Bucks Team Notes

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Check out the latest news about the Milwaukee Bucks.

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Bucks 135, Sixers 127

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

A Damian Lillard masterclass wins the season series over Philly

Down Giannis, who is sidelined through the All-Star break with a left calf strain, the Milwaukee Bucks notched their third win of the season over the Philadelphia 76ers behind a scintillating a season-high 43/8/8 performance from Damian Lillard. Tyrese Maxey paced the visitors with 39.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

Embiid started perfect from the field (as did the Sixers on their first four shots) with 15 early points, hitting three triples, but Lillard’s nine kept the scoreboard moving. Each side traded buckets for much of the period until a 13-2 Sixers run put them ahead seven. Fueled by Gary Trent Jr., a 12-4 Milwaukee run got them back into the game, and Kuzma swirled in a layup at the buzzer to put them up 40-39 after one. Maxey one-upped Embiid with 19 in 12 minutes.

That first-quarter shootout didn’t last. Milwaukee managed to jump in front by seven early in the second as Philly cooled off slightly, but their big three caught them back up when the home squad got caught in a slump halfway through. Out of a timeout with 4:05 until half, both teams broke out of their scoring doldrums with a 7-0 run for the Bucks and an 8-0 run for the Sixers. A Trent buzzer-beating three took the Bucks into the locker room up 65-63. Maxey poured in 26 in the first half, with Embiid just two behind.

No third quarter funk today. While back-to-back triples from Brook Lopez and Dame put the Bucks up eight, the Sixers answered both of them. But Lillard’s personal 9-0 run gave the Bucks their first double-digit lead midway through the frame. When he was going for 11 on a drive inside, Tyrese Maxey came in from the weak side to block it, resulting in a George three on the other end. Undeterred, Dame keyed a quick 8-0 run for Milwaukee after Philly cut it to four, growing their advantage to as much as 13. Through three, the Bucks led 103-91 behind Dame’s 15 third-quarter points, getting him up to 34.

Dame buried another longball seconds into the fourth, and back-to-back from GTJ gave the Bucks a 19-point edge. A 12-0 Bucks run made it a 25-point game as the Sixers played sloppily and couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. Philadelphia did come back to within 12 just past the four-minute mark as Milwaukee’s defense was caught sleeping several times, and they couldn’t find nylon. Some late life from Maxey with the game mostly in control cut it to nine with under a minute to go until Nick Nurse emptied his bench with 44 seconds left. Embiid scored only three points in the second half.

Stat That Stood Out​

With how much trouble the Bucks have had on the glass lately, they were outstanding today, outrebounding the Sixers 53-42. Even more rare, for a team last in the league in this category was their 19 offensive rebounds. That led to 21 second-chance opportunities, from which they scored a stellar 31 points.

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/2/9/2...illard-tyrese-maxey-joel-embiid-gary-trent-jr

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Sixers: Philly not-so-special

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Damian Lillard eviscerates the 76ers on a big day for Philly sports

Behind a massive 43-point outing from Damian Lillard, the Giannis-less Bucks took out the healthy Sixers in a Sunday matinee at Fiserv Forum by a 135-125 final, their seventh straight win over Philly. Though Gary Trent Jr. (season-high 23 points) was the only other Buck above 18 points, all seven of his makes came from downtown as he and Dame became the first teammates in franchise history to each hit at least seven threes in the same game. Tyrese Maxey was the high man for the Sixers with 39. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast Bucks In Six Minutes below.

What Did We Learn?​

As anyone who has watched the team lately knows, rebounding has been a serious problem of late Milwaukee. With Giannis out and Joel Embiid healthy, you might have though recent history would repeat itself. However, not only did the Bucks win the battler on the glass, they also notched a season-high 19 offensive rebounds. Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez each had seven of those as they consistently outmuscled Philly’s smaller big men like Justin Edwards and Guerschon Yabusele.

So what changed besides Portis’ return? This team is literally last in the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage, and they lacked the league’s fifth-leading rebounder. Was this a point of emphasis in the walkthrough this morning? Here’s what head coach Doc Rivers said:

We talked about it, so I will say that. With Giannis out, it doesn’t make as much sense, but when Giannis comes back and we have those three bigs in, we will have a chance because Kuzma and Giannis have enough speed to be an offensive rebounder and get back.

He also gave credit to Portis (12 rebounds), Kyle Kuzma (eight), and the Bucks’ guards (Dame had seven, Trent had six) for their efforts on the boards:

Without Giannis, who’s our best rebounder, we take a big hit there. Bobby’s been unbelievable. Kuz helps in that area as well. But we really focus on getting our guards in there as well, so I thought our guards did a good job tonight.

Three Times​

Dame Time, all the time!​

No doubt about it, this is exactly what you want to see from your All-Star point guard when your All-Star big man is on the shelf. Of course, he was dialed in with 14/27 shooting and 8/15 from beyond the arc, but what was most encouraging was how he struggled much less with traps than he has at points this season. Doc was pleased:

I told Dame that he needs to be an aggressive scorer and an aggressive playmaker, and that’s a hard thing to do. And I thought he did that tonight. I thought his downhill attacks to create buckets were great, and that led him to his shooting.

Postgame, Dame relayed to us that this is what Doc told him right before tip, and with his nine quick points in the opening minutes, that short notice worked well.

Trent Time?​

Not to be too outdone by his former Blazer teammate, Gary Trent hit 7/15 from deep and is shooting 53.6% on 28 attempts over the last three contests. In the first and early fourth, he went on three-point mini-binges that broke the Sixers’ backs a few times, also adding a buzzer-beater before halftime. He’s up to 43.0% on 5.5 attempts per game from distance. Defensively, I thought he was much better on Maxey than Andre Jackson Jr., who played just three second-half minutes. GTJ was able to deny Maxey the ball a fair bit in the third as the Bucks established firm control of the game, as the Sixer star took just two shots while playing all 12 minutes.

Tyrese Time...​

Thanks in part to Trent, Maxey had just three second-half points until the last six minutes when he scored 10 on 4/4 shooting, making the score look more respectable and forcing some timeouts from a frustrated Doc. Since the start of last season, Maxey has been a particularly prickly thorn in the Bucks’ side, averaging 31.0 PPG and hitting threes at a 40.6% clip. AJax got the assignment early, but as we’ve seen often, he isn’t a good matchup on smaller, quick guards with gaudy scoring numbers. Part of why I’d like to have seen the Bucks acquire someone like Davion Mitchell at the deadline last week.

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• This was the final NBA game behind the mic for Hall of Fame coach and broadcaster Hubie Brown. The 91-year-old and two-time NBA Coach of the Year ends his career as a broadcaster in the city where he began it as an assistant on Larry Costello’s staff as a Bucks assistant in 1972. The Bucks honored him with a video tribute after the first media timeout.
• If you missed it, Giannis was not only ruled out for this game yesterday, but ESPN’s Shams Charania reported before the game that he would miss the remaining games before the All-Star break and not partake in that exhibition.
• Kuzma made his first start as a Buck, taking Portis’ place in the starting five. Though he scored just four points after the first quarter, he was quite good on the glass and dished out five assists on his way to a 13/8/5 afternoon. I thought he also put in some good shifts defensively when he switched onto Embiid. Afterward, Doc said that while Kuz is “easy to fit in,” the coach saw a lot of action developing that made him say he wished Kuz knew the play.
• Embiid, George, and Maxey all appeared (and started) this game for Philly. That’s only the 13th time this has occurred since PG came to the City of Brotherly Love last offseason.
• Since returning from a six-game absence due to his grandmother’s death, Portis has had three consecutive double-doubles with 18 and 12 today.
• This was the first game in uniform for new Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr., and while both he and new center Jericho Sims didn’t get off the bench today, Doc said they’d “both be playing in the near future, maybe tomorrow.”
• There was a possession midway through in the second quarter where Milwaukee got five offensive rebounds but couldn’t make a shot. One of them was about as wide open a corner three as GTJ will ever see.
• 24 three-point makes was also a season-high. The Bucks took a whopping 55 attempts this afternoon, one short of another season-high.
• Milwaukee came out moving the ball very well, with 10 assists on their first 15 buckets. They ended with 28 dimes. Doc mentioned that in Friday’s loss, the Bucks began their game with multiple possessions featuring zero passes, but in the second quarter, that jumped to four or five. He said he showed the team the plays with the most passes prior to the game, calling it a “subliminal message that wasn’t that subliminal.”
• Transition was yet again an issue defensively for Milwaukee, as Philly outscored them 26-7 on the break.
• Doc was a little “agitated” (his words) at needing to play Dame for 44 minutes on the front end of a back-to-back because of how they couldn’t put the Sixers away in the closing minutes, as they closed it to around 10 multiple times.
• During the game today, ABC’s Lisa Salters reported that Embiid said he may require another knee surgery this offseason and a “long recovery period.”

