Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from Game 2 vs. Celtics

3. Defensive miscues are killing the Bucks

The core idea of the Milwaukee Bucks’ defense is to force turnovers. While that has been mellowed under interim head coach Joe Prunty, that’s still how this team operates best. Forcing opponent miscues and then running in transition is the bread and butter for this squad.

In Game 2, that strategy was blown wide open by the Celtics across the board, who protected the ball throughout the game. Through three quarters they had just three turnovers, and finished with five. Terry Rozier held the ball more than any other Celtic, directing the offense, penetrating into the defense and finishing with eight assists to zero turnovers.

Low turnovers means a higher percentage of Boston possessions ended in a shot, and 53 percent of those shots ended up going into the basket. A high percentage of those were 3-pointers, on which the Celtics shot 41.9 percent.

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That meant the Celtics had an effective field goal percentage (which accounts for the extra point from a 3-pointer) of 60.6 percent, which would have comfortably led the league during the regular season. Milwaukee couldn’t stop the Celtics before a shot, and they didn’t stop the ball from going in.

To make matters worse, when the Celtics did miss they often got the offensive rebound. Milwaukee has struggled for much of the season to clean the defensive glass (last in the league in opponent offensive rebound percentage), and that has been evident in the postseason. The Celtics, despite ranking just 20th in offensive rebound percentage themselves during the season, per Cleaning the Glass, have outscored the Bucks 42-13 in second chance points through two games.

To place the cherry on top of the Bucks’ poor defensive showing, there is a lack of accountability by the team for what is going on. Eric Bledsoe has been the source of so many defensive mistakes, getting blown up on screens or overthinking defensive coverage. He has been plastered on highlight packages since Sunday when he lost Terry Rozier and stood 10 feet away while Rozier drained a 3-pointer late in Game 1.

In Game 2 Bledsoe again was the culprit as Rozier went off, and after the game was asked about the matchup against Rozier:

Bledsoe was brought in to be a leader and to direct this team from the point. Instead he appears to have brought from Phoenix his lazy defensive habits and now his immature, petulant behaviors as well. If the Bucks are going to turn things around, it’s going to start in the locker room with players taking accountability.