the Nets certainly qualifies) with four straight wins, though they were taken to the wire by the lowly Wiz on Sunday night in Boston. Washington surprisingly led 79-66 with just over six minutes remaining, but a Pierce-and-Rondo-led 20-4 onslaught helped Boston avoid another embarrassing home defeat. For some reason that's been a recurring theme of the season: Boston is 18-11 at home but 22-10 on the road.
O-fer. We know Kevin Garnett isn't the same guy who won an MVP seven years, or for that matter the guy who led Boston to a championship two years ago. Still, the guy who will be in the lineup tonight in Milwaukee is still damn good and the Bucks will have their hands full dealing with him on both ends. Which makes his 0/7 shooting night against Washington on Tuesday so perplexing. Unlike the teams' first meeting when Mbah a Moute was starting at SF and matching up with Paul Pierce, this time around Luc will start off checking Garnett. Though Garnett does most of his offensive damage from the perimeter these days--he takes 3.0 shots/game at the rim, less than Pierce (3.7) and barely more than Ray Allen (2.7)--I'm curious if matching up with an undersized PF like Mbah a Moute will tempt Garnett to go inside more.
Rondo'ed. Jennings and company couldn't prevent Rondo from getting into the lane at will in Boston, and the 24-year old former UK Wildcat nearly racked up a triple-double in the process (11 pts, 13 ast, 9 reb). Jennings has been defending more consistently of late but Rondo offers as good a challenge as any. On a related note, how is it possible that Rondo is listed at 6'1" / 171 lbs and Jennings at 6'1" / 169 lbs? I guess Rondo plays bigger because he has long arms, but I have a hard time believing he's only a couple pounds heavier. Dude is strong...and Brandon, not so much.
It's March...and the Bucks are still good?
Brew Hoop Mar 8, 2010 | 2:53 pm PST
I normally only get to do one "Whoa, the Bucks are actually good!" post per year, and unfortunately it's usually in November. You probably know the drill: the Bucks jump out to a semi-promising start; nervous optimism ensues; plane crashes into mountain about a week later.
But hey, at least there's been consistency. Since we started this website/self-help group in 2007, the first month or two of the season have always provided at least some mostly misplaced hope. Believe it or not, November 2007 offered an opportunity to say nice things about Larry Krystkowiak's coaching (they were 7-4!), while in 2008 we still had some good feelings in late December (one game out of the playoff hunt!).
So it was only natural for the Bucks to offer us some early-season optimism back in November, though the Brandon Jennings Effect meant more talk about Jennings than the Bucks' 8-3 start to the season. But as Scott Skiles told Charles Gardner this week, the Bucks' reaction to their early season success probably wasn't the real story--instead, it's how the Bucks handled the slump that saw them drop 15 of 19 games between November 23 and December 30.
"Sort of the M.O. of our franchise the last several years has been to get down, fall behind a little bit and boom, just cave. And the season's over by now.
"To sum it all up, we didn't quit, and at least we've given ourselves the opportunity to have a very good season. And now we have to take advantage of that with a quarter of the season left to play."
And so here we are, a whopping 62 games into the season and the Bucks are not only in the playoff race, but among the league's hottest teams at 33-29, the fifth seed in the East, and winners of nine of ten. How'd we get here anyway?
If there was a bottoming out point for the 09/10 Bucks, it happened in late December--which was especially awesome given I was home for Christmas and got to see all of them up close. The Bucks lost games against the Lakers, Cavs, and Kings by a combined margin of five points, which added to the whole "can't win close games" frustration that had been a hallmark of the first two months. They may have rebounded with a nervous road win in Indiana, but two absolute clunkers at home against the Wizards and Spurs followed by rather uncompetitive road losses in Charlotte and Orlando erased any holiday warm and fuzzies rather abruptly. And thus the 8-3 Bucks had morphed into the 12-18 Bucks by the end of calendar year 2009. In a sad way, order had been restored.
But give the Bucks credit: they've shown the ability to bounce back from losses all season and they've looked like a different team in the new year. Well, maybe not a different team, but at least a much better version of the squad that faceplanted at the end of 2009. At the end of December, the Bucks ranked just 25th in offensive efficiency (102.3 pts/100 possessions) and a very respectable 7th defensively (103.9 pts/100), and the relative story is similar today, just...better. They trail only the Celtics and Lakers in defensive efficiency (102.8 pts/100) and have upped their offensive efficiency by more than two pts/100 (104.5 pts/100). They still rank just 23rd in the NBA in that category, but it's still progress and they've been dramatically improved of late. Though the defense has allowed about three fewer pts/100 over the past 32 games, the offense has improved even more, adding four points/100 over the first two months' performance.
Offensively it's not hard to see what has changed. The Bucks have benefited greatly from an unselfish, inside-out balance keyed by Jennings' improving game management and the anchor provided by Bogut's post presence, with John Salmons' adding some much-needed shot-creating ability since he arrived 10 games ago [note: in retrospect it's funny how I never even thought to talk about Michael Redd while writing this--see sdsowlsa comment below. Say a lot, no?] Jeremy has a good post on the Bucks' assist/to numbers over the past few years, and the crisp offense we've been seeing on the court is also reflected in the numbers. In the last 10 games the Bucks lead the NBA in assist differential, racking up nearly seven more assists per game than their opponents. In that span they also boast the league's best scoring differential (+11.6 pts/game), the lowest opponent fg% (42.1%), and the league's second-best rebounding differential (+6.1 rpg). Good defense + good defense = profit. Who knew?
The main irony is that the Bucks' offensive revitalization has coincided with Jennings' horrific shooting slump, though his care of the ball and game management have been remarkably good of late. Even after his 25 point effort against Cleveland, Jennings has seen his fg% fall every month of the season--a pretty mind-boggling feat considering he only shot 32.4% in January but has somehow managed to worsen that number in both February (30.7%) and March (30.3% through three games).
Another interesting footnote to the Bucks' success has been the slower pace at which they've been playing. Through December they had ranked 11th in the league in possessions/game (93.4), but have now dropped down to 15th (92.6). That surprises me somewhat because it seems like the Bucks are getting more buckets in transition--as I write this I've got visions of Jennings flying up and down the court, dishing to hustling teammates for easy buckets. And indeed, they've been well above their season average with 18 fast break pts/game over the last three, but they're still fourth from the bottom overall in that category (10.9 pts/game). However, those falling pace numbers could also be attributable to good defense forcing longer opponent shot clock usage, more offensive rebounds by either team (thus keeping possessions alive), and the Bucks' using more clock themselves in the halfcourt. Indeed, the Bucks' offensive rebound rate has increased since January 1, but they still rank just 19th in the league in that category. The pace numbers could also be a reflection of the renewed focus on getting Bogut post touches, which tends to lead to longer possessions.
Defensively, the Bucks' ability to force opponent misses is not surprisingly a big deal. Since Skiles took over, the Bucks have generally been among the league's better teams in terms of forcing turnovers (1st last year, 4th this year) and defensive rebounding (11th and 3rd), which are two of the three basic ways you prevent the other team from scoring. But aside from preventing shots (by forcing TOs) and not allowing second chances (by grabbing defensive rebounds) the Bucks generally have been middle of the road at the most basic part of defense--making teams miss. Last year they ranked just 17th in eFG% (50.2%), but their current run has seen them crack the top ten in that category (48.7%, 9th). Obvious credit goes to Andrew Bogut, whose defense we've already singled out for praise. Bogut's shot-blocking has increased every month this season, in the Bucks' 9-1 run he's averaged a remarkable 3.8 blocks per game, upping his season average to 2.4 bpg. But not to be overlooked is the return of Luc Mbah a Moute to the starting PF spot, where his mobility, rebounding, and harassing defense has complemented the big fella's shot blocking rather nicely. The Bucks' big weakness remains at the foul line, where they still rank dead last offensively and second-to-last defensively in free throw rate, but even that gap has narrowed a bit the past couple months.