Up Next​

The Bucks are back in action tomorrow evening, finishing off their back-to-back with the Golden State Warriors. You can catch the action at 7 p.m. Central on ESPN, FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin, or stream it on our Playback and YouTube channels.

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/2/9/2...43-points-tyrese-maxey-joel-embiid-gary-trent

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Bucks 111, Warriors 125

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Milwaukee unable to survive Steph Curry going nuclear

In a SEGABABA at home, the Milwaukee Bucks tumbled against the Golden State Warriors, 125-111. Stephen Curry was his vintage self, dousing the Bucks with 38 points. Damian Lillard matched it with 38 points of his own, but he was one of the lone contributors on that side of the ball for Milwaukee.

NBA.com Box Score

As you might’ve guessed, the 3-pointers were flying left and right to kick this one off. Steph Curry was dialing it in, quickly erupting for several threes early on — some of which were pretty dazzling. Damian Lillard was right up there as well, pouring in ten points to lead Milwaukee. After one quarter of play, the Warriors were positioned slightly ahead, 29-27.

Golden State kept their lead steady throughout the second quarter, leveraging and capitalizing on some second-chance points throughout. Buddy Hield and Steph Curry fueled them with a combined five threes at the break, while Damian Lillard’s 18 points and Taurean Prince’s 13 points kept Milwaukee within single digits. At half, the Bucks found themselves down 58-51.

The momentum tides began to shift the Bucks’ way about 3 1⁄2 minutes into the third, as Draymond Green was called for a technical foul. However, it didn’t last long. Instead, the Warriors refused to break and instead took advantage of Pat Connaughton making an appearance midway in the third. They’d keep making it a priority to attack him and were successful on numerous occasions. That was one of the big reasons why they maintained their advantage as the fourth quarter rolled around, 89-83.

Two huge threes from Quinten Post forced a beyond exasperated Doc Rivers to call a timeout a few minutes into the fourth. Post continued to be a menace as the foundation around the Bucks began to crumble as the quarter progressed. A 3-pointer from him forced Rivers to call another timeout with just under seven minutes left and the Bucks down 14. A 20-4 run put the nail in the coffin for the Bucks, sending the Warriors out of town with a 125-111 victory.

Stat That Stood Out​

Other than Damian Lillard and Taurean Prince, the production from the Bucks was simply non-existent. Nobody was creating shots or taking advantage on the offensive side. With that kind of limited firepower, it’s easy to fall in a hole as Steph Curry’s draining threes in your face, which is exactly what happened to Milwaukee. This was definitely a game where they missed Giannis and his scoring.

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/2/10/...-final-score-recap-steph-curry-damian-lillard

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Vote in the Brew Hoop Tuesday Tracker: Weigh in on the Middleton-Kuzma trade

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Tracking the larger sentiments of Bucks fans week by week.

Last week’s edition of the Tracker came out just under 24 hours prior to the Khris Middleton and AJ Johnson for Kyle Kuzma trade was agreed to initially. That later expanded into two other teams and a few more players, but unless you think Jericho Sims is a real diamond in the rough, the Bucks’ return didn’t change too meaningfully beyond what was first reported. As a reminder, the final form of the trade ended up as this:

• Bucks trade Middleton, Johnson, and a 2028 first-round pick swap to the Wizards, and Delon Wright to the Knicks
• Bucks acquire Kyle Kuzma and 2025 second-round pick from the Wizards, Jericho Sims from the Knicks, and a protected 2026 second-round pick from the Spurs

In this week’s Tuesday Tracker, we want your opinions now that you’ve had nearly a week to digest the move. We also want to know how—or if—you think Kuzma fits both short- and long-term with the Bucks, as well as how you feel about the Bucks’ other trade for Kevin Porter Jr.

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As always, this poll will be open until midnight Central on Friday, and we’ll post the results later that day. Thanks for voting!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/2/11/...-khris-middleton-kevin-porter-jr-jericho-sims

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Jon Horst discusses Middleton, Milwaukee’s post-deadline outlook

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Bucks GM met with the media for the first time since the deadline

Now that they’ve a few games under their belt post-trade deadline, the Milwaukee Bucks are firmly on their way into the brave new world known as the future. The magnitude of one particular deadline deal—the decision to trade franchise anchor Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma—has, understandably, generated more questions about the direction of overall travel than those it answered.

While GM Jon Horst did not and will not hold an introductory press conference to unveil his newest players (Kevin Porter Jr. and Jericho Sims were also acquired on deadline day), he did give a few minutes for a Q&A to media last night.

So what did we learn? Courtesy of Eric Nehm at The Athletic, quite a bit!

On-court changes​

We’ll start with the basketball impact. A couple of main points that Horst wanted to drill down on were that:

1. Khris Middleton was moving in the right direction vis-á-vis his health and productivity—and that his view on Khris’s physical outlook played a, “very minimal,” part in his decision
2. While Kyle Kuzma’s numbers don’t necessarily wow, they see him as an ideal fit when it comes to improving the amount of athleticism available to the rotation and as a shooter if he improves his percentages like players tended to do once arriving in Milwaukee
3. They’d really like to try and play more in transition than they have in the recent past. That’s to utilize Giannis to his theoretical utmost, but was also a consideration in acquiring Kuzma (who can physically run the floor) and someone like Jericho Sims who Horst identified has having some open court potential
4. The view of the front office is that their overall depth has taken a step forward across a few different positions

There isn’t really anything all that surprising in most of that. It’s feasible, I suppose, that the FO felt Khris was mostly where they'd have expected him to be at in terms of availability and fit on the court and so didn’t weigh that factor very heavily. The lines a little later about how the roster had taken a step forward athletically aren’t necessarily contradictory—what Middleton may have lacked in terms of sheer vertical (or lateral) physicality he often tried to make up with skill and craft.

Still, Kuzma is more athletic than Khris in a number of ways, and he’s bigger, too. Horst spoke about how Kyle can likely guard up to three different positions and can probably fit in across nearly four positions offensively (on paper). We’ve already seen the boost in floor speed in Kuzma’s three games played so far, although the ends to which Kuz puts his effort have seemed wayward at times. Like with the Wizards, he has spent almost all his time at the four as a Buck, although the true test regarding fit on either end will only come once we see him next to Giannis Antetokounmpo. For now, between having had little time to practice with the team and being down the franchise superstar, it’s hard to evaluate Kuzma’s merits when it comes to winning.

Critically, will we actually see the team up their tempo in offensive transition? Again, this is predicated on the availability of Giannis. Over the 50 games played so far the Bucks attack in transition on just 16.6% of their possessions (good for 24th in the league); that’s down 0.2% from a year ago. It’d be unrealistic for them to boost to Memphis Grizzlies-like numbers at nearly 25% of possessions, but a slight uptick is doable, especially in lineups where either Kuzma or Antetokounmpo are empowered to grab and go/start down the court immediately upon a team defensive rebound.

As far as the other guys, the sense I got was that Kevin Porter Jr. is a buy-low upside option who the team hopes to continue to help keep on the straight and narrow while Sims is, indeed, athletic. The fact that we’ve only seen KPJ in a few spot minutes on the second game of a back-to-back and haven’t seen Sims at all since he showed up could be a statement about their place in the rotation or merely a byproduct of the little time available pre-break to find a place for them. Whether that changes post-break is to be determined.

