The Bucks’ title defense ended in frustrating circumstances last season, as Khris Middleton was knocked out of the playoffs with a knee injury and they lost a 3-2 lead against the Celtics in second turn. Had Middleton been healthy, many believe they would have beaten the Celtics and perhaps gone one after another.
Milwaukee’s front office certainly believes that, which is why they brought back 16 incredible players from last season’s squad – a number head coach Mike Bundeholzer said was a record in his three decades in the game. the league. The Bucks are banking on that continuity, along with better health, to get them back to the promised land.
Of course, it always helps to have the best player in the world on your side. After a historic playoff performance and a regular season in which he had a career-high 29.9 points, 11.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game, Giannis Antetokounmpo ranked No. on this year’s CBS Sports NBA Top 100 list.
With Giannis at the peak of his powers – he has a real shot at winning his third MVP this season and becoming the ninth player in league history to do so – the Bucks will always have a chance to win it all. But the East has improved a lot, and the Celtics, Sixers and maybe the Nets will be ready and waiting to provide a serious test.
Key changes
Listing
Top of the key: Giannis in historical company
Last season, Giannis had 29.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.4 blocks per game, which was his second season of at least 29 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and one block. ; no one else has officially had such a season. He also became the first player to average at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in four seasons. He became the Bucks’ all-time leading scorer and passed Michael Jordan on the all-time triple-doubles list.
In the playoffs, he joined Shaquille O’Neal and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to ever record a postseason game with at least 40 points, 20 rebounds, and five assists. He also became the first player to have 200 points, 100 rebounds and 50 assists in a series, as he nearly took the Bucks past the Celtics single-handedly.
For his efforts, he earned a sixth consecutive All-Star appearance and a fourth consecutive All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team selection. He also finished second in scoring, third in MVP voting, and sixth in the Defensive Player of the Year race. So it was no surprise that he also came in at No. 1 on CBS Sports’ NBA Top 100 list ahead of this season.
The Greek Freak is one of the most unique superstars the league has ever seen, offering an unprecedented combination of size, athleticism, skill and will to win. His drive to improve every day is perhaps his most important trait, and it will be fascinating to see how he has improved over the summer.
Next step: stay healthy
Staying healthy is key for every team, but especially for a heavyweight contender like the Bucks. They have a number of solid players who fit in nicely with the big three of the team, Giannis, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, but lack the ability to take on a bigger role when one of them is. them break down. As we saw in the playoffs last season, their offense was often a mess once Middleton went down, even with Giannis posting historic numbers.
Since Holiday arrived before the 2020-21 season, the Bucks are 86-28 between the regular season and the playoffs when Giannis, Middleton and Holiday are all on the court, and 34-35 when at least one of them is missing. That’s a drop from a .754 winning percentage to a .430 winning percentage.
The bad news is that they’ll start the season without Middleton, who underwent wrist surgery over the summer and won’t be cleared on opening night. The good news is that he should be back as soon as possible and the issue shouldn’t affect him in the long run. Either way, the main goal is to be 100% come playoff time, and if that means losing a few regular-season games in the process, that’s a trade the Bucks would gladly make.
One more thing: a defensive change?
The outline of the Bucks’ defensive scheme since hiring head coach Mike Budenholzer in 2018 is that with Giannis and Brook Lopez anchoring the baseline, they prioritize protecting the paint, often at the expense of of dropping many open 3-pointers.
Overall, the strategy worked; during Budenholzer’s four seasons, the team finished first, first, ninth, and 14th in defensive rankings. But even if you recognize that last season’s mark is skewed due to the fact that Lopez only played 13 games, there has been a definite downward trend. Also, in small samples, like Game 7 of the second round last season when the Celtics hit 22 3-pointers, it can go wrong.
It was interesting, then, when associate head coach Charles Lee, replacing injured Budenholzer, revealed after the team’s preseason loss to the Grizzlies that limiting opponents’ 3-point attempts had been a priority. for the Bucks this training camp.
“We hang our hats on defense every night, no matter who’s playing. It’s about us and our habits and just trying to create really good competitive habits,” Lee said. “And I thought, for the most part during the game, we limited them to 28 3, which put a bit of emphasis, well, not a bit, it put the focus for us on how to reduce the team’s 3-pointers and force them to shoot hard-contested 2s. So I thought from that perspective, really good.
The Bucks aren’t suddenly going to let teams get what they want on the rim, but with the league getting increasingly 3-point heavy, they’re following the trends and putting more emphasis on defending the line. How this new scheme works will be an interesting subplot for the team’s season.
Key games
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October 20 at Sixers: The Bucks will open their season on the road against the Sixers and their old friend PJ Tucker. It will be a solid test against another potential contender from the East.
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Nov. 25 vs. Cavaliers: The day after Thanksgiving, the Bucks will welcome the new Cavs to town for what should be a fascinating contest. Giannis vs. Evan Mobley will be worth the price of admission alone.
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December 25 at the Celtics: For the second consecutive season, the Bucks will face the Celtics on Christmas Day. This time it will be Boston and Milwaukee looking for revenge after their playoff loss.