With 19 games left, the Bucks need just nine wins to record their first winning season since George Karl's last season in 02/03, which given the overall middling level of talent on the roster speaks volumes about the work Skiles has done in his second year. Skiles deservedly won Eastern Conference Coach of the Month in February, and if the Bucks can continue their surprising run to the playoffs he'll demand serious consideration for coach of the year honors when all is said and done. From Bucks fans everywhere, there's just one thing to say: thanks.
Recap: Bucks 92, Cavs 85
Brew Hoop Mar 7, 2010 | 1:35 am PST
More photos » Jeffrey Phelps - AP
Brandon gave the crowd plenty to be happy about.
Box Score
Let's start with an important disclaimer about the Bucks' win over the NBA's best team: LeBron James, the NBA's best player, didn't play thanks to a sore ankle. So to all those little munchkins who showed up on Saturday night in #23 jerseys hoping to watch LeBron beat up on their home team: sorry (ask your mom what sarcasm means).
But as much as the Bucks may have been hoping to legitimize their recent hot streak with a win over the current title favorites, let's think about the big picture. Last time I checked, the Bucks' biggest concern is still winning games--not proving that they're better than any individual team or showing that they can contain any individual player. That stuff is great and makes for nice copy, but the Bucks can do all the respect-gaining they want against the Celtics and Jazz next week.
And despite some hot three point shooting by Brandon Jennings (sporting a red stripe on his dome) and Carlos Delfino, the Bucks didn't exactly bring their A game, which means they should probably just be happy to have pounded out another win against the NBA's best team. The Bucks shouldn't be thrilled with their overall performance, but they can still be satisfied to see a win chalked up against a team that had beaten 78% of its opponents coming into the game.
The Bucks weren't lacking in energy early, busting out to a 29-16 lead early in the second quarter thanks to Jennings' passing, Bogut's size, and Mbah a Moute's typical hustle around the cup. But the Bucks never managed to run away and hide like they have of late against lesser teams. Even without the best player on earth, Cleveland is a well-coached team that works defensively--sound familiar?--and the hot-shooting combination of Delonte West (28 pts) and Antawn Jamison (30 pts) was enough to reel in a Bucks team that wasn't firing on all cylinders offensively.
Jamison drilled a pair of mid-rangers to start the second and then watched West go to work on Luke Ridnour with 10 straight points. Jamison apparently felt one-upped, so he replied by scoring 11 straight of his own as the Cavs fought back to lead 36-33. Meanwhile, the Bucks were finding it tough sledding now that their jumpers weren't falling, as Cleveland was challenging every drive--even without Bron-Bron, the Cavs don't defend like the Wizards.
Fortunately, the Bucks got back on track in the third, starting the period with a 16-4 run punctuated by a Jennings three and pull-up jumper to give the Bucks a 58-45 lead. Unlike Cleveland's two-man show, the Bucks just pressured the ball, created turnovers, and did their balanced attack thing: Jennings (5), Defino (4), Bogut (4), and Salmons (3) all getting in on the fun.
The Cavs didn't go quietly in the fourth, but they simply didn't have the firepower to make the Bucks nervous, as Milwaukee led by at least seven the rest of the way.
Three Bucks
Brandon Jennings: 36 min, 25 pts, 6/14 fg, 5/7 threes, 8/9 ft, 6 ast, 2 reb, 2 stl, 1 blk, 4 to
Jennings hadn't scored more than five points in any of his last three games, and his miserable shooting has been the elephant in the room for quite some time. So watching Jennings erupt (relatively speaking) for 25 on 14 shots was in many ways just a relief. The downside was another poor night inside the arc (1/7 fg), but a scorching night from deep and plenty of freebies too boot.
Jennings also deserves plenty of credit for his ball-hawking on defense, an area where I've generally found him somewhat disappointing. I like his willingness to pressure the ball up the court and he hasn't gambled as much as his summer league suggested, but he's surprisingly poor at moving laterally and his tiny frame makes for an easy target on pick & rolls. Fortunately the Bucks' help defense is nothing short of fantastic, which helps mask the defensive shortcomings of their perimeter players. However, tonight it was Jennings do a commendable job on his own, harassing Mo Williams (3/17 fg) all around the arc and into more contested shots than he normally gets with LBJ around.
Carlos Delfino: 42 min, 16 pts, 5/13 fg, 4/8 threes, 2/2 ft, 13 reb, 1 ast, 1 to, 2 stl
Like Jennings, Delfino couldn't score inside the three point line (1/5 fg) but his marksmanship and monster night on the glass definitely made up for it.
Andrew Bogut: 36 min, 15 pts, 5/9 fg, 5/6 ft, 9 reb, 3 blk, 1 stl, 2 to
Shaq has always caused Bogut problems, and a total of 11 points from Bogut in the first two matchups with Cleveland this year didn't do much to dispel that notion. Fortunately, Shaq (thumb surgery) is on his annual two month in-season vacation, and with Zydrunas Ilgauskas also missing that left Cleveland much smaller than they were the last time these teams met. It looked like it in the game's first 30 seconds, as Bogut sent back J.J. Hickson's driving hook and then scored over the Cavs' second year man on the next possession. Bogut certainly didn't have an easy time of it--Varejao was not surprisingly more effective than Hickson on the defensive end and the Cavs doubled Bogut on most of his touches in the post. But he was patient and overcame some second half foul trouble to put together about an average line: 15 pts on nine shots, nine rebounds, and another three block night.
Three Numbers
40.5%. The Bucks shot poorly even by their mediocre standards, but they chucked up plenty of threes (11/29) and still made more freebies than the LBJ-less Cavs (17/21 vs. 10/16). Not good, but good enough.
13. The Bucks committed a season-low 13 fouls. Not that cutting down on fouls has always been a recipe for success--they lost the two games in which they committed 14 fouls (@Dal, vs. SA).
9. The number of games it had been since Jennings made better than 40% from the field.
Three Good
The Rooster crows. The JS recap offers some explanation for Jennings' shimmying and gestures at the Cavs bench--apparently James joked to Jennings early in the game that the Cavs should "let the rooster shoot." That's generally been a good strategy for opposing defenses, but it seems LBJ would have been better off letting sleeping dogs lie. Then again, we all know LeBron loves dancing.
D on D. The Bucks have moved all the way up to 4th in defensive efficiency and didn't suffer any letdowns tonight, but the Cavs showed they're also no slouches on that end of the court.
Delfino getting it done. John Salmons had his worst game as a Buck (5/17 fg), but Delfino picked up the slack and has now scored in double figures in six straight and logged two double-doubles in the past three games.
Two Bad
Hangin' around. I actually think Danny Ferry's done a pretty nice job surrounding James with complementary talent, so it's not like the Cavs are complete pushovers even with LeBron in street clothes. Obviously there's no replacement for James' playmaking on offense, but Cleveland's defensive mentality seems to carry over regardless of the personnel on the court.
That said, there's no doubt the Bucks can play much better than they did tonight. It's tough to complain too much with a win, but it's unlikely the same performance achieves similar results against the Celtics on Tuesday.
Screamers. To the woman who screamed maniacally every time the Cavs made a basket: shut up. Please.
Game 62: Cavaliers/Bucks
Brew Hoop Mar 6, 2010 | 10:54 am PST
| 2009/2010 NBA Season | ||
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
| 49-14 (22-10 road) | vs. | 32-29 (19-9 home) |
| March 6, 2010 | ||
| Bradley Center |
||
| 7:30 PM | ||
| Radio: WTMJ AM 620 TV: FSN-Wisconsin |
||
| Probable starters: | ||
| Mo Williams |
PG | Brandon Jennings |
| Anthony Parker |
SG | John Salmons |
| LeBron James |
SF | Carlos Delfino |
| Antawn Jamison |
PF | Luc Mbah a Moute |
| J.J. Hickson |
C | Andrew Bogut |
| (3rd) 111.9 - OFFENSE - 104.7 (23rd) |
||
| (7th) 103.7 - DEFENSE - 103.0 (4th) |
||
| (25th) 91.1 - PACE - 92.6 (16th) |
||
Linkage
Fear The Sword / Cavs The Blog / Cleveland.com
News/notes after the jump...