Cap sheets, second aprons, and open roster spots​

Horst was also asked about how considerations around the second apron may have impacted the FO’s calculus to deal Middleton. According to him:

“It happens to also put us under the second apron, which gives us some benefits going forward. There’s no question. And we’ll hopefully maximize those benefits. But that wasn’t the intent.”

Further:

“It didn’t fall out of the air,” Horst said of the benefit of moving under the second apron. “But when you navigate different transactions and opportunities, starting with the fact that we want to get better, we want to get deep, add to our versatility and you start studying the ways in which you can execute those, and if you can generate that opportunity, you go for it. That’s how we approached it. But it was by no means the motive.”

That’s all fine and good. Obviously the ability to sneak out from under the second apron will, indeed, open up new lanes of roster building for the front office. If their goal is to start leaning further towards athleticism around Giannis (and Damian Lillard), there are plenty of bodies still on the roster they’ll need to maneuver around, so getting roster flexibility is a necessity. I’m sure if the team had a certain level of confidence that the second apron group could’ve won it all, Khris Middleton would still be here. Paying for the team wasn’t so much the issue; building onto it would be very soon. Here we stand as a result.

But how that plays out is for the future. The team still has an open roster spot which is, presumably, Ryan Rollins’ to lose, although the team could do due diligence to see who hits the buyout market if someone they perceive as a superior option becomes available. It will get filled one way or another, just a question of by whom.

How about Giannis?​

When asked about any conversations he had with Giannis before the Middleton deal:

“It didn’t happen...Just for the record, I didn’t talk to him about this.”

The rationale for not getting Giannis involved in decision-making sounds about right:

He would or would not have stamped it. I don’t know. And I decided not to put him in that position....This is the biggest thing, ever. And so that wouldn’t have been fair in my opinion. I’m willing to live with him either agreeing or disagreeing with it and whatever the aftermath that is because it’s my job.

And how any chat after the deal?

“And I also have not talked to him about it afterwards yet. Don’t need to. I don’t want to ask him afterwards...It’s a business, and my job’s really hard a few times a year. His job’s really hard every night.”

The new-look Bucks finish their pre-All Star Break portion of the season tomorrow night in the Twin Cities against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/2/11/...leton-kyle-kuzma-kevin-porter-jr-jericho-sims

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks championship odds drop in wake of Khris Middleton-Kyle Kuzma trade

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Not a huge shocker.

A major point of discussion prior to the NBA trade deadline last week was whether or not the Bucks were true title contenders given the injury question marks surrounding Khris Middleton, recent postseason injuries to Giannis Antetokounmpo, plus the age of Damian Lillard and Brook Lopez. With health, that’s an outstanding top four, but some fans thought an injury was more of a “when” question than an “if.” Now one of those names is out, replaced by the younger, more questionably-fitting Kyle Kuzma.

Still, prior to the season, most oddsmakers had the Bucks among the top several best bets for the NBA title. That was before a 2-8 start, though, and while subsequent surges up the standings followed by slight falls from those heights have dropped their odds little by little, nothing dropped them as far in one fell swoop as their activity at the deadline. Let’s check in with FanDuel’s odds over the course of the year...

Milwaukee began the season at +1000, in sixth but within 150 of Denver, Minnesota, Dallas, and OKC, who all trailed the defending champs in Boston at +350. That dipped a bit in the first couple months of the season, of course, but around New Year’s, they were around +1800. One week ago, prior to the Middleton trade, FanDuel and most other sportsbooks had the Bucks around +2500. As of today, however, they’re +3200, in eighth behind the Celtics, Thunder, Cavs, Knicks, Nuggets, Lakers, and Grizzlies, in that order.

That’s reflected in SB Nation’s latest Reacts polls, conducted nationally. You won’t find the Bucks among the top six vote-getters for who fans think will win it all this year. They’d be one of the 13% of other teams not listed below:

I can’t disagree with the top two, but I really don’t think the Lakers will be able to put it together this season, especially without a starting-caliber center. The Warriors are also a game above .500 right now, and while they might get out of the play-in after landing a motivated Jimmy Butler, I see no way they make it past the first round if they’re on the Thunder’s side of the bracket. It’s tough to see them getting by the Nuggets too.

Interestingly, the Bucks’ highest-profile deadline acquisition shows up as a distant fifth as an answer to which deadline trade will have the biggest impact, behind the four big stars moved last week:

I’m not sold on Kuzma’s fit with this team at all, especially once Giannis returns. I’ll withhold final judgment, but I don’t think Kuzma will get enough touches to make a true impact as a scorer, especially when playing alongside Damian Lillard and Giannis. I don’t think he’s efficient enough as a scorer or reliable enough as a shooter to capitalize on all the looks he’ll get in this offense. Maybe if he was better than a 33% career shooter from deep.

What do you think about these odds or poll results? Are they too high or too low on the Bucks? Let us know in the comments.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/2/12/...l-sportsbook-khris-middleton-kyle-kuzma-trade

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Timberwolves: Out with a bang

Photo by David Berding/Getty Images

Milwaukee played ugly, but Minnesota played uglier

In a game that featured no Giannis or Dame (and many misses and turnovers from both sides), the Milwaukee Bucks came out on top against the Minnesota Timberwolves, 103-101. Gary Trent Jr. led the Bucks in scoring with 21, while Kyle Kuzma backed him up with 19 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists. For the Wolves, Anthony Edwards was their top scorer with 28 points, albeit on 10/33 shooting. Additionally, Naz Reid and Rudy Gobert combined for 42 points and 27 boards against Milwaukee’s diminished front line. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast Bucks In Six Minutes below.

What Did We Learn?​

The Bucks benefited from some awful shooting from Minnesota, who went 10/44 from three. However, Milwaukee did look pretty big and athletic out there with Kuz’s addition, and I think that size had an effect on the Wolves. According to Doc’s postgame comments, it sounded like they came in with a goal to win with defence:

“We set a goal, and we didn’t get it. Our goal was to hold them under 100 and they got 101... We knew scoring with the offense we had out would be rough, but we thought we could really win the game with a defensive effort and that’s what we did.”

With Giannis hopefully back following the All-Star break (or soon thereafter), I’m intrigued to see this jumbo lineup and what they can get out of it on both ends.

Three Bucks​

Kyle Kuzma is still a puzzle I’ve yet to figure out.​

Kuzma’s counting stats at the end of the night tell a funny story. On one hand, I continue to love the rebounding and grab-and-go ability. On the other, he went 7/17 and 0/3 from deep with four turnovers. He’s such a funny eval for me because if you can just bottle the good stuff—controlled attacks to the rim, short-roll playmaking, active defence—and remove the out-of-control dribble drives off zero passes (and other stuff)… there is something interesting there. I’m intrigued to see what his scaled-down game looks like when Giannis returns.

Gary Trent Jr. has zero fear.​

For better or for worse, one thing is clear: Gary Trent Jr. isn’t afraid of the big moment. Every time the Wolves got close or took the lead, Trent stepped up and made a big shot. I actually think these games where his team is playing with house money are the games he thrives the most in, a bit like Bobby. Whether it was off a spot-up or self-created, Gary had it going last night.

So… is Kevin Porter Jr. the backup point guard now?​

Porter is also a funny eval to me. If you ask me who I feel most confident in to just not mess up or do something crazy out of Porter or Ryan Rollins, my answer is easily Rollins. I would also contest that, although Ryan struggled from three last night (0/4), I think his fit with the main guys as a catch-and-shoot gunner might be better than Porter’s. Having said all of that, we saw last night that KPJ’s ability to get into the lane and create offence is probably better than Rollins’. I can’t say I’m sold that Porter is the backup going forward off just one game (his third quarter stint wasn’t great), but this is certainly a conversation now.

