Nets: Analyzing Milwaukee Bucks as Possible Playoff Opponent

The Starters

A lot of casual fans like to say that the Milwaukee Bucks start and end with Giannis Antetokounmpo. And while the Greek Freak is deservedly praised, this team does not work without the pieces around the MVP.

One of the most overlooked and underappreciated players in the NBA, Khris Middleton is a top-15 player this season. The Texas A&M product is one 3-point shot away from having a 50/40/90 shooting season (meaning he shot 50% from the field, 40% from 3, and 90% from the free throw line). Only a handful of guys have ever reached this efficiency mark, and all but one are Hall of Famers. His game meshes perfectly with Giannis’, making him the quintessential Robin to the Greek Batman. Maybe it’s because he got a huge contract last July, or because his game is not as flashy as other stars, but for whatever reason, Middleton does not get the respect he deserves.

Another guy who seems to be a little undervalued is point guard Eric Bledsoe. The Kentucky guard is an absolute wrecking ball who’s at his best when he gets to the rim. He’s also a feisty defender, and has given guys like James Harden fits in the past. However, he’s had troubles in recent playoff runs, where mentally Bledsoe seems to lose focus and crumble. He also falls in love with the 3-point shot a little too often, and has games where turnovers can be an issue.

Brook Lopez has rejuvenated his career in Milwaukee, and has been a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in 2019-20. The guy seems to block everything, and cleans up a lot of mistakes made by his teammates. The one knock against him defensively is that he’s never been a great rebounder for his size, but I guess that isn’t much of an issue when Giannis is corralling every missed shot.

Offensively, Lopez has revolutionized how he scores. As a Net, the Stanford product lived in the post, and was mostly a back to the basket-type scorer. Now in Milwaukee, Lopez has been dubbed “Splash Mountain”, and is more or less a 7-foot marksmen from 3. While his percentages have dipped year-over-year, Splash Mountain can still hit from just about anywhere. It’ll be very curious if Jacque Vaughn decides to put Jarrett Allen on him, or keep him near the rim to guard Giannis.

Probably the best perimeter defender on Milwaukee, Wesley Matthews is one of the best undrafted players ever. He’s a perfect example of a 3-and-D guard who absolutely understands his role. He came in this year and replaced Malcolm Brogdon, and while Matthews doesn’t have the talent or offensive skill of Brogdon, he has been absolutely fantastic for the Bucks. He’ll most likely be the one guarding Caris LeVert, and LeVert must dominate this matchup to give Brooklyn a chance.

I’d talk more about Giannis Antetokounmpo, but there’s not much that people don’t already know about the reigning MVP. He’s nearly impossible to stop in transition, and has the longest strides I’ve ever seen. Jarrett Allen has guarded him in the past with moderate success, getting a couple highlight blocks on the Greek Freak. The only way to really guard him is to give him space on the perimeter and hope he misses his jump shot. The Nets must send two or three guys at him whenever he’s driving or in the post, because that’s the only way to beat this Milwaukee team. Make Giannis pass to a teammate and hope he misses a perimeter shot, a much better alternative than an Antetokounmpo poster.