Threes/frees. Cleveland is one of two NBA teams to both shoot threes better than Milwaukee (39.5 % - 36.1 %) and shoot free throws worse than Milwaukee (74.8 % - 72.5 %). Orlando is the other.
However, the Bucks have climbed to 19th in the NBA in free throw percentage, and their accuracy at the line has played a big role in recent success: Milwaukee is shooting 87-104 (.836) at the free throw line in its last five games combined. John Salmons, 28-31 (.903) in that span, has been most terrific.
Series-ly.
The last time these two met here, the Cavaliers scored 29 in a row, including a personal 14-0 run by Delonte West. The Cavs won 101-86, which was a rather believable final score; the shock was in the details.
A week and a half later, the Bucks fell 85-83 in Cleveland after Brandon Jennings tossed an airball three-point attempt in the waning seconds. The 85 points ties the Cavs lowest output of the year to date.
Milwaukee has moved up to sixth in the East, but they lead eighth place Miami by only 1.5 games, so a first-round playoff matchup remains possible. Regardless of matchups, the Cavs are the best team in the league and the last team the Bucks want to see in the playoffs, although the BC would light up like something we haven't seen in many years for a playoff game against LeBron.
Last eve'.
The Bucks put a 102-74 hex on the Wizards, read all about it.
And Cleveland scooted past Detroit at home last night 99-92 after trailing by 21 points in the first half. Cleveland coming back from 21 to beat the Pistons is about as surprising as LeBron James going for 40/13/6. Which is to say, nothing surprising happened in that one. Although, something very scary did happen: Rodney Stuckey literally collapsed in the third quarter. Thankfully, he was released from the hospital, so hopefully everything is okay.
Bogut's blocks.
As Frank noted in last night's recap, with five more swats, Andrew Bogut has blocked exactly five shots in five of the past nine games. And then there is that little 26-game streak with at least one block.
Drivin' 55, and under.
A couple cats in the building who have dropped 55 in the building. LeBron scored 55 just over a year ago at the BC, and Brandon drove for 55 less than four months ago. They combined for 48 (Jennings 24, James 14) in the first matchup in Milwaukee this season.
OnMilwaukee: Bogut, Bucks pointing toward playoffs
Drew Olson pens an illuminating look at the playoff push, particularly Andrew Bogut's unique road traveled.
In addition to doing stretching and core work while watching reruns of "Seinfeld" and other shows, Bogut uses "all kinds of contraptions" to help with his routine. "I use lacrosse balls to do self massage ... I've got all kinds of stuff," he said. "I started doing pilates this last off-season and that helped me immensely in terms of flexibility and strength."
BC.
Perhaps the two hottest NBA teams outside of Dallas are in town tonight, and I can't remember the last time there was such an intriguing basketball game at the Bradley Center. The Bucks have won eight of nine, the Cavaliers have reeled off six in a row because that's just what they do, and the best basketball player in the world is here. Predictions, anyone?
Recap: Bucks 102, Wizards 74
Brew Hoop Mar 5, 2010 | 10:41 pm PST
How hot have the Bucks been of late? Consider that two nights ago Scott Skiles characterized his club's 100-87 home win over the Wizards as "a step back." Realistically, he was right.
And while Skiles has never been one to get too excited about wins, there's a big difference between saying something like that because you want your players to expect better and saying it because you know they do. There's a word for that kind of thing: progress.
So perhaps it should come as no surprise that on Skiles' 46th birthday his players not only beat the Wizards in Washington, but did so in dominating fashion. The Wiz are most definitely a rag-tag bunch right now, a group that has looked more interested in getting theirs than playing team basketball. But 28-point road wins aren't gift-wrapped for you in the NBA either.
Happy now, coach?
"It was just that one game. We have been sharp for a long time and I thought we weren't as focused as we've been in recent games. We were still able to come out with a win.
"The guys took it to heart. They did an awful lot of things right tonight."
As for the game, there wasn't much ebb and flow to this one. The Bucks brought defensive intensity early and never allowed the Wizards to settle into any real rhythm, as not even the red-hot Andray Blatche (5/16 fg, 13 pts) could get much daylight, a couple nice moves against Bogut not withstanding.
Leading the way was Bogut, who set the tone with 10 points in the first quarter en route to a 19/10 night that also featured four assists and five blocks in just three quarters of action. With the game tied at 11, it was Bogut who fittingly keyed an 11-0 run that broke the game open with six quick points. Brandon Jennings--still passing much better than he's scoring (2/7 fg, 4 points, 9 assists, 1 to)--found Bogut for a rim-rocking alley-oop in transition and then fed Bogut for a one-handed flush on a backcut.
As usual there was no letdown when the Bucks' second unit made their appearance in the second quarter, and a nine point first quarter lead became 15 by the break. And the Bucks hadn't even hit their stride yet. In the third it was John Salmons getting it done, stroking a couple early mid-range jumpers and finishing off a 12-point quarter with a three that gave the Bucks a 78-55 edge. The Bucks' lead then allowed Skiles to rest Jennings, Salmons and Bogut in the fourth, a nice luxury considering Cleveland will be in town Saturday night.
Three Bucks
Andrew Bogut: 30 min, 19 pts, 8/14 fg, 3/4 ft, 10 rebs, 4 ast, 5 blk, 2 to
Bogut was outplayed on Sunday by Al Horford and was only so-so on Wednesday, but he got back on track tonight with a stat-stuffing line against the athletic but raw JaVale McGee. After dropping in a hook on the Bucks' second possession, Bogut did most of his offensive work by moving off the ball and letting his teammates (particularly Jennings) find him for easy buckets.
Defensively it was more of the same, and I mean that in a good way. Bogut blocked five shots for the fifth time in nine games, a span in which he's swatted two shots in every game and averaged 3.9 bpg overall.
John Salmons: 33 min, 17 pts, 5/13 fg, 1/4 threes, 6/7 ft, 5 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl, 1 to
The new guy just keeps doing his thing. The Bucks didn't need a monster scoring night from Salmons, but he again generated scoring chances by getting to the line and did more than just score, too.
Carlos Delfino: 38 min, 19 pts, 8/14 fg, 3/8 threes, 6 rebs, 2 stl
You'd have figured Delfino's burn would get cut with Salmons around, but the new guy's minutes have mostly come at the expense of Charlie Bell and Jodie Meeks. Which is a good thing considering how well Delfino's been playing since the new year. Delfino has averaged over 35 mpg since Salmons arrived and has cracked double-digit scoring and at least five rebounds in each of the last five games.
Three Numbers
27-10. One of the teams shared the ball tonight, the other did not. But while the Bucks are seventh in the league in assist margin--they average 21.5 apg and allow 19.5--it's not often that you see one team rack up nearly triple the assists of their opponents. Just as impressively, the Bucks turned it over just 10 times compared to 14 for Washington.
19. The Bucks held the Wizards to 19 or fewer points in each quarter, which is a testament both to the Bucks' depth as well their effort over 48 minutes.
6. Combined with Chicago's loss last night, the Bucks are now sixth in the East and a full game ahead of the Bulls in the standings, with Toronto just half a game ahead for the fifth spot. It's also worth noting that the 9th place Bobs are 2.5 games back, but for the moment the Bucks' playoff credentials look pretty damn legit.
Three Good
Road Warriors. Since February 1, the Bucks are 8-2 on the road, and have won by 16 or more points in five of those games. These are the Milwaukee freakin' Bucks we're talking about. What the hell is going on here?
The Committee. At the beginning of the season I often bemoaned the fact that the Bucks never knew where their scoring would come from. Ironically, their best scorer from the first couple months has been completely ineffective over the past two months, but it says something about Jennings' development as a point guard that the Bucks are playing better than ever. Bogut and Salmons offer solid go-to options in the post and on the perimeter, and every night it seems like at least a couple of complementary players step up to carry the rest of the load--Delfino, Ilyasova, Stackhouse, Ridnour, Mbah a Moute, et al.
Move it. The Bucks are first and foremost a defensive team--they're 5th in defensive efficiency and 23rd offensively--but it's refreshing watching them click on offense because it is such a pure team effort.