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Kuzma is nowhere near a perfect basketball player, but this play encapsulates what makes him a unique basketball player:

• The Bucks scored 36 and 33 points in the first and fourth quarters, and 15 and 19 in the second and third. Hilarious.
• After a few subpar games from Brook of late, I thought he was pretty good in this one, especially on both ends late in the game. Being able to (not) guard Gobert certainly helps.
• Ryan Rollins had one to forget from a shooting standpoint, shooting 2/12 overall, but I didn’t think he was all that bad overall.
• There is seemingly a frustrating point in many games the Bucks play where they are moving the ball and generating good shots… but then opt to throw it into Bobby so he can iso on the block against a guy who just isn’t a mismatch. This game it was Naz Reid who, while not fleet of foot, is perfectly fine defending on the block against Portis. Last game, it was Jimmy Butler. I don’t mind Bobby exploring that part of his game, but if they’re throwing it in, he better be able to generate good looks. To be clear, though, there were other culprits; it wasn’t all Bobby’s fault by any means.
• AJ Green hit a number of timely shots down the stretch to ward off the surging Wolves.
• Terrence Shannon Jr., who many Bucks fans wanted to draft, had a career-high 11 points last night, with six assists and five rebounds to boot.

Up Next​

The Bucks will now get a rest for the All-Star break (except for Dame and AJax). Their first game back will be at home on February 20 against the Los Angeles Clippers. Catch the action at 7:00 p.m. CST on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin or stream it on our Playback and YouTube channels.

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/2/13/...-trent-jr-kyle-kuzma-anthony-edwards-naz-reid

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

It’s about damn time that Marques Johnson makes the Hall of Fame

Set Number: X22101

A Bucks legend and fan favorite deserves it more than some already enshrined.

Right before the holidays, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame released its 2025 ballot, featuring current head coach Doc Rivers and three former Bucks. You can see the entire ballot here, and while Doc is a first-time nominee, franchise legend and current television analyst Marques Johnson has been on the ballot many times. I’m guessing Doc will be voted in this year (yes, Bucks and Sixers fans, he is 100% a Hall of Fame coach) since he is eighth all-time in wins, just 13 away from Phil Jackson for seventh. If not this year, it’ll happen before long.

We’re not here today to discuss Rivers, though. We’re here to advocate for an injustice to be corrected, one that’s long overdue: Marques Johnson belongs in the Hall of Fame. Even if we’re just evaluating him on his broadcasting, I think he could get in. After returning to Milwaukee and introducing himself to a new generation of Bucks fans as the team’s lead color commentator, Johnson gained legions of fans with his witticisms and cerebral, mellifluous descriptions of the action on the floor. Folks around the league know it too: he has high-profile writer fans like Zach Lowe, and Awful Announcing named the Bucks booth a top-ten unit in their quadrennial NBA Announcer rankings twice.

Johnson would have to keep broadcasting for another decade or two to make it in on those strengths, which are a feather in the cap of a player whose case is already strong enough. Though he was traded to the Clippers for Terry Cummings, Craig Hodges, and Ricky Pierce (all important Bucks in their own rights as well) in 1984, Johnson accumulated enough numbers in his seven years as a Buck to rank among the franchise’s leaders in multiple categories. Even to this day, he remains top 10 in minutes played, field goals, field goal percentage, free throws, points, rebounds, blocks, steals, triple-doubles, box plus-minus, PER, and win shares. His number 8 was deservedly retired by the team in 2019.

That production earned him plenty of recognition in terms of the usual benchmarks for Hall of Fame players. The original MJ (yes, when the MJ everyone knows had a poster of you in his dorm room at UNC, you’re the original MJ) made three All-NBA teams, including a First Team selection in just his second season. He also made five All-Star games while Nelson helped transform him from not only a scorer and rebounder but into one of the NBA’s first point forwards, averaging at least 20.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 3.5 APG (over 4.0 three times) nearly every year in Milwaukee. Those were somewhat unheard-of numbers for small forwards in the late 70s, particularly those who were their team’s primary scoring options. Johnson struggled with substance abuse and personal tragedy in his 20s, checking into rehab at 26. With that in mind, he received the final NBA Comeback Player of the Year award in 1986, his last full season, after returning to his typical scoring averages following his first year as a Clipper.

Had he not suffered a serious neck injury during his third year in LA at age 30, Johnson likely would be in the Hall already with a few more years at that level of play. Lesser-accomplished players like Mo Cheeks, Bill Bradley, and Calvin Murphy are already in. They racked up fewer accolades, some with just a couple thousand more in counting stats, thanks to better longevity. Or they won rings as third fiddles (at best). Then there are names like K.C. Jones and Jamaal Wilkes—guys who had the fortune of being on good teams at the right time and won tons of rings without as much individual glory. Johnson doesn’t belong alongside guys like this?

Furthermore, Johnson’s college accomplishments as a UCLA Bruin are as impressive, if not better, than those of Bradley or Ralph Sampson, the latter of whom is definitely in the Hall based on how dominant he was in the NCAA. While MJ has only one Player of the Year award and All-America selection to Sampson’s three apiece, Johnson has a national championship, John Wooden’s final title in a legendary career. He also had a longer and better NBA career than Sampson. This isn’t to say Sampson shouldn’t be in Springfield—he absolutely should be. This just means there is ample precedence for Johnson.

Yes, some will say that those are not NBA achievements. And to be fair, Johnson is already a member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame. But this is not the NBA Hall of Fame. This is the Basketball Hall of Fame. Its walls are filled with men like Oscar Schmidt and women like Senda Berenson Abbott—people who never touched an NBA court or coached an NBA game because they were that important to the game all over our planet. It’s not always about what you did in the world’s most prestigious league, even if what MJ did on the floor was both outstanding and even verged on revolutionary for those early 80s Bucks squads.

So, will he finally make it this year? Among first-ballot player nominees in 2025, we have surefire first-ballot entrant Carmelo Anthony and two former Defensive Players of the Year: Dwight Howard and Marc Gasol. These three are likely to be in at some point, and all three may enter this year. Let’s take a look at why:

• Though Melo never made an All-NBA First Team and won just three playoff series in his career, topping off with the 2009 Western Conference Finals, he was named to the NBA’s Top 75 for a reason: he’s 12th all-time in points scored. Add in six All-NBA selections (though none were First Team) and a whole bunch of All-Star nods, and there’s little doubt he’ll be in this year.
• Howard is 11th all-time in rebounds and 15th all-time in blocks—numbers that compare favorably with other inductees like Nate Thurmond and Ben Wallace, nearly matching the latter with three DPOYs. He’ll get in at some point, perhaps this year.
• Gasol may one day join his big brother Pau in Springfield, but has fewer accolades than both him and Howard. He does have a late-career ring as a role player in Toronto, though, plus is very accomplished internationally in his native Spain and for their national team with two Olympic silver medals and two FIBA World Cup wins.

But here’s something important: Gasol is part of the international category this year, not the North American group where Johnson and all the other players we’re discussing are found. So MJ doesn’t have to compete with Gasol; that committee enshrines one player per year. The big Spaniard easily has the best resume of this year’s international crop and he won’t need to worry about votes going to other NBA guys.

Unfortunately, a change in eligibility requirements is affecting Johnson’s likelihood in 2025. Last fall, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton seemed to think this would finally be the year MJ got the call:

Johnson has been a finalist three of the past six years and with no likely first-time selections, 2025 seems as if it could be his year. Johnson’s career totals were limited by injury, but he’s a five-time All-Star who was also a legend at UCLA, where he helped John Wooden to his final championship in 1975 and later won national player of the year honors as a senior in 1977.

However, the Hall reduced its waiting period from two to three seasons as of this year, so those three are eligible earlier than expected. Pelton may not have known that when writing, plus he thought Gasol wouldn’t be on the ballot for another few years since he played two more seasons in his native Spain upon leaving the NBA in 2021. Thankfully, Gasol is in a different category.

Other first-timers include Amar’e Stoudemire and Robert Horry. Stat had a fantastic start to his career in Phoenix but tailed off quickly within a year of arriving in New York. But with five All-NBA selections, he may get in sometime soon. Famously, Horry has more NBA championship rings than anyone who wasn’t a part of the Celtics dynasty in the 50s and 60s, though averaged only 7.0 PPG over 16 seasons as a reserve. Big Shot Bob is an important player in NBA history, given the crucial playoff buckets that got him that nickname, but a Hall-of-Famer? I’d be very surprised.

