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Milwaukee Bucks: 5 Ways Trade Deadline Affected Their Playoff Run

By Josh Cornelissen

Nov 4, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34), guard Michael Carter-Williams (5) and forward Khris Middleton during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Milwaukee won 91-87. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 4, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34), guard Michael Carter-Williams (5) and forward Khris Middleton during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Milwaukee won 91-87. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oklahoma City Thunder
Feb 24, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Taj Gibson (22) reacts after dunking the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Trade

Perhaps no trade had a larger impact on the Milwaukee Bucks this season than the deal between the Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder. The Bulls sent Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott and a second round pick to Oklahoma for Cameron Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne and Anthony Morrow.

Chicago made the move to secure a point guard of the future in Payne, a position where they have a number of bodies but no answers. While many would debate whether the Bulls succeeded in the desire, the reality either way is clear: This team is significantly worse than it was prior to making the trade.

This is important because Chicago lies just three games up on Milwaukee, clinging to eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls pulled off an overtime victory at home over the Phoenix Suns Friday night, but the schedule only gets harder down the stretch. 

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Doug McDermott was by far the best shooter in the rotation, making 1.3 three-pointers per game on 37.3 percent shooting. While Nikola Mirotic is theoretically a stretch-4, he is shooting just 30.7 percent from beyond the arc this season. Rookie Paul Zipser is hitting just 28.3 percent of his triples.

Gibson was the team’s best interior defender, a stout force in the lane and a rebounding machine. Lauvergne will certainly not be able to replicate his impact in the frontcourt, and the Bulls’ collection of young bigs – Bobby Portis and Christiano Felicio – have not shown an ability either at this stage in their careers.

If the Bulls struggle to defend the rim and to shoot from outside, their tenuous hold on a playoff berth will peel away, leaving a team like Milwaukee an opening to overtake them in the standings. If Dwyane Wade needs games off, Jimmy Butler’s injury history rears its head, or any of a number of realistic things afflicts this team, it could fall farther than that.

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