Over the last three seasons, no team has accomplished as much as the Milwaukee Bucks in the regular season. With the NBA’s highest winning percentage over the last three seasons, the Bucks have developed a clear identity as one of the game’s most sturdy defensive teams while playing through a perennial MVP and rising fan favorite in Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Yet the Bucks aren’t feared amongst NBA circles like their slogan would suggest. After unraveling in the second round of last year’s playoffs against a Miami Heat club barreling straight toward the NBA Finals, Milwaukee simply isn’t viewed by many as a true championship contender. So what’s it going to take for them to reach that point?
Every basketball fans know the value that Giannis Antetokounmpo brings to the Milwaukee Bucks, but it takes much more than one man to win a championship.
To answer that question, we must first look back at the history of the game. Champions aren’t crowned because of the efforts of one player, but by the collective of the team. Of course, teams only reach the championship because of the efforts of their star, but every great leader has to instill trust in his teammates and Giannis hasn’t had that consistently in the postseason yet.
A two-time MVP who manages to get better with every passing season, the stormcloud of lackluster postseason runs won’t clear from atop Antetokounmpo’s head if his teammates aren’t ready to tackle the challenge ahead of them.
Jrue Holiday may be the catalyst in bringing a championship to Milwaukee.
Though Jrue Holiday made himself a household name in ‘the Big Easy,’ it was a shame that he hadn’t played more postseason basketball. Over 30 career playoff games, Holiday averages 17 points, 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds on 45.3 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from deep. Beyond the raw numbers, Holiday brings the intensity when his team needs it most. He normally draws the toughest matchup on the opposing team and terrorizes them on defense for a full 48 just to do it all again the next game.
However this year, things are a bit different for Jrue. There weren’t significant expectations during his other playoff runs, and whether he recognizes it or not, all eyes will be on him. Milwaukee shipped off their future by way of draft assets to bring in their go-to perimeter defender and ball-handler to add more pressure from the guard position.
According to metrics from Basketball-Index, Holiday tied for the seventh-highest matchup difficulty in the league this year. While that may seem logical considering his prowess on that end, most players of his caliber don’t guard the other team’s best players on a night-to-night basis. It required a level of commitment that would wear a star player down over the course of an 82 (or in this case, 72) game season.
Holiday’s matchup difficulty rating, which assesses the talent level of the offensive player that a defender is asked to guard on a nightly basis, is the highest of any player who’s reached an All-Star game in their career. He spent his whole season attached to the best guards in the league in preparation for this very moment in the postseason.
As a result of his efforts, Holiday posted the second-highest net rating on the Bucks behind Giannis this year. What’s more impressive is the underrated offensive impact that he’s had on his team this year. Jrue finished the year ranked second on the team in offensive rating for his incredible ability to read the defense and make a play — Whether it be through a score of his own or by setting his teammates up with a dime.
An aggressive downhill slasher, Holiday can score at all three levels while seeing the floor well enough to initiate for his teammates. His handle is tight and he has no problem shooting off the dribble when he can create some space, which will be invaluable come playoff time.
Having a reliable guard who can handle the ball and draw defensive pressure is going to open the game up for the rest of the Bucks. We’ll get a glimpse of his impact through this first-round series against a Heat team that he shot 52.3 percent against from the 3-point line in the regular season.
If he performs as he did during his previous trip to the postseason, the Milwaukee Bucks have as good of a shot as anyone to claim the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
Khris Middleton needs to maintain his composure through this postseason run.
When performing at the best of his abilities, Khris Middleton can look like the best player on the court against any opponent. On one side of the coin, Middleton has logged five playoff series shooting at least 37.5 percent from deep on significant attempts. That includes three full playoff series shooting at least 45.8 percent from beyond the arch.
On the other side, we’ve seen Middleton lose his footing and shoot terribly from the floor in the postseason. During his last four series, he’s shot an atrocious 39.8 percent from the field. Assuming that his team maintains health, Middleton needs to keep his head on straight and work within the flow of the game instead of forcing shots in the postseason.
Instead, Middleton will be better served in the initiator role that he’s accepted since Holiday arrived. While it remains true that Holiday is a reliable ball-handler, he shouldn’t be expected to rack up double-digit assists on his own. By attacking as a pick-and-roll ball-handler, Middleton needs to generate shot opportunities for himself while recognizing passing lanes and feeding his roll-man, which will be a former MVP in many scenarios.
On the flip side of that, Middleton must remain active while off the ball. Roaming the halfcourt and creating space from his defender while away from the ball will provide the Milwaukee Bucks with the safety valve they need when dribble penetration doesn’t work out.
What it comes down to is decision-making. Middleton is a threat to erupt for 30 on any given night, but that’s not necessarily what the team will need from him each night in the playoffs. After his collapse in last year’s postseason, it’s hard to believe Middleton will be anything but hungry with a championship on the line.
One point of emphasis for each of the Milwaukee Bucks’ role players.
Come playoff time, rotations are shortened and coaches turn to their top seven or eight players to carry the workload. Role players need to stay ready for their big moment and this year, the assignment is clear: Make the lives of Milwaukee’s top three players easier with your presence on the court.
With that being the case, here’s one factor for key role players to be mindful of in the postseason.
Donte DiVincenzo: Embrace the nastiness of postseason basketball.
There’s no denying that DiVincenzo is a hard-nosed competitor. During this postseason run, his job description is simple: Hustle, move the ball from point A to point B, be wise with your shot selection and pester your defensive assignment at all costs.
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‘The Big Ragu’ is a gamer. Dating back to his days at Villanova, DiVincenzo has been known for picking up the intensity when his team needs it most. With each season, his experience level improves and his confidence grows. So long as he trusts in himself and doesn’t get too eager, he’s going to make an impact for the Bucks.
P.J. Tucker: Remember why the Bucks traded for you.
Before being traded to Milwaukee, P.J. Tucker was having an ugly season with the tanking Houston Rockets. He didn’t play much and when he did, he mostly stunk it up without the offense being dictated by a superstar initiator in James Harden.
Milwaukee saved him from that scenario because they believe in the version of Tucker that we’ve seen over years of competitive postseason basketball in Houston. The Bucks needed an extra defender who can guard players at multiple positions while providing the floor spacing necessary to run the offense through Giannis. More than anything, the Bucks need Tucker to do what he’s best at: Draining spot-up 3-pointers and giving his defensive assignment hell.
Brook Lopez: Take advantage of your matchup.
In the latter years of his career, Brook Lopez has become an amalgamation of his former self and what teams want from their starting center. Dubbed ‘Splash Mountain’ for his sudden 3-point onslaught earlier in his Bucks career, Lopez hasn’t shot the ball particularly well in either of his last two regular seasons.
In this year’s playoffs, Lopez needs to stick true to who he is as a player. His matchup is going to change based on the series and based on adjustments, but there will always be an area for him to take advantage of his opponent. Whether it be by forcing them out to the 3-point line or by bullying them in the post, Lopez can be the steadying two-way presence that the Bucks need to win a title this year. He needs to remember the fundamentals that got him to this point in his NBA career.
Bobby Portis: Bring some nasty!
Bryn Forbes: Fight past the off-ball screens that you know are coming to attack you.
Pat Connaughton: Make the most of your minutes when they come.
Jeff Teague: Get the ball into the hands of your best players.