In December, Frank Urbina of HoopsHype deemed Johnson the 14th-best player not in the Hall, beneath Melo, Howard, Stoudemire, several guys who aren’t on this year’s ballot (Shawn Kemp, LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin, Joe Johnson, Derrick Rose, Jermaine O’Neal, and Latrell Sprewell), plus the other holdovers we’ll discuss below. Those last three I listed make little sense to me based on how well—or better—MJ compares in terms of counting stats or individual awards.

Urbina also uses “not winning much” as a demerit against Johnson, “making the playoffs just six times—and getting to the Conference Finals just once over those six chances.” For a guy who played only nine full seasons, that seems pretty good to me. And as any longtime Bucks fan knows, it was impossible to get past the Celtics and Sixers in the early 80s: those Don Nelson teams could take a series from one of them in some years but never both. Plus, Calvin Murphy also made the playoffs just six times, though he got to the 1981 NBA Finals.

Holdover nominees alongside Johnson with a decent argument for Springfield include Tom Chambers, Penny Hardaway, Maurice Lucas, Bill Laimbeer, Shawn Marion, and Buck Williams. Here’s how they stack up:

• Chambers is one of only four retired players (a group that includes Melo) who scored over 20,000 points but aren’t in the Hall. He was picked for four All-Star teams and two All-NBA Second Teams.
• Hardaway was one of the most visible star players of the mid-90s, teaming with a young Shaq for a 1995 Finals appearance and making First Team All-NBA twice.
• Lucas was the leading scorer on Portland’s 1977 championship squad and one of the most prominent power forwards of the late 70s and early 80s, racking up five All-Star berths and making one All-NBA Second Team.
• Laimbeer was a notorious instigator on the Bad Boy Pistons, one of the most famous teams in NBA history, made four All-Star teams, and was a key part of two title-winners.
• Like Laimbeer, Marion is also in the 10,000 rebounds club alongside many inductees, has a few All-Star berths, two All-NBA teams, and somehow didn’t make any All-Defensive teams despite finishing top ten in DPOY voting four times.
• Williams is 16th all-time in boards; the only player with more who isn’t in Springfield is Howard. What Williams lacked in All-Star (three) and All-NBA (one) appearances, the longtime Net and Blazer made up for somewhat with four All-Defensive selections.

Johnson’s NBA case is as good, but probably better than all of these names, not to mention his NCAA body of work. There also are a number of pro and college coaches who stand a chance, notably first-time nominees Rivers and Mark Few. They are also eligible in the North American category, along with players and even referees, so interestingly, Rivers is competing with Johnson for a spot.

While things got a lot tougher once the eligibility requirements were cut by a year, all is not lost for Johnson. In 2026, presumptive new nominees are questionable: Andre Iguodala, Blake Griffin, John Wall, and Aldridge. Had it not been for the inclusion of Melo and Howard, Johnson’s main competition in 2025 might have been just Stoudemire and the other holdovers. Even if this all doesn’t work out, he could always get in from the veteran’s committee, which requires players to be retired for 35 years. MJ’s final game was in November 1989, so he should be eligible there if he falls off the North America list, though he did play briefly in Italy in 1990.

The good news is that Johnson isn’t currently in danger of falling off the ballot, it seems. Per the Hall:

If a nominee receives zero affirmative votes for three consecutive years, that nominee’s candidacy is suspended for five years after which time he/she may again be reviewed by the appropriate Screening Committee. There is no limitation on the number of years a nominee may be considered for Enshrinement by a Screening Committee provided that the nominee receives at least one affirmative vote in any given three-year period.

MJ was last a finalist in 2022 and probably received at least one yes in the years since. So long as he gets a minimum of one affirmative from the nine-member North American committee, he’ll continue sticking around. Furthermore, if a finalist isn’t elected for five consecutive years, their nomination is suspended for five years. As a finalist from 2018–2022, he just missed out on that cut.

Finalists are revealed tomorrow, and there are only two other names (Anthony and Howard) that merit induction more than Johnson. He needs to be a finalist again this year, and a plaque with his face on it needs to be where it belongs in Springfield, Massachusetts. MJ was a more impactful player both in the NBA and to basketball as a whole than any almost other nominee, including the holdovers. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is about what you mean to the game of basketball, and basketball is better because of Marques Johnson.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/2/13/...johnson-naismith-basketball-hall-of-fame-ucla

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Tracking Poll Results: Week 16

Photo by David Berding/Getty Images

Reaction to the Kyle Kuzma trade is lukewarm so far.

In this week’s Tuesday Tracker, we asked you about the Khris Middleton trade return and Kyle Kuzma’s place on this team. Within that latter part, we wanted to know whether or not he’s a long-term fit and, in the short term, what his role should be with the team. Here are the highlights:

• While a solid 76% of 600+ fans polled approved of trading Middleton, fewer (52%) approved of the trade that eventuated, with 29% not in favor.
• Though there seems to be a subset of fans who think the Bucks didn’t get a fair return, 58% of respondents to our poll think that Kuzma, Jericho Sims, and two second-round picks were of equivalent value to Middleton, AJ Johnson, and a first-round pick swap.
• Voters have a 54-46 split in terms of whether or not Kuzma will remain with the team long-term; the majority think he will, but 33% of those who don’t think he’ll be moved this summer.
• Most (64%) would like Kuzma to start next to Giannis, with slightly over half of those who feel that way thinking Taurean Prince should head to the bench over Andre Jackson Jr.
• While opinions on Doc Rivers remained constant, GM Jon Horst enjoyed an 18% bump in his approval rating after the deadline.

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Thanks again for voting! Check back on Tuesday for another slate of questions.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/2/14/...le-kuzma-khris-middleton-doc-rivers-jon-horst

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Marques Johnson named a finalist for 2025 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-USA TODAY NETWORK

The Bucks legend on the floor and behind the mic is yet again closer to a deserved honor.

As part of All-Star weekend, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the finalists for its 2025 class, and I’m very pleased to report that former Bucks All-Star forward and current TV analyst Marques Johnson is once again among them! You can read the full announcement from the NBA here. Johnson is one of 17 finalists across multiple categories that include players and coaches on both the men’s and women’s sides, international leagues, referees, and off-court contributors. Here is how the Hall described him as a finalist:

A five-time NBA All-Star (1979–81, ’83, ’86) and three-time All-NBA selection, including first-team accolades in 1978–79, Johnson averaged 20.1 points and 7.0 rebounds during his 11-year NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks (1977–84), Los Angeles Clippers (1984–87), and Golden State Warriors (1989–90). Selected third overall in the 1977 NBA Draft, Johnson played a key role in leading UCLA to the 1975 NCAA national championship under Hall of Fame coach John Wooden. Credited with pioneering the “point forward” role, Johnson helped the Bruins to a 98-10 record during his collegiate career and won the inaugural John Wooden Award in 1977. The Bucks retired his No. 8 jersey in 2019.

As I wrote yesterday, this is a long-overdue honor for not only a Bucks legend but a very important figure in basketball history. Johnson was a finalist from 2018–2022 but had to compete with the likes of all-timers like Ray Allen, Grant Hill, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Manu Ginobili, and even teammate Sidney Moncrief. This year, former NBA players he’s up against include shoo-in Carmelo Anthony, likely inductee (at some point) Dwight Howard, and fellow longtime holdover Buck Williams.

Johnson is part of the North American category and is thus a finalist alongside men’s players, coaches, referees, and teams. That means he’s competing not only alongside Melo, Howard, and Williams but also current Bulls head coach Billy Donovan (winner of two national titles at Florida before coming to the NBA), longtime Gonzaga coach Mark Few (the winningest NCAA coach ever with at least 600 wins), accomplished Division III coach Jerry Welsh, 32-year NBA referee Danny Crawford, and the gold-winning 2008 US Olympic basketball team, aka “The Redeem Team.” The candidacies of these eight nominees will join that of MJ’s before the North American Honors Committee, where they need to secure from 18 of its 24 members for enshrinement in Springfield. Per the Hall, that committee consists of “Hall of Famers, basketball executives and administrators, members of the media, and other experts in the game of basketball.”

