Milwaukee Bucks: 5 keys to series vs. Celtics

3. Play defense without bad habits

The Milwaukee Bucks have been playing the same style of defense for years, ever since Jason Kidd showed up with his bucket of ideas. They trap the ball-handler, help aggressively and trust the backside help to pick up a man you leave open.

The problem with such a scheme is that it yields altogether too many open shots at the rim and the 3-point line. The Bucks were getting destroyed by smart teams cutting them to shreds. With interim head coach Joe Prunty brought on board, it was most likely that scheme would be changed, and it has been to an extent.

Unfortunately, Prunty doesn’t have the fire or the desire to clean up their bad habits. The Bucks have continued to help aggressively on the back end, and then are sprinting around the court trying to keep up. It’s not the best way for them to limit high-percentage shots, and it’s leading to confusion and breakdowns on the back end.

If the Bucks can avoid those bad habits and lean into their new conservative scheme, they will find more success and they will give themselves the best shot at advancing past the first round. Otherwise the Celtics will feast at the rim, drain wide-open 3-pointers, and make the Bucks look silly en route to blowout wins and an easy series victory.