Milwaukee Bucks: How should the playoff rotation be constructed?
The NBA playoffs are right around the corner, and the Milwaukee Bucks will enter the postseason as legitimate title contenders once again. Although, this time around, they’ll be pushing for a much better finish than the last few years.
Milwaukee will own the No. 3 seed in the East and will host a rematch with the No. 6 seed Miami Heat in a highly anticipated first-round playoff matchup. The series begins this weekend as they seek revenge, which will be the first stepping stone toward the ultimate goal.
It’s safe to say that the Bucks have a very good chance of accomplishing just that. With the addition of Jrue Holiday and high-impact role players such as Bobby Portis, P.J. Tucker, and Bryn Forbes, Milwaukee has one of the best squads that the organization has ever assembled.
Of course, they are led by the reigning back-to-back MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has quietly put together another MVP-caliber season. Even though Giannis will most likely miss out on a third consecutive MVP honor in favor of Denver’s Nikola Jokic, that doesn’t take away the fact that he’s had another dominant season for the Bucks. The Greek Freak averaged 28.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks on 56.9 percent field goals across 61 games during the regular season.
Together, the Bucks led the league offensively by averaging 120.2 points per game, which also happens to be a franchise record. It’s been a consistent stretch of efficient offense for head coach Mike Budenholzer’s team all year, and then full of experimenting on the other end.
Defensively, the Bucks spent the regular season trying to maximize their scheme for the most part. After experimenting with different tactics all year, the defense should be the key to unlocking their utmost potential.
However, another essential factor in the playoffs, which has haunted the Bucks in the past and has raised questions about Bud’s floor decisions, will be the rotations and minutes distribution within the team. Last postseason, poor decision-making on playing time between personnel proved to be costly at times, especially during the second-round crumble to the Heat, and that can’t happen again if the Milwaukee Bucks want to make a deep run this year.
As the Milwaukee Bucks gear up for the playoffs with high aspirations, how should their rotation be constructed moving forward?
Pressure has knowingly been mounting on Budenholzer to take this Bucks team over the hump this season, and now it’s time for him to prove that he’s the right man for the job moving forward. After disappointing playoff exits in his first two postseasons with Milwaukee, Bud will hope that the third time’s the charm.
If the Milwaukee Bucks are indeed successful this time around under Bud, it will all start with the rotational decisions and minutes distribution. Let’s take a look at how it should all be constructed as the Bucks prepare to chase glory.