Somewhat surprisingly, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers wasn’t named a finalist this year, his first on the ballot. However, at eighth all-time in wins, just 12 and 32 behind Hall-of-Famers Phil Jackson and former Milwaukee head coach George Karl for seventh and sixth, respectively, it’s clear Doc will make it at some point. Another notable omission was former Defensive Player of the Year and three-time All-Star Marc Gasol, though he was part of the international category, passed over by former Yugoslavian/Serbian national team coach Dusan Ivkovic. A variety of women and contributors also got nods, but they have their own committees separate from Johnson’s.

The 2025 class will be announced on Saturday, April 5 at the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio. A hearty congratulations from all of us on staff here at Brew Hoop to Marques and the entire Johnson family. We’ve got all digits and limbs crossed for April 5th, hoping that 2025 is FINALLY the year!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/2/14/...t-2025-class-naismith-basketball-hall-of-fame

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Podcast Roundup: Ryan Rollins isn’t injured?

Plus a Kyle Kuzma exclusive interview.

Just a few podcasts for you this week over All-Star weekend. As usual, we begin with the home team. Though the Deer Diaries crew didn’t get together last weekend, enjoy this on-location insight from Kyle Carr, who was in the stands for the Bucks-Sixers tilt on Sunday:

1995 NCAA champion Kris Johnson and his dad, 2025 Basketball Hall of Fame finalist Marques Johnson have a post-deadline episode where they wax poetic about Khris Middleton’s tenure in MIlwaukee, giving him his flowers over highlights of his big shots over the last decade plus. The Johnsons then discussed Kyle Kuzma’s addition to the team, complete with some video highlighting Kuz’s footwork, post moves, and driving ability. Knicks legend and broadcaster Walt “Clyde” Frazier even drops in briefly for some thoughts on Jericho Sims. The pod begins with a short interview between MJ and Kuz at a recent practice:

Additionally on Bucks+ this week, Gale Klappa has a conversation with Bucks GM Jon Horst about the deadline moves. He has some Middleton thoughts that aren’t much different than what we already heard earlier in the week, but he did have an interesting take on Ryan Rollins. As we’ve noted, Rollins is both coming up on his two-way limit and dealing with a shoulder injury. However, Horst indicates in this interview that Rollins is not only healthy, but he is seemingly no longer playing through an injury. Draw your own conclusions here:

You can also check out these podcasts on the Bucks’ webpage at nba.com/bucks/plus.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-podc...-kuzma-khris-middleton-ryan-rollins-jon-horst

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

NBA All-Star Saturday Night Recap: Dame and AJax come up short

Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Neither Buck advanced in their respective events: the Three-Point Contest and Dunk Contest

The Milwaukee Bucks had two players participating in the NBA All-Star Saturday night festivities. First, it was Damian Lillard attempting a three-peat in the three-point contest. And then we had the high-flying Andre Jackson Jr. competing in the dunk contest.

As our Riley Feldmann laid out in the Milwaukee Bucks 2025 All-Star weekend guide, the rules to the three-point contest seem to get more confusing each year, but here’s a quick refresher on how the contest currently works:

“Each player gets 70 seconds to run through five racks of five balls each (one of which is a special Starry (mmmm!) ball) where a make with a regular ball is worth one point and a Starry ball worth two. There are also two special Starry Range balls further out worth three points if you make it. From there, just make more than the other guys to be one of three guys to advance to the final and do it over again.”

Round one got off the mark with Brooklyn swingman Cam Johnson who, while having a terrific season with the Nets, did not perform well with a score of 14. Cleveland’s Darius Garland was next up; the two-time All-Star is not known for his standstill shooting ability but lit the nets on fire in the opening round with a top score of 24, including six money-balls. Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, another first-time All-Star, bowed out with a score of 16, looking “very casual out here” according to Reggie Miller. Cunningham’s unimpressive performance was followed by an even less impressive showing by Clippers guard Norman Powell, who topped out at a final score of 14.

Heat guard and Milwaukee native Tyler Herro struggled out of the gate, using a lot of legs in his shots, but found a rhythm late to get a score of 19 (he even made the first Starry ball of the night! Woohoo!). Knicks star Jalen Brunson started very well, making four of his first five shots, and maintained just enough to finish with a score of 18. And then Warriors bomber Buddy Hield put everyone to shame, making both Starry balls (!) and 20 out of a possible 27 shots on his way to a competition-tying 31.

And then was the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Damian Lillard going for the competition three-peat. Dame got off to a great start with four of his first five makes, but unfortunately, that rhythm faded for the rest of the spots (other than the left wing, where he made 4/5). Lillard was knocked out with a final score of just 16. Buddy Hield, Darius Garland, and Tyler Herro were the finalists.

Tyler Herro kicked off the final round with a solid score of 24. Herro’s best rack was the top of the key, where he went 4/5, but he also made 3/5 on his money-ball rack, which really helped juice up his total. Darius Garland did not follow up his first-round masterclass in a similar fashion, making just 10 of a possible 27 shots and ending with a score of 17.

So it then came down to Buddy Hield needing to beat Herro’s score of 24 to win. Hield started off badly, going 0/5 on his first rack. He then made at least 3/5 from his next three racks (as well as one of the Starry shots). It was going to be tough but not impossible for Hield to win; he had a score of 15 going into his money-ball rack and would’ve had to make all five shots to win. Hield made four (!) and lost by just one. Wisconsin’s own Tyler Herro was crowned this season’s three-point champion. Whew!

In the locker room afterward, Dame said he was retiring from the Three-Point Contest. He’s one of six players with two victories in the shootout, joining Peja Stojakovic, Jeff Hornacek, Mark Price, Jason Kapono, and Steph Curry. Larry Bird and former Buck Craig Hodges both won three.

Next, we were onto the Dunk Contest, where Andre Jackson Jr. followed Spurs rookie Stephon and Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis. After appearing to slip a little bit on his first attempt, which appeared to be a running 360 windmill from the elbow, he tried it again unsuccessfully before abandoning the spin. That didn’t work either, so he just went for a garden-variety windmill off a bounce. No dice. Finally, he went for a pretty banal two-handed flush, but at least he was able to throw one down, unlike Buzelis. That netted him a score of 43.8 from the judges.

Two-time reigning champion and Magic two-way guard Mac McClung channeled Blake Griffin by dunking a ball handed to him from the moonroof of an automobile and over said automobile (a perfect 50). Jackson then went for his second dunk. From the baseline, he thrice tried to execute a spinning midair alley-oop that was banked to him off the side of the backboard to no avail, so he instead opted for a one-handed windmill after streaking in from above the break. That earned him a 45.0, enough to surpass Buzelis, but Castle and McClung both made good on their first attempts. Their scores of 49 and 50, respectively, eliminated AJax.

McClung went on to defeat Castle in the final round, becoming the first player ever to win three Dunk Contests in a threepeat. But Jackson need not worry! He follows these Bucks to be eliminated in the initial round of the Dunk Contest (no Buck has ever even advanced): Paul Pressey, Ray Allen, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Pat Connaughton. Those guys had pretty great careers in Milwaukee!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/2/15/...-dunk-contest-damian-lillard-andre-jackson-jr

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

NBA All-Star Game Recap: Damian Lillard helps Team Shaq to “championship”

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Three ball and Dame Time

The 2025 All-Star game had a new format, but that didn’t stop the Milwaukee Bucks from having a player represent them. Leading vote-getter Giannis Antetokounmpo withdrew from the game due to a calf injury; though he was present for the festivities, Damian Lillard still played. Lillard was a member of Team OG, led by Shaq, and played their first semifinal game against Candace Parker’s team, the winner of the Rising Stars game on Friday night. The team to score 40 points first wins.

First, Dame participated in a Mr. Beast challenge where a fan named Jaren had to make one logo three before Dame made three for $100k. Lillard made the first two, but Jaren made his right at the Buzzer to win $100k. After that, Dame started for Team Shaq, and the team got out to an early 15-10 lead, assisting a Jayson Tatum dunk and draining a three himself. After the time out, Lillard was on the bench as Team Candace hung around with Team Shaq for a stretch. Dame re-entered the game; he made a three, putting Team Shaq three points away from winning. The team tried ending the game with a three but missed their last few shots. After assisting KD with a dunk to put team Shaq at 39, Lillard missed a step back and closed the game with a three, giving his team a 42-35 win, as Dame led all scorers with 9 points.