One Bad
The week ahead. Well, it's not bad per se, but it will be challenging. So let's call it an opportunity for the Bucks to prove themselves. Milwaukee has done as well as could be hoped beating up on the dregs of the NBA, but the degree of difficulty goes up significantly with Cleveland (Saturday), Boston (Tuesday) and Utah (Friday) visiting the BC in the next week.
Game 61: Bucks/Wizards
Brew Hoop Mar 5, 2010 | 8:26 am PST
| 2009/2010 NBA Season | ||
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
| 21-36 (9-18 road) | vs. | 31-29 (12-20 road) |
| March 5, 2010 | ||
| Verizon Center |
||
| 6:00 PM | ||
| Radio: WTMJ AM 620 TV: No Local (LP Only) | ||
| Probable starters: | ||
| Randy Foye |
PG | Brandon Jennings |
| Mike Miller |
SG | John Salmons |
| Al Thornton | SF | Carlos Delfino |
| Andray Blatche | PF | Luc Mbah a Moute |
| JaVale McGee |
C | Andrew Bogut |
| (22nd) 105.3 - OFFENSE - 104.5 (23rd) |
||
| (20th) 109.1 - DEFENSE - 103.3 5th) |
||
| (19th) 92.2 - PACE - 92.7 (15th) |
||
Linkage:
Bullets Forever / Truth About It / Washington Post / D.C. Sports Bog
News/notes after the jump...
JS: Salmons' calming influence
Think of him as Michael Redd without the baggage. After dropping 32 and 22 in his previous two outings, Salmons is now averaging 20.4 ppg on .470/.364/.872 shooting in his eight games with the Bucks. And while he has only had a couple games where he racked up decent assist and rebound numbers (2.9 apg and 3.5 rpg), the most important stat is 7-1: the Bucks' record since he was acquired from Chicago a couple weeks ago. Charles Gardner spoke to Scott Skiles about the Bucks' big acquisition:
"He's a steady influence," Skiles said. "He's pretty much the same every day. You don't get the sense in a big game or a not-so-big game that he's going to ride the emotional roller coaster up and down.
"He's not going to get rattled out there."
While fellow swingmen Carlos Delfino and Jerry Stackhouse have also had their fair share of moments, neither guy can create quality shots and trips to the free throw line as consistently as Salmons, which is what the Bucks have been missing since Michael Redd tore his ACL the first time.
Just as importantly, Salmons isn't wrecking the Bucks' cap situation, nor does he carry the on-court burden of being a max player expected to be the team's best player every night. I think it's easy to overlook how much that likely weighed on Redd's ability to lead and play within himself over the past few years. On the flip side, his resurgence on the court also increases the likelihood that Salmons opts out of his $5.8 million option for 10/11, which could put the Bucks in an awkward position this summer. At 30, Salmons isn't exactly on the upswing of his career and he'll likely be looking to cash in with a multi-year deal, especially if he helps lead the Bucks to a surprising playoff trip. John Hammond has been perhaps the shrewdest guy in the league when it comes to knowing when to cut bait on a guy--ask Richard Jefferson, Charlie Villanueva, Ramon Sessions and Ben Wallace (in Detroit)--so I doubt the Bucks would toss Salmons a four or five year deal. But someone else might.
Courtside: The Moute Effect
One thing I meant to link earlier this week was Ty's excellent post about Mbah a Moute's impact on the Bucks' resurgence over the past couple months.
But Skiles knew a few things. One, Moute’s perimeter defense was overrated, or at least it wasn’t enough to mask the fact that he lacked traditional small forward skills. Two, Moute is actually a more effective defender against interior players, where his quickness and effort level are quite disruptive. Three, playing Moute on the inside allows him to do what he does exceptionally well — offensive rebound like a man possessed, and convert those opportunities into points, both of which he has done exceptionally well since the move.
Ty put this together before Salmons' explosion the past couple games, but I think the underlying point is Mbah a Moute's resurgence since he moved back to the PF spot. That means we may have to acknowledge Luc more or less is what he is: a tremendously versatile defender whose lack of perimeter and ball-handling skills make him a suboptimal fit at SF, while his lack of ideal size means he's never going to be a prototype PF.
Maybe we should have seen it coming--remember that Mbah a Moute burst onto the college scene at UCLA as a freshman but never really made much progress in his remaining two years at UCLA. So he's essentially always been a fantastic role player, and while there was some hope last year that adding a jumper might turn him into more of a pure SF, it hasn't happened.
Recap: Bucks 100, Wizards 87
Brew Hoop Mar 3, 2010 | 10:16 pm PST
MILWAUKEE - You follow pretty bad teams, and you pick out good things in losses. You follow pretty good teams, and you pick out bad things in wins.
Andrew Bogut started and played 28 reboundless minutes before finishing with two boards, Brandon Jennings scored five points (raising his two-game output to eight), and defensive genius Luc Mbah a Moute got pulled early because he couldn't stop his man.
(And the Bucks cruised to a win over a team that had beaten them twice in as many tries this season.)
See? It's all relative. Know that the race to the playoffs won't be as exciting next season. Once you know you follow a pretty good team, you expect more.
And you have to know first. Timeline is important here.
Put this game -- a rather one-sided 13-point victory -- at the front of the schedule. Halloween, maybe the first of November? It becomes a shimmering achievement, a real reason for hope. Now? It's a win, a relief to have beaten those pesky Wizards, though it sort of just happened, and we are on to the next one.
This is how it works. It's all perfectionism for those of us watching, writing, reading about the team early in the morning, late in the evening, and really early in the morning.
And for those of us even closer, even more invested in the team, like Scott Skiles:
We got a win tonight, we are happy, we'll take it. We took an overall step back. Our overall intensity wasn't what it needs to be.
This game wasn't drab, but it certainly wasn't spectacular. The Bucks won the first quarter, won the second quarter, and won the game in the third quarter. Yet another crushing defensive display clinched it, as Milwaukee held Washington scoreless for more than five minutes and forty seconds during the third.
John Salmons and Jerry Stackhouse, and John Hammond for that matter, starred again. With them, the Bucks were able to overcome mediocre games by three of the most important starters (Bogut, Jennings, Mbah a Moute) to not only win, but win easily. Without them, I shudder to picture the possibilities.
So enjoy this, that you follow a pretty good team.
THREE BUCKS
Ersan Ilyasova. A bit of everything from Ilyasova.
With Luc Mbah a Moute struggling on (and giving three inches to) his defensive assignment, Ersan was the first sub of the game at about the six minute mark of the first quarter. And he didn't do much to necessitate going back to the bench, so Coach Skiles gave him about 33 of the final 42 minutes of the game. The sixth man of the game finished second in minutes among all players.
He is a better passer than the straight assist numbers suggest, but it's been almost two months since Ilyasova had more than three assists in a game, so his four first-half dimes understandably jumped off the statsheet.
Ersan indeed created a lot of offense, scoring 19 points of his own in addition to a career-high six assists, which led all players. Active on the glass with 10 rebounds, and this was one of his best all-around games of the season.
Skiles:
He was really active, changed the tempo of the game a little bit for us.
John Salmons. Salmons took part in his first full practice with the team just yesterday, according to Scott Skiles in the pregame chat.
Fortunately, practice didn't hurt him a bit. After not blending in, but actually leading the team through much of his first seven games with Milwaukee, the shooting guard delivered another ace performance against Washington.
He was the jolt of points again, scoring 22 to lead his new club for the fourth straight game, and he pitched in with a nice bit of work on the defensive end too.
Consider: Salmons was the one Buck to play the entire third quarter, in which the Bucks held the Wizards to 12 points. He was plenty busy on the offensive end, but retained requisite energy to play some great team defense, pick off a pass, and draw a charge in that quarter.
Hopefully this isn't a Jenningsian start to his Buck career that is bound to take a downtown right around playoff time.
Carlos Delfino. 'Los had the outside touch tonight, christening March with a 3-5 effort on threes that really helped Milwaukee run away with this one. He led everyone with 11 rebounds as part of a pleasantly efficient evening that was somehow quiet despite also leading everyone in court time with 37 minutes.
