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[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: 76ers 123, Bucks 114

The Milwaukee Bucks have now lost four out of their last five games after losing to the Philadelphia 76ers, dropping them to a .500 record on the year. Tyrese Maxey had himself a career performance with 54 points, nine assists, and five rebounds. Ryan Rollins tied a career high with 32 points and set a new career high with 14 assists.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

Paul George made his presence known in his second game of the season, going 4/4 for 11 points in the first couple minutes. He was the only scoring Sixer as they built a seven-point lead before Bucks head coach Doc Rivers called a timeout. While other Sixers added to George’s hot start, the Bucks stayed cold. Cream City didn’t even hit double digits until there was 3:47 left in the quarter. Gary Harris hit the first three of the night for Milwaukee, but a Jared McCain three bounced in with 0.6 seconds left to put the Sixers up 33-20 heading into the second quarter.

After only hitting one three in the first quarter, Milwaukee hit two in the first couple minutes of the second to spark a 10-0 run. The Bucks continued to catch fire from three, shooting 6/10 to bring the lead within reach. They finally got their first lead of the night after Rollins found Myles Turner streaking down the lane for a thunderous one-handed dunk. After a 30-foot three-pointer from Maxey tied things up at 55-55, a Rollins layup with two seconds left gave the Bucks the lead at halftime, 57-55. Milwaukee ran a lot of a 2-3 zone and it seemed to stump Philly, as they were held to 22 points on 8/22 shooting from the field and two turnovers in the frame.

Both sides kept it close throughout the third quarter, with neither team getting a lead larger than five points. Philly retook the lead but it didn’t last long as the Bucks, or more aptly Kyle Kuzma, responded. Kruise Control was activated, as he went on a personal 7-0 run to give Milwaukee their largest lead of the night at six points. The Sixers responded, but a layup from Rollins gave the Bucks a four-point lead heading into the fourth, 81-77.

Maxey continued his hot shooting to start the fourth, nailing his fourth three and a step-back mid-range jumper to kick things off. Philly was able to regain and build a two-shot lead, forcing yet another timeout from Doc. After a failed challenge went in favor of the Sixers, threes from AJ Green and Turner tied the game at 101-101 with about three minutes left. Philly took a 104-103 lead, but Myles Turner came up huge with a three to give the Bucks a 106-104 lead with 15 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Maxey was fouled and hit two free throws to tie the game back up with seven seconds left. Rollins had a chance to be the hero, but his fading three was no good, and for the second time this year, the Bucks went to overtime.

The Sixers came out quick in overtime, with five points coming from Justin Edwards on a three-pointer and a Maxey layup for his 49th and 50th points. The Bucks were able to get within one point after a layup from Rollins, but Quentin Grimes hit a three over him to give Philly a four-point lead. After a Rollins mid-range jumper, the Bucks seemed to catch a break when Grimes missed the second of two free throws, but an offensive rebound from Dominick Barlow gave Philly an extra possession where Grimes went 2/2 at the line. That was the end of any chance of a Bucks comeback.

Stat That Stood Out​

Although the zone did work well in spurts, the lack of defensive rebounding from the Bucks was apparent again. Not only did Philly just outrebound the Bucks by 10, they were feasting on the offensive glass with 11 on that end. Meanwhile, the Bucks got just three offensive rebounds, despite Joel Embiid and Adem Bona being out for the Sixers.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...rollins-tyrese-maxey-myles-turner-paul-george

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. 76ers Player Grades: Ryan Rollins’ career day spoiled in third straight loss

The loss of Giannis Antetokounmpo for the Milwaukee Bucks was too much to overcome a nearly healthy Philadelphia 76ers team, losing 123-114 in overtime. This was Philly’s first win over the Bucks since March 4, 2023. It’s also just the sixth win for the 76ers over Milwaukee in the last 24 games, dating back to the 2018-19 season. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

View Link

Player Grades​

Myles Turner​

28 minutes, 14 points, 10 rebounds, 5/13 FG, 3/9 3PT, +1

What really drags down the grade is the low offensive efficiency. I thought Turner looked much better on defense, especially when the Bucks went back to their 2-3 zone look against Philly. If the Bucks are going to survive this Giannis-less stretch, Turner is going to continue to have to step up in these moments.

Grade: B-

Ryan Rollins​

40 minutes, 32 points, 14 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 13/26 FG, 2/8 3PT, 4/4 FT, -15

Rollins continues to rise to the occasion whenever he is called upon. He led the scoring column while having to guard Tyrese Maxey for most of the night. While Maxey did go for a career-high 54 points, hardly any of the blame can go on Rollins’ shoulders. If he can keep this up, the Bucks may have a potential two-way All-Star guard on their hands.

