Milwaukee Bucks
The 2019-20 Milwaukee Bucks season can be defined by the fact that the Bucks smoked the regular season again but also fell short in the second round.
What did we learn?
Just as we suspected, the Bucks were built for the regular season.
The 2019-20 Milwaukee Bucks were another cut above:
Defensive Rating: 1st
Net Rating: 1st
Pace: 1st
Points per game: 1st
Except this time it was expected.
Led by Giannis, the now back-to-back MVP and 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year, the Bucks pulverized the regular season to smithereens. Giannis is the regular season robot unicorn with lasers shooting from his eyeballs. But in the playoffs, he’s closer to Bambi. That might be overstating it, but you get the point. All you have to do is put up a wall and you have solved The Freak, containing him enough to beat this version of the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks are lacking a superior athlete with the toughness that the playoffs require. We are not trying to call them soft per se, but it is quite evident that they don’t have the bruiser type necessary to help get them to the next level. A little bit too much finesse once Giannis is relegated to not being able to get to the rim at will. It never felt like they were the aggressor against the Heat. Let’s not discount the fact that Milwaukee had the best defense in the league by a mile and were excellent at defending the rim. Yet Miami dominated the points in the paint in that second-round series.
The playoffs are just a different animal than the regular season. One thing about the Bucks destroying everybody in the regular season is that they didn’t have to play a lot of games with the pressure turned up at the end. They were able to coast. They weren’t battle tested and ready. When it’s winning time (hello, Chris Paul!), that’s when you have to really hike up your shorts, dig deep and figure out what you’re made of. We have to bring up Playoff Bud. Coach Bud has the recipe for steamrolling through the regular season, but come playoff time, he’s like a chef on one of those cooking shows trying to cook with random and strange ingredients while the other chefs (coaches) have every ingredient they need ready to cook a magnificent feast.
It was reported that the Bucks top brass had a meeting with Giannis after the season and they talked about doing whatever it takes to get him more help, now willing to spend into the luxury tax. Welp, they missed a golden chance with Malcom Brodgon last summer. Essentially choosing Eric Bledsoe (who laid another egg in the playoffs) over Brogdon could be the Bucks ultimate undoing. We tried to warn them that Larry OB’s do not grow on trees. You have to do everything you can to keep Giannis in Milwaukee. We are of the thought that Giannis will actually stay the course in Milwaukee, wanting to win where it all started for him.
Let’s be clear about something. Every truly great young player has to go through his trials and tribulations in the NBA. This is the path. Giannis is 25 years old and there is plenty of time for him yet. Whether his path continues in Milwaukee is the big question.
Just one long season ago, the Bucks were overachievers to the highest degree. Now they are Championship or bust.
It’s go time.
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What are the answers to our Season Preview Final Questions?
How much will Brogdon actually be missed?
A lot lot.
Who’s going to stop the Bucks?
The HEAT.
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Would our preseason Over/Under prediction have hit?
Nobody. In the regular season. (Except maybe/probably Philly). OVER 57.5 wins. (70% winning pct)
Bucks 2019-20 final record: (56-17) 77% winning pct
YES, our preseason Over/Under prediction would have hit!
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What’s Next?
Get Giannis to sign the supermax.
Find some more help. Trade for CP3? Trade for Oladipo? Can they move Bledsoe?
Get over the playoff hump. Easier said than done. The East is only going to be better next season.
Something to monitor: Giannis’s free throw shooting has dropped each of the last four seasons, all the way down to a lowly 63 percent this season. Even more concerning would be the numerous missed free throws that were air balls.
Can Khris Middleton be the second best player on a championship team? Middleton was basically a 50/40/90 guy (49.7/41.5/91.6) but can he really help get you to the promised land?
Play Giannis more at center.
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Favorite Bucks Highlight from the 2019-20 Season:
Winning brings happiness. That’s just the way it is.