THREE NUMBERS
3. The frontline of Bogut/Mbah a Moute combined for three rebounds in 53 minutes.
21. Milwaukee forced 21 turnovers, or Washington committed 21 turnovers, or some combination of both. More turnovers (21) than assists (18) for the Wizards.
16. The Bucks racked up 16 fastbreak points compared to six for Washington.
THREE GOOD
Straight shooters. With the exception of Brandon Jennings, the Bucks shot the ball with precision.
Really. Take out Jennings' 2-12 / 1-6 / 0-1 line, and here are the team's shooting splits: 52.9 % FG, 53.8 % 3PT, 88.9 % FT.
Even with Jennings, the Bucks had a fine night tossing the ball in the basket, and they had a nice balance scoring in the paint (21/36 for 42 points) and out (17/38 for 44 points).
Twelve. This marked the third time in seven games that Milwaukee held an opponent to exactly 12 points in a quarter. They turned the trick in the fourth quarter against the Knicks, punctured Miami's offense five days later, and this time they only waited three nights to suffocate Washington in a game-ending 21-12 third quarter.
Granted, New York, Miami, and Washington have offenses more frightful than fearsome, but Milwaukee brings out the worst in opposing offenses.
Bench. Ersan's commendation earned high placement in the story, but Jerry Stackhouse (13 points) and Luke Ridnour (9 points 6 assists in 15 minutes) played very well and that trio made up for three starters not exactly on their games in this game.
THREE ONE BAD
Jennings' shot. Is Jennings' shot shot? I would be far more surprised to watch him go 7-15 than 2-15, and the 2-12 night really didn't seem out of place at all for him right now.
Brandon has shot above 40.0 % once in the last 16 games, and it's not like above 40.0 % is much.
That one accurate night was a 6-9 effort in 19 minutes in a blowout home loss to Houston.
So, coincidentally, in this 16-game stretch, the one game in which he shot the ball accurately was also the one in which he played the fewest minutes and the one his team lost by the most points.
Skiles tends to stick with Jennings, the rookie played twice as much as Ridnour tonight, and the team succeeded with him on the court. His defense was on point, and though he didn't take very good care of the ball (six turnovers), he also made some nice passes, including a Nashian dribble-around-until-someone-cuts-for-an-easy-hoop early to Delfino for a layup.
Early on this year, people got the impression that all he could do was score. Now, it seems that (5 points tonight) is about all he can't do.
Game 60: Wizards/Bucks
Brew Hoop Mar 3, 2010 | 6:01 am PST
| 2009/2010 NBA Season | ||
|---|---|---|
| |
||
| 21-36 (9-18 road) | vs. | 30-29 (18-9 home) |
| March 3, 2010 | ||
| Bradley Center |
||
| 7:00 PM | ||
| Radio: WTMJ AM 620 TV: FSN-Wisconsin |
||
| Probable starters: | ||
| Randy Foye |
PG | Brandon Jennings |
| Mike Miller |
SG | John Salmons |
| Andray Blatche |
SF | Carlos Delfino |
| Al Thornton |
PF | Luc Mbah a Moute |
| JaVale McGee |
C | Andrew Bogut |
| (22nd) 105.5 - OFFENSE - 104.4 (23rd) |
||
| (22nd) 109.2 - DEFENSE - 103.5 6th) |
||
| (20th) 92.2 - PACE - 92.7 (15th) |
||
Coverage
Bullets Forever / Truth About It / Washington Post / D.C. Sports Bog
Mirror. The Bucks win (18) twice as often as they lose (9) at home, and the Wizards lose (18) twice as often as they win (9) on the road, so... jinx!
0-2. Milwaukee opens a home-and-home against the last-place Wizards, which qualifies as good news. Except, of course, that they are already 0-2 against Washington this season.
In the first matchup, in Washington, Earl Boykins juked Brandon Jennings in the clutch to escape with a 104-102 win. A few weeks later in Milwaukee, Boykins and the Wizards tormented the Bucks again to score a 109-97 win at the BC.
Both losses marked, and were in the midst of, some of the lowest points of the season. The first loss dropped Milwaukee to 9-8 and came in the middle of losing eight of nine, spoiling that 8-3 start. The second loss to Washington was Milwaukee's third home loss in a row and came in the middle of a different stretch when they lost seven of eight.
December (3-11) was the roughest of times.
Change is bad, or good. So is it good or bad that Washington doesn't really have any of their good players from when they twice beat Milwaukee earlier in the year? Difficult to say.
Washington has an entirely new starting five from the last time they played Milwaukee. Boykins/Arenas/Butler/Jamison/Haywood has turned into Foye/Miller/Blatche/Thornton/McGee. The only holdover still on the team from the first lineup is Boykins, which should be a good thing, but of course it's not.
And whereas the Wiz underachieved miserably with the star lineup, they are playing some ball with the starless lineup. They have won four of seven since dealing Butler and Haywood, including wins against Denver and Chicago.
Why...
'Dray Day. Andray Blatche is my age, a few months younger even. This is his fifth NBA season. I am not old. He opted to skip college, I didn't, and well, you see how that's worked out for us.
Anyway, it took some time, but time is on his side.
And judging by the last couple weeks, he figured it out with plenty of time to spare. Blatche has led Washington in scoring five straight games, topped off most recently with a 36/15/4 night in a low possession (92) win over the Nets on Sunday.
In those last five games: 27.0 points, 11.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.4 steals. Oh, dear.
Now, Blatche has shown signs of stardom before -- he averaged 21.0 points and 6.3 rebounds on 71.8 % shooting in the first three games of this very season. He followed that start with three months without reaching 21 points in a game. So, five games does not a season make, but this recent run looks rather real.
Blatche can play a few positions, so it will be interesting to see how the ballcoaches play the matchups. 'Dray stands 6-10 and 260, and he will likely see Mbah a Moute (6-8, 230), and perhaps Ilyasova. Game-planning for Andray Blatche, what a wonderful, mystifying world.
Redd scheduled to undergo surgery tomorrow
Brew Hoop Mar 1, 2010 | 3:43 pm PST
More photos » Morry Gash - AP
Will Michael Redd ever wear a Bucks' jersey again?
The Bucks announced today that Michael Redd will finally undergo surgery to repair his torn ACL tomorrow. The Bucks had initially hoped to have the surgery done much sooner than last year, when Redd had surgery on March 3. No word on a timetable for when he might return, which probably isn't surprising given the conversation now seems more focused on if he returns.
Redd injured his knee on January 10 against the Lakers, tearing both the ACL and MCL nearly a year after suffering the same injury in a home game against Sacramento. There's no mention of surgery to repair the MCL, which I assume means it will be allowed to heal on its own. Unlike the ACL, the MCL usually doesn't require surgery.
As you're all painfully aware, Redd has an $18.3 million player option for 09/10 that he'll obviously be taking, though insurance will cover 80% of his salary once he's missed 41 straight games (and doesn't play in any games). Because Redd was injured in the 34th game of this season, he'll be covered by insurance for the last six games of 09/10 and all of next season unless/until he comes back. As a result, the Bucks have a clear incentive to keep him on the sidelines even if he's medically cleared to play, and his value as a trade chip will be highest as an expiring contract that's mostly insured. For that reason I have to doubt that we'll ever seen him in a Bucks uniform again, though it's certainly possible he returns in a new locale in 2011.
Either way, I think I speak for all of us when I wish Michael the best as he begins the long road of rehabilitation. Regardless of how you felt about his game--and his contract--Redd was the face of the franchise for much of the last decade and was a model citizen every step of the way. The value of having a team full of good people is easy to overlook, but as we've seen all too often it's not something to be taken for granted.
Hoops for St. Jude Week: March 1-7
Brew Hoop Mar 1, 2010 | 8:36 am PST
The SB Nation Basketball Network is proud to join with the NBA to spread the word about the Hoops for St. Jude Week. This is a great program for a great cause and we encourage you to participate.
Join NBA stars from around the league in celebrating Hoops for St. Jude Week and help fight childhood cancer. NBA stars including Pau Gasol, Rudy Gay, Shane Battier, Danny Granger, Steve Blake, Kevin Love and Coach George Karl have teamed up for Hoops for St. Jude by donating $20,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
You can support Hoops for St. Jude Week by making a donation to St. Jude or by bidding for hope on items during the eBay auction at www.hoopsforstjude.org. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade and others have each donated an autographed team jersey. Don’t miss your opportunity to own a piece of NBA history while helping a child with cancer.