Grade: A

Kyle Kuzma​

38 minutes, 17 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 6/14 FG, 0/3 3PT, 5/7 FT, +1

The Bucks got both ends of the Kyle Kuzma spectrum last night. Kuzma had a solid stretch in the third quarter, scoring seven straight for the Bucks to boost their lead. Yet, the lack of a three-point shot is really holding him back from having a bigger impact. Solid again, but if he could’ve hit one of those threes, it might’ve changed the outcome of this game.

Grade: B-

AJ Green​

36 minutes, 9 points, 6 rebounds, 3/5 3PT, -3

For all the talk of Green’s improvement on the defensive end, and there has been some, his lack of athleticism is always going to hinder him to a degree. There were several plays where he was blown by for easy transition layups.

Grade: C

Gary Trent Jr.​

38 minutes, 11 points, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 4/10 FG, 3/7 3PT, +5

For the first time in what seems like forever, Trent had a positive plus/minus. Gary hit some threes, but he really couldn’t get anything else going offensively. The Bucks need him to break out of this funk and be closer to the player who had those two tremendous games against Indiana in the playoffs.

Grade: B-

Bobby Portis​

28 minutes, 19 points, 8 rebounds, 9/14 FG, 1/1 3PT, -16

Portis was the fifth starter with Giannis sidelined and performed admirably, serving as a scoring factor and release valve. There were a few dumb shots, and his defensive issues are definite drawbacks. Yet, the fact that he was pressed into service with Giannis out and scoring nearly 20 points, I can’t grade much lower than this.

Grade: B

Cole Anthony​

21 minutes, 5 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 turnovers, 2/7 FG, 1/2 3PT, -6

I don’t typically like to pile on a player, but Kevin Porter Jr. can’t come back soon enough. Anthony has become a frustrating watch because you see the positives in his game, only to be reminded of the downsides. Last night alone, he had just under a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio; being the backup point guard, he must be better than that.

Grade: C-

Gary Harris​

20 minutes, 3 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1/1 3PT, -3

Harris was decent enough with what he was asked to do. I would’ve maybe liked to see a bit more aggressiveness in his shooting with the limited touches he got, but he was smart when he did have the ball.

Grade: C

Jericho Sims​

16 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 2/2 FG, -9

Sims did a decent job in his minutes. He rebounded, played solid defense, and scored the way he usually does: dunking it. Not much else you could expect out of the third-string, undersized center with the team’s star player injured.

Grade: C+

Doc Rivers​

The major decision that affected this grade was choosing Bobby Portis over Myles Turner to close in overtime. While he did explain he decided to place a movement shooter out there, it makes little sense to sit your $30m center in those moments. That’s not to say the Bucks would’ve won this game had Turner played all of overtime, but it’s another head-scratching decision by Rivers in a string of those.

Grade: C

DNP-CD: Amir Coffey, Andre Jackson Jr., Mark Sears, Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Inactive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Porter Jr., Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• The Bucks let this game slip away. Milwaukee was up by two points with 14 seconds left in the fourth after a big three from Turner. Doc Rivers talked about how his team not only missed using their foul to give before Maxey got to the rim and was fouled, but the final offensive play when Rollins took a fading three:

“We had a foul to give, and we didn’t execute it. To me, that’s the difference in the game. They executed the foul to give, we didn’t, and we lost. On the first action, if they didn’t commit it, Kuz would’ve been open; the second action we didn’t execute again. I thought we played unbelievably. I thought we played hard overall, but our execution tonight—and I get it, that we had different guys—but some of them we just have to do it (play them). The play (after Philly’s foul) was supposed to be an iso for Ryan coming up, but instead, someone was there setting a pick. It’s just tough to watch sometimes.”

• Rollins talked about the learning experience it was for him to be in that situation to take the final shot of a game:

“I for sure could’ve gotten a better shot than that. I think that’s a growing point for me, just being in that situation for the first time, just learning from it. I know I could’ve for sure got a better shot, just slow it down and got to my rhythm shot, or [Gary Trent Jr.] was wide open in the corner; even when I got to that situation, I could’ve kicked to him for the open shot, but live and learn from the experience.

• If you live online like I do, you might have seen that the Pacers took a jab at Myles Turner during their win over the Charlotte Hornets. On their jumbotron, they pointed out that Isaiah Jackson had recorded his third double-double of the season, while Turner hadn’t done that in Milwaukee yet. That is no longer the case, as Turner picked up his first Milwaukee Bucks double-double.
• Ryan Rollins picked up his second career double-double last night and is the 19th player in Bucks history to record a 30+ point double-double with assists.
• The Bucks are now 1-2 when Giannis sits this season.