In the championship, Dame and Team Shaq faced off against Team Charles Barkley, who had players including Nikola Jokic and Karl Anthony-Towns. Team Shaq got off to an 11-1 start, with Dame recording an assist. After a lengthy break, which included a lovely tribute to the Inside The NBA crew for their final NBA All-Star Weekend coverage (on TNT, at least), play resumed. Dame did not play the remainder of the game as Steph Curry and Jayson Tatum carried Team Shaq to a 41-25 win and became the champions. I would say Dame was the MVP of the first game, but Golden State Warrior Steph Curry won All-Star MVP on his home floor.

Dame was asked by Ernie Johnson how he felt about the change of format, and he answered by saying it did provide more competition, which was good. I agree that the semi-final games were more competitive than the final. This format can work with some more tweaks, but I also think fans need to treat this as a glorified exhibition and nothing more.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/2/16/24367042/milwaukee-bucks-nba-all-star-game-damian-lillard

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Moneyball? The CBA, econo-free fandom, and parity

Photo by Paras Griffin/WireImage

Reflections in the wake of the trade deadline

The NBA trade deadline is officially in the rearview mirror. We here at Brew Hoop did our best to keep you up to date with the ins and outs of everything that happened and could have happened.

Part of that coverage is on-court analysis, like the fit of potential trade candidates. But part of that coverage—and an increasing part—is off-court analysis, primarily in terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that governs the NBA: the trade candidate articles report deals that satisfy the CBA, our homepage features this excellent “one-stop shop for all your salary sheet questions,” and so on.

A broadside against this outsized role of economics in the NBA recently graced the hallowed pages of The Atlantic. You can read it here, although there will likely be a paywall (my forthcoming arguments against the article notwithstanding, they are worthy of your support, especially after bolstering their roster of journalists after WaPo ironically died in darkness).

The article starts on solid ground. As per its title, “economists took over the NBA.” I agree! See: the previously linked one-stop shop. From there, the article makes two primary arguments. The honeymoon didn’t last; I disagree with both.

Let’s start with the first: “NBA fandom has become strangely complicated.” It continues:

Closely following the sport now requires fans to have a passing knowledge of a 676-page labor agreement, an expansive vocabulary of business jargon, and a deep memory bank of contractual concepts. You can still enjoy the league passively, happily tuning in to big games and catching up on highlights through social media. But to love the NBA these days is to be drawn into a world where such simplicities, upon which sports fandom was founded, have begun to disappear.

The author even begins the final paragraph with “sports fans seeking fewer complications in their life may choose to seek more easily digestible fun elsewhere.” An example of such fun? The Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight. WOOF.

I can see where they are coming from. There is a reason that Brew Hoop covers these complications: they’re important! They shape who is on the court for the Bucks and thus shape the sport.

Yet, there is a reason that our managing editor-slash-BO$$MAN Van Fayaz refers to himself as a “cap sicko” (I prefer). Although there is a non-negligible chance that we’re all just sickos, I’ll speak for myself and dodge that label.

Rather, I identify as an econo-free fan. Am I aware that something called an MLE exists? You betcha. Could I tell you literally anything about it? Not really. I know more about Emily Blunt.

But does that mean that I “enjoy the league passively, happily tuning in to big games and catching up on highlights through social media?” No! I watch almost all of the games and write weird articles like this. The economics of basketball are but one tentacle of the oozing octopus we call the NBA, and I am more attached to the suction cups of other tentacles (like in-game entertainment).

And as it happens, some of those tentacles were roped into the article’s second argument: that economic attempts for parity reduce the league’s appeal by limiting successful (and potentially small-market) teams. In the author’s words, “winning teams with marketable stars are what captures the public’s imagination, yet the league is unintentionally kneecapping successful, and thus expensive, teams.”

That’s why the NFL, with its salary cap, has no successful teams or marketable stars. And why my imagination has been captured by the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are able to do so much with so little.

To be clear, a salary cap does not preclude greatness, and greatness bought is less inspirational than greatness earned. But there’s a catch: what if that backfires against small-market teams like ours?

The Minnesota Timberwolves, coming off their best season in decades, traded Karl-Anthony Towns—a homegrown star they’d signed to a supermax in 2022—because his contract was suddenly going to become onerously expensive. The Dallas Mavericks recently shocked the sporting world by trading Luka Dončić, widely agreed to be one of the best young players the NBA has ever seen, in large part because of a belief that his poor conditioning made an impending $345 million contract extension untenable for the franchise.

Later in the article, the author laments that “it’s hard to stomach the notion that a player such as the Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, one of basketball’s brightest young players, must stand by and watch his team be made worse purely for preemptive financial reasons.”

No, it’s not! The Timberwolves aren’t being singled out. All teams—the Bucks included!—are being “made worse purely for preemptive financial reasons”...

...or at least they would be, were it not for the fact that the NBA, various apron shenanigans notwithstanding, doesn’t really have a salary cap. This means that the Knicks acquired KAT in part because they (quoting The Atlantic piece linked above) “have a wealthy owner apparently willing to pay a big bill over multiple seasons.” Not everyone can be great, but it’s easier for teams with deep-pocketed owners (which, to an extent, includes the Bucks!), and it’s harder for teams with owners more focused on spending money off the court than on the court.

I know that true parity can never exist. As strong as a case that Giannis makes, players will find Miami preferable to Milwaukee until the former is underwater (and maybe not even then). But all the machinations of the CBA that purport to support parity by keeping small-market teams on par with the coastal elites—supermax extensions, Bird rights, etc.—are peanuts to having an actual (and, for the players’ union’s sake, big and ever-increasing) salary cap.

So I guess I’m not an econo-free fan after all. On the plane of the NBA, I fly Basic Econo-free, where the tradeoff of no legroom is knowing that none of the other passengers have any legroom either. The MLB and its first-class passengers have lost me because of economics. The NBA hasn’t done the same, but it could keep me in my seat for good because of parity.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/2/17/24365353/moneyball-the-cba-econo-free-fandom-and-parity

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Fans and oddmakers favor Damian Lillard in the 3-Point Contest

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Andre Jackson Jr. has support for the dunk contest too

As you likely know, this is NBA All-Star Weekend, and while festivities got underway in San Francisco yesterday with the Celebrity Game and Rising Stars competition, the highest-profile events this evening. On tap at the Chase Center, this evening is All-Star Saturday Night, beginning with the Skills Challenge (yawn) and followed up by two competitions featuring two different Milwaukee Bucks. First, we’ll have Damian Lillard in the Three-Point Contest, followed by Andre Jackson Jr. in the Dunk Contest.

Lillard is going for his third straight victory in the Three-Point Contest, becoming just the second Buck to ever win it—Ray Allen was the first, of course. Last year, Dame became the first repeat winner since Jason Kapono, but if he comes out on top again, he’ll be the third shooter to ever threepeat and the first since former Buck Craig Hodges in 1992 (though Hodges was a Bull when he won his contests). The other threepeat-er is none other than Larry Bird.

Naturally, fans around the nation think he’ll do it again, per SB Nation Reacts:

Not only do fans think Dame will capture another title in the shootout, FanDuel Sportsbook also lists him as the favorite at +280. Buddy Hield and Norman Powell are the next closest in the eight-man field at +450.

Also trying to win his third straight event at All-Star weekend is Magic two-way guard Mac McClung (he of only five career NBA games!) in the Dunk Contest. That would be the first-ever threepeat in the competition, and McClung would join 5’9” legend Nate Robinson as the only players to win thrice. Second-year Bucks wing Andre Jackson Jr. will try and thwart McClung: FanDuel has him at +550, just ahead of Stephon Castle and Matas Buzelis, but all significantly behind the reigning champion (-190). Fans, however, are more optimistic in AJax:

Best of luck to the shooting and dunking Bucks this evening. Jack Trehearne and I will be streaming the competitions on our Playback channel if you’d like to join us!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/2/15/...unk-contest-nba-all-star-weekend-fanduel-odds

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Vote in the Brew Hoop Tuesday Tracker: Changing odds and All-Star festivities

Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Tracking the larger sentiments of Bucks fans week by week.