Hoops for St. Jude Week – turnings hoops into hope for the patients of St. Jude.
For more information, visit www.hoopsforstjude.org.
Recap: Hawks 106, Bucks 102
Brew Hoop Feb 28, 2010 | 8:21 pm PST
You didn't really expect the Bucks to win this one. Not on the road against a class home team, on the second night of a back-to-back.
But you didn't really expect the Bucks to lose it either. Not after six straight road wins and six overall, and with all the parts, new and old, meshing so well.
So it was fitting that after four quarters the Bucks had neither won nor lost.
Unfortunately, overtime remained a cruel place for Milwaukee. Despite scoring the first five points, they ultimately dropped to 2-5 in overtime games after Joe Johnson dropped nine points in the final three minutes.
It felt like a playoff game, which always feels good during the regular season, even better when there is real hope of having that feeling after the regular season.
And that is certainly the case for these Bucks, who remain in seventh place in the East despite not passing another real road test. While they didn't pass the test, they certainly didn't fail it in Atlanta, where they played about as close of a game as they have all year, in a season full of close games.
J's reigned supreme as Jerry Stackhouse was chapter one and John Salmons was the story of the game, but Joe Johnson was the conclusion. Meanwhile, Brandon Jennings played a diminishing role and Josh Smith was the most complex supporting character.
The Hawks flew to a 12-2 start and the Bucks looked like the team that started 6-19 on the road. Then, spurred on by Jerry Stackhouse, the Bucks looked a lot more like the team that had gone 6-0 away since. Stackhouse poured in 10 first-quarter points as Scott Skiles quickly had subbed in second-stringers Stackhouse, Ridnour, and Ilyasova with great results.
The teams went back and forth the rest of the way, much like you might expect the Bucks to play a team like the Hawks at home but not on the road. Every quarter was close -- the Hawks won the third quarter by three points and that was the biggest difference in a quarter. That gave Atlanta a one-point lead going into the fourth, but just like the first quarter, Stackhouse and Salmons stepped up for Milwaukee. The Bucks had a chance to win it at the end of regulation, but Al Horford defended Andrew Bogut into a rather disagreeable hook attempt that didn't come close.
Overtime was nearly the opposite of the first quarter. Milwaukee jumped on Atlanta by scoring the first five points to go up 97-92 after two minutes of overtime. But Joe Johnson, who made just 7-22 from the field in regulation, appreciated the extra five minutes and scored nine straight points for Atlanta over regulation-hero John Salmons.
Nearly the opposite and nearly the same, because whereas the Bucks came back to tie it at the end of one, Salmons missed a three with the Bucks down by three and just a second left in overtime.
THREE BUCKS
John Salmons. After six good games and six good wins for John and the Bucks, this was a great game and almost-great almost-win for Salmons and the Bucks.
Salmons shot for a season-high 32 points, making shots from the field (11-20), from deep (2-4), and at the line (8-9).
Though a good shooter, his first instinct since arriving in Milwaukee has been to take the ball to the basket. And when he does so, Salmons often finishes at the hoop or gets a chance to show good of a shooter he is at the free throw line. And once again Salmons indeed was money at the line, making 8-9, as he continues to make far more free throws than he did with Chicago.
Salmons' finest night for Milwaukee took a downturn in overtime. He turned the ball over, bricked a shot, missed a layup, and watched and tried to defend Joe Johnson, who ultimately took over the game with nine straight points. Still, he made that three pointer in overtime to draw the Bucks within a point with nine seconds remaining.
Overall, a great night.
Andrew Bogut. The Bucks struggled early, and Bogut in particular looked off. Al Horford moved Bogut too far away form the basket for him to effectively operate offensively. You know that, 10 feet and in range but not at the rim, where Bogut doesn't convert at a high rate. He missed a couple of those awkward hooks to start, but was able to get better positioning thereafter.
Twenty-four straight games with a block, tying Ervin Johnson for the franchise record. And like so often recently, Bogut is not barely extending the streak. Four blocks tonight, the seventh game in February he blocked at least three.
Jerry Stackhouse. Coming off a personal season-high 16-point day in the win over the Heat, Stackhouse dropped 10 points in the first quarter alone, effectively bringing the Bucks back in what looked like a lost game early.
This makes four straight games in double figures for Jerry, for whom the Bucks were repeatedly running fourth quarter plays. And it's not as though the team didn't have other options. Overall, 20 points on 7-14 from the field and 6-6 at the line along with four rebounds.
When the Bucks added Stack, it seemed they got a good locker room guy and some depth, but not a real difference-maker. He sank jumpers, drove to the hoop, and dunked -- and despite fumbling a ball out of bounds early and throwing the ball back to the other team late, somewhat familiar sights since his arrival -- he generally looked closer to age 26 than 36. You know, when he was a real difference-maker.
THREE NUMBERS
14. The game was tied 14 times, but the Bucks needed at least one more tie to push the game into another overtime.
+22. Differentials are often misleading on scales as small as a single game, but Ersan Ilyasova's +22 in 31 minutes really stands out. Considering the team lost, and the best Hawk was Jamal Crawford at +6, and Ilyasova only shot 3-9, this is a confounding stat.
42. The Bucks got 42 points off the bench -- not altogether surprising since balance has been a theme all year and particularly during the recent winning streak. But the fact that all of these points came from just three players (Stackhouse 20, Ridnour 13, Ilyasova 9) is a bit different.
THREE GOOD
New Bucks. Midseason acquisitions John Salmons and Jerry Stackhouse combined for 52 points, more than half of Milwaukee's total output. That is not to say that the Bucks would have lost 106-50 without them, but they certainly wouldn't have been nearly as close as they were.
Milwaukee fell to 14-6 with Stackhouse and 6-1 with Salmons, so despite the loss these are looking a lot like winning moves by John Hammond.
On the road. The Bucks lost on the road for the first time since falling in Orlando, perhaps not coincidentally the last team they played on the road that currently has a winning record. But whereas Milwaukee lost that game handily, they looked like a very worthy foe against Atlanta tonight.
And thanks to all of those road wins in between, against some of the lesser NBA teams, the Bucks have positioned themselves to make a run at the fifth or sixth playoff seed, which would allow them to play Boston or Atlanta -- much more attractive options than Cleveland or Orlando.
Even with tonight's loss, they are just a game behind Chicago for sixth and two games behind Toronto for fifth in the East. And a home-and-home with severely depleted Washington is on the horizon.
February. I typically feel as though February is the worst year of the month. It's cold here in Wisconsin, there aren't many excuses to celebrate, the NBA is in session but it's the middle of the year, much of the rest of the sporting world is in a slow period, and so on.
But thanks to a completely unforseen 10-4 month by the Bucks, I sort of wish February wasn't the shortest month of the year this year.
THREE BAD
Not quite signed, sealed, or delivered. So, about that signature road win. Going into Atlanta on the second game of a back-to-back and beating the Hawks, 22-7 at home before tonight, would have been about as real as it gets. Despite six straight road wins, the Bucks were 8.5-point underdogs, and despite all of my newfound optimism, that sounded about right.
And so the slow start for Milwaukee didn't surprise. But they stormed right back, played it close, and then led throughout most of the fourth quarter. Skiles rode vets like Luke Ridnour and Jerry Stackhouse hoping to pin down that signature road win, but we are still waiting. Hopefully soon, but if it doesn't happen until a playoff rematch in Atlanta, that will suffice too.
O-boards. The Hawks ripped down 14 offensive rebounds and all sorts of them came at opportune times for the home team. The one that stood out the most was Josh Smith's offensive rebound with Atlanta down 92-90. Smith passed to Joe Johnson, who stuck a jumper to tie it up, leading to overtime.
J-Smoove. Josh Smith is really good, but he is in Bad because I'm not sure people recognize the extent to which he is really good. Clearly, the All-Star voters aren't good for much, but even the coaches missed on this one. And USA Basketball doesn't appear to recognize either. But after four months without playing the Hawks, at least the Bucks are now well aware of Smith's capability.