Up Next​

Things won’t get easier for the Bucks, as they have the top team in the Eastern Conference coming to town in the Detroit Pistons, who have won 11 in a row. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central on Saturday at Fiserv Forum. If you can’t make it to the game, you can watch on either FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin or NBA TV.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...ollins-myles-turner-cole-anthony-tyrese-maxey

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Philadelphia 76ers Preview: Hold the fort

Following Giannis’ injury in Monday night’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, tonight’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Fiserv Forum had two distinct paths. One was post-apocalyptic—Giannis is out long-term, and tonight’s game matters only as an opportunity for Bucks players to drive stakes into the ground and proclaim that they are a core part of the franchise moving forward. The other was a test of resilience. Backs are against the wall, but the Bucks just have to hold down the fort, fight off the charge, and survive the night. Fight like dogs until the cavalry arrives, and then go on a rampage of their own. With news that Giannis will miss only 1-2 weeks, thank the heavens it’s the latter.

Where We’re At​

Even without the injury to Giannis, recent times have been tough for the Bucks, losing three out of four, with the only win coming in overtime versus the Charlotte Hornets. The Bucks have been porous on defence, giving up an average of 120.5 PPG in that span, and outside of Giannis and Rollins—Myles Turner to a degree, Gary Harris at a stretch—there haven’t been many positives to grasp onto. Now in need of a scoring punch, hopefully tonight is a kick-starter for Gary Trent Jr., whose play has brought back memories nightmares of last year’s early goings—his -21.3 plus/minus over the last four is 10.8 points worse than the second-worst rated Buck, Cole Anthony (who’s shooting just 25% from the field and 17% from three during this stretch). Woof.

After winning their first four games of the season—and five out of six—the 76ers have similarly come back down to earth, essentially trading wins and losses since then. Tyrese Maxey has continued his red-hot start to the season, averaging career highs in points (31.9), rebounds (4.7), and assists (7.8), and will command every bit of Rollins’ defensive acumen if the Bucks are going to grind out a win. Maxey has been well supported by explosive rookie VJ Edgecombe, and wings Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr., who are all putting up over 15 points a night. However, the 76ers continue to manage the injury-plagued duo of Joel Embiid and Paul George, who have played just six and one games, respectively, though our friends at Liberty Ballers are cautiously optimistic about what they can add to the team.

Injury Report​

For the Bucks, Giannis (left adductor; strain), Taurean Prince (neck; surgery) and Kevin Porter Jr. (right knee; meniscus surgery) are all out.

For the 76ers, Kelly Oubre Jr. (knee; LCL strain) and Adem Bona (right ankle sprain) are out. Joel Embiid (right knee; injury management) and Paul George (left knee; injury recovery) both sat out the front leg of their back-to-back against the Toronto Raptors and are questionable.

Player To Watch​

Just two months ago, Trent was ranked as the Bucks’ third most important player and, after what he did in the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers, many projected him to be the team’s second-leading scorer. Averaging just 10.2 PPG on under 40% from the field and having been relegated to the bench, it’s safe to say he hasn’t lived up to the hype. Now, in the absence of Giannis (and Porter), it’s imperative for the Bucks that Trent improves his play. So, sans Giannis, does Doc put Trent back into the starting line-up and move Kyle Kuzma to the four? With a net rating of -25.8 (per Basketball Reference), the data on this five-man line-up suggests that wouldn’t be wise. Of course, Rivers might opt to keep Kuzma at the three and insert Bobby Portis at the four, though this leaves the bench very short on size. Considering this, perhaps a Turner, Portis, Trent, AJ Green, and Rollins line-up suits best. It only has a small sample size—just 8:31 minutes of playing time—but this group does have a +34.3 net rating. At this point, the Bucks only have so many oranges, so they need to squeeze them for whatever juice they’ve got.

How To Watch​

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

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-game...-preview-start-time-tv-schedule-injury-report

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Detroit Pistons Preview: The going gets tougher

Things don’t get any easier for the Milwaukee Bucks, with the East-leading Detroit Pistons in town tonight. This will be the divisional rivals’ first regular-season game against each other this season; that said, the Bucks did beat the Pistons in a preseason game.

