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Milwaukee Bucks: Three things we don’t want to see in the Orlando bubble

By Dylan Carter

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 22: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks is defended by Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers during a game at Fiserv Forum on February 22, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 22: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks is defended by Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers during a game at Fiserv Forum on February 22, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

1. Small-ball lineups with Khris Middleton or Kyle Korver at the four

Small-ball is a gift and a curse at the same time. On one hand, some teams use it to perfection, putting workhorse forwards in at the center position to do the dirty work while providing offensive versatility at a naturally stagnant position. On the other hand, it leaves teams to get left in the dust against big-bodied opponents like the Bucks.

Playing to their strengths is part of what makes Milwaukee a title contender. When you look at this roster, the only viable candidate to play down from his natural position is Giannis and a large part of that is because he doesn’t truly have a position. You can slot him comfortably at spots one-through-five and he’ll make it work, which isn’t the case for most players in the league, let alone on this team.

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All-NBA-candidate Khris Middleton is having a splendid year for the Bucks, hovering near the illustrious 50/40/90 club as the second-best player on the league’s most successful regular-season team. If he’s going to slot in at a position other than small forward, he’s better suited to play the two-guard than a small-ball four. However, there’ve been times when Coach Bud decided to get cute and slot him down at the power forward, which isn’t going to work.

Middleton is a commendable defensive player, but he’s going to get destroyed by more natural power forwards inside and on the boards. It’s not a large percentage, but 20 percent of his minutes came at the power forward this year, according to Basketball-Reference. Of active Bucks players with at least 500 minutes this season, Middleton ranks seventh in rebound percentage and second-to-last in block percentage.

When push comes to shove, Middleton should not be slotted down to the four-spot. The same applies to sharpshooting-extraordinaire Kyle Korver, who spent 16 percent of his minutes at the power forward. It’s not a look that’s viable for a team that wins based on its defense.

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