For all of the debate about Al Horford making the All-Star Game over Andrew Bogut, this game was a case study in why Josh Smith might be better than both. Smith hasn't earned a lot of official accolades -- no All-Star appearances and recently he was apparently also snubbed for USA Basketball's 27-man group for 2010-2012.
It's hard to understand why. Smith is a excellent defensive player, not only versatile like Luc Mbah a Moute but also a shot-blocker (2.1 per game) almost on Bogut's level. And not only is he an explosive offensive player, he is heady, having effectively phased out the three-point shot from his game after shooting low percentages and relatively high volumes before this season.
Game 59: Bucks/Hawks
Brew Hoop Feb 28, 2010 | 10:16 am PST
Primo?
| 2009/2010 NBA Season | ||
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
| 36-21 (22-7 home) | vs. | 30-28 (12-19 road) |
| February 28, 2010 | ||
| Philips Arena |
||
| 5:00 PM | ||
| Radio: WTMJ AM 620 TV: FSN-Wisconsin HD |
||
| Probable starters: | ||
| Mike Bibby |
PG | Brandon Jennings |
| Joe Johnson |
SG | John Salmons |
| Marvin Williams |
SF | Carlos Delfino |
| Josh Smith |
PF | Luc Mbah a Moute |
| Al Horford |
C | Andrew Bogut |
| (5th) 111.1 - OFFENSE - 104.4 (23rd) |
||
| (14th) 106.4 - DEFENSE - 103.4 6th) |
||
| (26th) 90.6 - PACE - 92.7 (15th) |
||
Linkage
Peachtree Hoops / Atlanta Journal Constitution / Human Highlight Blog / Hoopinion
Turnover game. The Hawks average the fewest turnovers per game (11.9) in the NBA, and the Bucks are third in the NBA in forcing turnovers (15.5).
Meanwhile, Atlanta has the best assist/turnover ratio (1.83:1) in the NBA and Milwaukee is ninth (1.59:1). Something's got to give.
Looking for a signature. After the Bucks beat the Heat in the final game of January, Scott Skiles pleaded for a signature road win.
The teams ahead of us have some real signature wins on the road. And nothing against the teams we've beaten on the road. But we're going to have to, at some point, if we are going to hang with those teams, go on the road -- we've been right there several games -- but we're going to need to go on the road and win some of those games. And we've got a tough test this week.
Since then, Milwaukee has only lost once on the road, to Orlando. But a month and a half dozen road wins later, the red-hot road-Bucks are still searching for a signature win away from the Bradley Center. Tonight certainly would qualify. The Hawks are 22-7 at Philips Arena. That is tied with Phoenix for the fifth best home record in the NBA.
Atlanta did show home mortality in a 111-103 overtime loss to Dallas on Friday after leading by 15 minutes with under nine minutes to go in the fourth quarter. And they lost badly, 94-76, to the Heat earlier this month at home.
Recap: Bucks 94, Heat 71
Brew Hoop Feb 27, 2010 | 6:11 pm PST
More photos » Lynne Sladky - AP
The Heat starting five struggled without Dwyane Wade
If you watch a lot of NBA games then you've probably seen that NBA commercial featuring a bunch of Kevin Garnett interviews during the lead up to the Celtics title in 2008. Last year it was all they played for a while during League Pass game breaks, and to be honest I got kind of sick it, in no small part because I'm really not a fan of the C's. But the part I always remember is when KG has a line about "very small things" and how they add up.
The Bucks are admittedly nowhere near the 2008 Celtics, and there's no guarantee that their current hot streak--now six games and counting--will even translate into a playoff spot. But the idea for the Bucks isn't too dissimilar, especially given the lack of "big" things the Bucks have going for them. It really is all little things which makes Skiles' bunch work, and of late all those small things are snowballing into something bigger.
The Bucks' degree of difficulty in Miami was necessarily rather low, as the Heat without D-Wade really aren't much of a squad. But it was still another example of how doing the little things, the right things, over and over, can wear down a lesser team over 48 minutes.
The Heat went early to a 2-3 zone and stayed in it for much of the game, complicating the Bucks' usual strategy of feeding Andrew Bogut (4/10 fg, 8 pts, 10 rebs, 2 blk) on the block. That alone shouldn't have been a huge surprise, as the Heat caused the Bucks some trouble with the zone the last time they visited South Beach as well. But even with Bogut missing a couple early chippies and Jermaine O'Neal dropping a couple mid-range jumpers, the Bucks still managed an early lead and led by eight after the first quarter, with Salmons' seven points leading the way.
Miami wasn't shooting lights out, but the Bucks took a while to figure out the Heat zone as well, allowing the Heat to grab a momentary lead. Turnovers by Delfino and Ilyasova led to layups by Michael Beasley and Dorell Wright, tying the game at 36 before O'Neal's banker over Ilyasova gave the Heat their last lead at 40-39. But Delfino answered with a three, and Jennings knifed through the Heat zone to find Bogut for a layup. Not to be outdone, Jennings then got out on the break and delivered a beautiful no-look pass to Stackhouse, who laid it in for a 50-45 lead with 25 seconds remaining in the half.
The third quarter was all Bucks, as the Heat stagnated on offense and could only watch as Salmons, Stackhouse and Delfino started burying jumpers. Nothing too flashy, just taking care of business on both ends. All told, the Bucks used a 29-8 to turn a 52-49 game into an 81-57 laugher two minutes into the fourth. That gives the Bucks a 3-0 edge on the Heat in the season series and guarantees them the tiebreaker should the teams end up tied at the end of the season. Very small things, very big win.
Three Bucks
John Salmons: 30 min, 18 pts, 7/11 fg, 2/5 threes, 2/2 ft, 5 ast, 3 rebs, 1 to, 1 blk
For a guy who looks half-asleep most of the time, Salmons sure does some nice things on the basketball court. His performances thus far have been largely one dimensional with the exception of the Charlotte game, but on a well-balanced team he probably doesn't need to do too much besides create and finish scoring opportunities. He fit the bill tonight, hitting a couple tough shots late in the shot clock to help the Bucks build an early lead they would never relinquish.
Salmons also got into the lane with regularity, providing the Bucks some much-needed slashing on a night when they were mostly dared to shoot jump shots. As a sidenote, Salmons is interesting to study as a finisher because he seems to have a lot more hang time than pure hops--even though he's not dunking over guys, he's really good at absorbing contact, double-clutching, and finishing on the way down.
Brandon Jennings: 30 min, 11 pts, 4/11 fg, 1/3 threes, 2/2 ft, 8 ast, 5 rebs, 0 to
This was one of those "T.J. Ford from 2004" type games--a solid-but-not-eye-popping stat line that understated the way Jennings seemed to dominate the tempo of the game. He hit a couple early jumpers to let the Heat know he was there, led the Bucks with a +24 rating, and generally made all the right passes without turning it over once.
Carlos Delfino: 25 min, 6/11 fg, 3/6 threes, 15 points, 8 rebs, 5 ast, 5 to, 1 stl
Delfino's February has been rather quiet compared to his stat-stuff January, but he was back to his best today. His perimeter shooting punished the Heat's zone, and he picked up five dimes mostly as a byproduct of his willingness to move the ball around the perimeter on ball swings. Jerry Stackhouse (16 pts, 4/7 threes) gets honorable mention.
Three Numbers
10. The Bucks made 5/14 threes in the first half and added 5/12 in the second, using their marksmanship to bust Miami's often-frustrating zone.
24.-9. With the exception of Salmons and Bogut, the Bucks don't have guys who can create their own shot, and the Heat saw to it that Bogut had only limited opportunities. But the Bucks have become a gloriously unselfish squad over the course of the season, always willing to work the ball around the perimeter and make the extra pass.
Meanwhile, only a team with Wade (or LeBron James) can succeed with a PG rotation of Rafer Alston, Carlos Arroyo and Mario Chalmers. And unfortunately for the Heat, their superman was in street clothes, leaving a huge playmaking and scoring void in the Heat backcourt. That made the Heat all too easy to defend and their paltry nine assists showed just how lacking in creativity they were. How many times does a team win when it has more turnovers than assists?