As they have basically every season since 2019, the Bucks came into this season with designs on winning a title. But as their key pieces aged, they went from a team within the top three clearest-cut title favorites from 2019–2023ish, Milwaukee was surpassed by other title-winners like Denver and Boston as they endured early playoff exits due to key injuries. Still, to begin the season, they were sixth at +1000 per FanDuel’s odds, in the same general range as Denver, Minnesota, Dallas, and OKC. Though they haven’t fallen as far out as Minnesota and Dallas, they now sit outside the league’s upper echelon.

Or do they? If we go by FanDuel’s odds today, the Khris Middleton-Kyle Kuzma trade only marginally dropped their title chances from +2800 on February 1 to +3300 today. That puts the Bucks in a distant seventh, behind the Celtics (+175), Thunder (+200), Cavs (+900), Nuggets (+1300), Knicks (+1400), and Lakers (+1800). Interestingly, they’re ever so slightly ahead of Memphis, the West’s second seed, who is +3400 but has the league’s fourth-best record and is a full 6.5 games up on Milwaukee. Would that fall of 400 happened even with Middleton? Perhaps that’s what Vegas thinks.

In this week’s Tuesday Tracker, we want to know if you think Vegas is overestimating the Bucks’ odds of winning a second title in five seasons or if teams beneath them are safer bets. We also have a few questions about your thoughts on this year’s All-Star format, the latest in a line of experiments.

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As always, this poll will be open until midnight Central on Friday, and we’ll post the results later that day. Thanks for voting!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/2/18/...nship-odds-fanduel-all-star-game-dunk-contest

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Los Angeles Clippers Preview: The home stretch begins

Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images

The Bucks try to begin the home sprint the right way

The Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers end their season series tonight in the first game back from the All-Star break. The Clippers won the first matchup this season behind 40 points from James Harden.

Where We’re At​

With Giannis last playing against the Memphis Grizzlies on the 3rd, the Bucks have traded wins and losses in each game, going 3-3 in their last six. Most recently, they beat the Philadelphia 76ers, lost to the Golden State Warriors the night after, and somehow downed the Minnesota Timberwolves with no Giannis or Dame.

After losing three straight prior, the Clippers entered the break on a three-game win streak, beating the Utah Jazz (twice) and the Memphis Grizzlies. LA remains a really solid defensive team; it’s just a matter of if they can score enough to win.

Injury Report​

For the Bucks, Giannis (left calf strain), Dame (right hamstring strain), and AJax (right wrist sprain) are all questionable. However, Doc said everyone practiced yesterday. The Clippers have a clean bill of health.

Player To Watch​

Was there ever a more deserving player for this section than Bucks-killer Norman Powell? Powell is having an All-Star-calibre season, averaging 24.2 PPG on 42.8% from three. Fun fact: Norman averages 14.9 PPG against the Bucks for his career, a mark that exceeds his average against most other teams in the NBA, of course.

How To Watch​

FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 7:00 p.m. CST.

Playback Streaming​

We are streaming the game live on our Playback and YouTube channels. Read on to find out how you can get NBA League Pass on us!

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/2/20/...-preview-start-time-tv-schedule-injury-report

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Bucks 116, Clippers 110

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Milwaukee comes back from the All-Star break with a win

In the first game back since the All-Star break, the Milwaukee Bucks toppled the Los Angeles Clippers, 116-110. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for the Bucks with 23 points while Kawhi Leonard’s 25 points registered as a game-high.

NBA.com Box Score

In his pre-game presser, Doc Rivers mentioned that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard would both be active but with a minutes restriction. Dame played the entire first quarter while Giannis played just five. Neither of them brought scoring early on, as Kyle Kuzma’s nine points led the way for the Bucks. He also hit a half-courter as time expired, slicing the Clippers’ lead to just a point at 29-28 after a quarter of play.

Milwaukee would gain some momentum from the big man around the midway of the second quarter, as Brook Lopez’s drained a pair of threes. Those shots helped catapult the Bucks back in front. For good measure, he’d hit another fading three later on. Those threes were monumental in the Bucks seizing control with a 57-50 lead at half.

Turnovers began to really dismantle Milwaukee in the third quarter. Sloppiness defined the frame, with Los Angeles’ defense frustrating the Bucks on what seemed to be every possession. Through three quarters, Los Angeles had forced 15 turnovers, which was the leading ingredient in them securing an 89-80 advantage going into the fourth.

Giannis really began to come alive in the fourth quarter, leading the way for Milwaukee to get right back in the thick of things. In fact, a timely run by the Bucks gave them a five-point advantage with two minutes left in regulation. A Taurean Prince 3-pointer with a minute to go then served as the dagger in this one, putting Milwaukee well on the path to a 116-110 victory.

Stat That Stood Out​

There were a lot of timely shots in this one, but Brook Lopez was big from beyond the perimeter. On a night where Damian Lillard struggled to find his shot, he stepped up in a big way, connecting on four threes. It seemed that each one he hit was bigger than the last. When the Bucks needed him, he was able to step up in a big way on the offensive end, finishing with 22 points.

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/2/20/...ore-recap-giannis-antetokounmpo-kawhi-leonard

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Washington Wizards Preview: Visiting an old friend

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Team won’t have to wait long to face Khris Middleton

With their post-All Star Break off to a positive start, the Milwaukee Bucks will look to maintain momentum in a road (SEGABABA) tilt against the Washington Wizards. Funny enough, it looks likely that tonight will also be Khris Middleton’s debut as a Wizard since being shipped out of Milwaukee a few weeks ago. The spectacle! The excitement! This league!

Where We’re At​

It’s been an eventful few weeks, hasn’t it? With Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined for the stretch run into the All-Star Break, the Bucks managed to go 3-3 to retain position in the East’s playoff pecking order. An active deadline saw Khris Middleton depart and Kyle Kuzma (Washington homecoming alert!) arrive. To put a cherry on top, Bobby Portis got himself suspended for 25 of Milwaukee’s remaining 29 games. Last night, though, the group rose above the churn with Antetokounmpo back in the starting lineup in a 116-110 win over the visiting Clippers. That makes it two straight wins against Western Conference playoff teams and a 3-2 mark since the trade deadline. With both Giannis and Damian Lillard on minutes restrictions, the question tonight is how deep coach Doc Rivers goes in the bench to fill out a rotation.

For the Wizards, a ho-hum season of losing their rears off has continued apace. At 9-45 and losers of four straight, Washington was in no rush to push deadline acquisitions like Middleton or Marcus Smart into actual playing time before the break. Their last outing was a 130-134 (OT) defeat to the Indiana Pacers back on February 12th. Jordan Poole put up 42 points (on 29 shots), and the Wiz were able to grab a 19-point lead in the third quarter before doing the understaffed tanking team thing and eventually losing.

What matters for Bucks fans, though, is that Khris Middleton is available for Washington in what dramatists would label a “potential revenge game.” Find the courage to bear witness and weep:

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A post shared by Washington Wizards (@washwizards)​

Injury Report​

It is too early in the day for the Bucks to have submitted a report, so we’ll update this when they submit one this afternoon. Again, we note that Giannis and Dame are on a minutes restriction, so their availability is TBD. Bobby Portis will miss due to suspension.

Washington has Anthony Gill (right ankle sprain) as questionable, with Malcolm Brogdon (left ankle sprain) and Saddiq Bey (continuing ACL surgery recovery) as out.

Player To Watch​

I somehow always end up with the easy picks for this section. It’s Khris Middleton. For many, it’ll be a bittersweet moment as he takes the floor in an opposing uniform for the first time in over a decade. If you find yourself quietly cheering when he hits a few jumpers over Andre Jackson Jr., that’s okay. We’re only human.

How To Watch​

FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 6:00 p.m. CST.

Playback Streaming​

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Support our site! | BreakingT | ESPN+ | ESPN+ 30 For 30 | fuboTV | Disney+

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/2/21/...-preview-start-time-tv-schedule-injury-report