26. Five days ago the Bucks held the Knicks to 14 third quarter points and 12 fourth quarter points. Today they held the Heat to 12 in the third and 14 in the fourth. Say what you want about weak opposition, but holding an NBA opponent to 26 points in a half on the road is something worth noting--and doing it twice in five days shows you it's a lot more than just bad shooting.
Three Good
Defense. There's nothing particularly spectacular or suffocating about it, but the Bucks just haven't been making mistakes of late. When they do allow penetration, Bogut or another defender always seems to be there for the rotation, and they consistently close out on jump shots. Moreover, much of the time when they allow penetration it's partly by design--shading ball-handlers to one side of the floor where it's easier to send help and cut off passing lanes. Perhaps most importantly, it's a system, not simply a bunch of individuals making great plays, which means they're fairly consistent even when their top defenders (Bogut/Luc) aren't in in the game. Very small things.
Swingmen. On a night when Bogut was starved of possessions the burden of scoring fell to the Bucks' guards and forwards, and whenever they needed a big shot they got it. The Heat must have felt like they were running up an escalator the wrong way--anytime they let up, the Bucks just kept pushing them down. Aside from his hot shooting, Stackhouse put an exclamation point on his best night as a Buck by volleyball spiking a Miami shot in the fourth.
Streaking. It hasn't come against the NBA's best teams, but the Bucks' six game winning streak is something to be enjoyed, even with a tough matchup in Atlanta on tap tomorrow.
One Bad
Bogut sucks. Just kidding. He didn't get many touches and didn't do much with the ones he got, but he was still a presence defensively and got his customary 10 boards as well. But in the interest of setting high standards, let's hope he's a bigger factor on Sunday in Atlanta.
Game 58: Bucks/Heat
Brew Hoop Feb 27, 2010 | 8:28 am PST
| 2009/2010 NBA Season | ||
|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
| 29-29 (14-13 home) | vs. | 29-28 (11-19 road) |
| February 27, 2010 | ||
| American Airlines Arena |
||
| 2:30 PM | ||
| Radio: WTMJ AM 620 TV: FSN-Wisconsin HD |
||
| Probable starters: | ||
| Carlos Arroyo |
PG | Brandon Jennings |
| Daequan Cook |
SG | John Salmons |
| Quentin Richardson |
SF | Carlos Delfino |
| Michael Beasley | PF | Luc Mbah a Moute |
| Jermaine O'Neal |
C | Andrew Bogut |
| (19th) 106.0 - OFFENSE - 104.4 (23rd) |
||
| (10th) 104.5 - DEFENSE - 103.7 (6th) |
||
| (28th) 90.4 - PACE - 92.8 (15th) |
||
Linkage
Peninsula is Mightier / Ira Winderman / Hot Hot Hoops
Wade out.
Dwyane Wade will not play for the Heat today, out with a strained left calf. In two games and two losses against Milwaukee this season, he shot 33.3 % from the field, 9.1 % on three pointers, 1.5 rebounds, 4.0 turnovers, and 5.0 fouls. Still this is a major, major break for Milwaukee.
Charlie Bell, whom Brandon Jennings coined the "Wade stopper," is no longer starting, and hardly even playing (16 combined minutes in last three games). If Wade was ready to go, I think Skiles would have subbed in Charlie pretty early to match up, but that's beside the point now.
Bogut mastering swat and flop.
Bogut ranks in the top five in "defensive plays" (blocks+steals+charges drawn) in the NBA. Check out Frank's story for this and more on Bogut's defensive mastery.
Different directions.
Miami is coming off a horrific, 91-88 home loss to the Timberwolves, Dwyane Wade is ailing, Carlos Arroyo just got arrested, and that five-game winning streak that ended last Friday feels like a lot longer ago than last Friday.
That is a cautionary tale to the Bucks about how quickly a five-game win streak can sourly expire.
Nonetheless, the Bucks do carry a five-game winning streak, second longest in the NBA after Dallas' six, to South Beach. The streak has coincided with the arrival of John Salmons, who has led the team in scoring in three of his first five games. The slashing two guard has also made 17 free throws in the past two games. This isn't exactly the norm for Salmons, who set season highs for free throws made in each of the past couple games, making eight and then nine.
With more than a month and a half remaining in the regular season, the Bucks already have more wins (29) than they had in two of the previous three seasons, and they are fast closing in on last year's total of 34. Milwaukee has only had three winning seasons in the last 19 years four winning seasons in the last 18 years (including the lockout-shortened season), so this one-game-above-.500-thing is kind of a big deal.
Three.
Milwaukee will aim to go 3-0 and secure the tiebreaker in the season series with the Heat, who stand just half a game behind Milwaukee in the East.
Just like against Indiana on Thursday, the Bucks enter this game with a pair of wins in the head-to-head matchup. Milwaukee swept a home-and-home by closing January with a 95-84 home win and opening February 97-91 in Miami.
Block/Charge: Bogut mastering the art of the swat and the flop
Brew Hoop Feb 26, 2010 | 11:28 pm PST
More photos » Chuck Burton - AP
Bogut ranks second in the league in blocks per game
Obvious statement alert: Andrew Bogut is damn good.
If you were looking for further evidence of Bogut's evolution from "solid-but-frustrating" to "near-elite" NBA center, forget about the big fella's offense for a moment and consider that Wisconsin's favorite Australian is now second behind Dwight Howard in shot-blocking, averaging 2.3 blocks per game. Yep, the guy known more for his uncanny flopping ability is proving he's also more than capable of the more manly, highlight reel-friendly stuff, too.
Just as impressively, blocking all those shots hasn't limited Bogut's ability to draw charges; he continues to rank among the league's leaders in charges drawn per game (0.82), trailing only Nick Collison, Jared Jeffries, and Kyle Lowry. As Tom Haberstroh from the excellent stats site HoopData noted last week, that also put Bogut in the league's top five in "defensive plays" per game, which adds together a player's blocks, steals and charges drawn.
It should of course be noted that blocking shots is no guarantee that a guy is actually playing good overall defense. Guarding the paint often comes at the cost of checking perimeter bigs, and guys who try to block every shot routinely compromise their ability to rebound shots they don't swat away. There's also often a big difference between a player's help defense and man-to-man abilities--just look at Marcus Camby. Fortunately, Bogut was already a solid positional defender before he started blocking shots at a high rate, and his rebound rate (18.3%) shows he's still one of the league's best at controlling the boards, particularly on the defensive end.
But mostly Bogut just seems to have figured out how to pick his spots on defense, which isn't surprising for a guy who always seems to know where both he and all of his teammates are supposed to be on the court. Considering how important anticipation is to both drawing charges and blocking shots, the two skills would seem to be fairly complementary, and Bogut told Charles Gardner that teammates have a lot to do with it as well.
"I think our defense is consistent now, and guys know where to force (opponents) on penetration," Bogut said. "I know where guys are going to be penetrating and where the gaps are in our defense. Just getting to those spots early makes a big difference."
Most importantly, Bogut continues to have a tangible impact on the Bucks' bottom line as well. After nearly two decades of defensive futility, the Bucks are 7th in the league in defensive efficiency and not surprisingly surrender over three fewer points/100 possessions with Bogut on the court. It's not hard to see either--just watch how much easier it is for opponents to drive and get quality shots around the cup when Bogut is on the bench. That also underscores how much of a team effort the Bucks' defense really is. Aside from Luc Mbah a Moute and occasionally Charlie Bell, none of Bogut's teammates are particularly good at defending one-on-one.
There's no sacrifice on the other end either, as the Bucks also score over three more points/100 possessions with Bogut in the game. He might not be Dwight Howard, but is there another true center aside from Howard playing at a higher level than Bogut? The NBA isn't packed with dominant centers at the moment, but considering all the injuries and inconsistency that have marked Bogut's first four seasons, let's not let that take too much away from Bogut's continued development. And while he's already missed out on the all-star game, some votes for the all-defensive team would be well-deserved.
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