Where We’re At​

As has been well chronicled, the Bucks are in a rough patch right now. They were already playing poorly before Giannis got injured, but now have an uphill climb to keep their heads above water without the big fella. Overall, Milwaukee has lost to the Lakers, Cavs, and Sixers over their last three, and they rank a whopping 29th on offence during that span (21st on defence). It’s now at the point where Doc probably needs to start pressing some buttons regarding the rotation, because the status quo isn’t cutting it—seriously, will Cole Anthony ever get benched?

On the other hand, the Pistons are in a whole different world, winners of 11 straight and with an overall record of 13-2. This team is hanging its hat on defence, ranking second on the season in that department; not too shabby on offence either, ranking 12th. In many ways, you could see this coming last year after they hired a great coach in JB Bickerstaff (coaching really, really matters!) and started to establish a culture that looks super fun to be around. Cade Cunningham is already a star, and the development of support pieces like Jalen Duren has been crucial to their uprising. Suffice to say, beating this team will be tough.

Injury Report​

For the Bucks, Giannis (left adductor strain), Kevin Porter Jr. (right knee meniscus surgery), and Taurean Prince (neck surgery) are all out.

For the Pistons, Bobi Klintman (left ankle sprain) and Marcus Sasser (right hip impingement) are out, while Tobias Harris (right ankle sprain) and Jaden Ivey (return to competition reconditioning) are both questionable.

Player To Watch​

Although Cade Cunningham is back now, his point guard understudy, Daniss Jenkins, has been going to work over recent weeks. This guy is currently on a two-way with the Pistons, but has averaged 20.2 PPG, 7.6 APG, and 2.0 SPG over the last five contests; that is wild for a two-way. I watched Jenkins dominate in the G league last year and knew he just needed a chance; well, he got that chance with Cunningham and Sasser injured, and he’s making the most of it. The Bucks must be prepared.

How To Watch​

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

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-game...-preview-start-time-tv-schedule-injury-report

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Pistons 129, Bucks 116

For the first time this season, the Milwaukee Bucks’ record has fallen under .500, losing their fourth game in a row to the Detroit Pistons. Cade Cunningham dazzled for the Pistons, going for 29 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds to lead all scorers, while Tobias Harris added another 18 points. Ryan Rollins once again carried the load for the Bucks offensively, scoring 24 points and dishing out seven assists.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

The opening four minutes of the game weren’t kind to the Bucks on either end of the floor. After opening the game with a Bobby Portis three-point make, the Pistons went on a 13-3 run, prompting a timeout from Doc Rivers. Milwaukee was able to find their footing offensively after the timeout, with Portis making it rain from three to kick-start a 13-7 run. The big man out of Arkansas went a perfect 5/5 in the quarter, as the Bucks got the lead back late. But thanks to a steal and layup by Jaden Ivey and a buzzer-beating three by Duncan Robinson, Milwaukee went into the second quarter trailing by four, 30-26.

Coming into tonight, Andre Jackson Jr. had only played 18 minutes this season, but tonight he got some early run. In the second quarter, he threw a lob to Jericho Sims and then scored his first points of the season, helping the Bucks retake the lead. Detroit came back right and went on a 9-2 run to go back in front, leading to another Rivers timeout. Things didn’t get better, as the Pistons scored seven straight and Rivers called another timeout with the Bucks trailing by their most significant margin to that point at 13. Milwaukee did get it within five with 3:29 to go, but the Pistons showed why they’re currently the number one team in the East. From that point to the end of the quarter, they outscored the Bucks 17-5 to go into the locker room up by 17 points, 69-52.

The Pistons kept their foot on the gas to start the second half, with an immediate Jalen Duren layup and-one. It was part of an opening 12-4 run that put Detroit up by 25 before Rivers called a timeout yet again. To add insult to injury, Portis got hit below the belt after scoring a basket, and the officials didn’t stop play until after Duncan Robinson hit a three-pointer on the other end. The Pistons built their lead up to as many as 29 points. Milwaukee did try and get back into the game, cutting the lead down to 18 with 4:14 to go, but Detroit kept matching their scores and kept the Bucks at arm’s length. When the dust settled, the Bucks went into the fourth quarter down by 19, 104-85.

The Bucks did have a bit of momentum, getting the deficit down to 16 points early, but once again, Detroit snuffed it, swinging back to put a damper on the comeback attempt. They were able to build their lead back up to 24 points with 6:43 left in the game, as they continued their improbable shooting from distance. Milwaukee once again tried to make it a game, but by then, it was too little, too late. Rivers put in his end of the bench with 2:22, as the Pistons coasted to the double-digit victory.

Stat That Stood Out​

Coming into tonight, the Pistons were tied for 21st in the league in three-point shooting percentage at 34.6%, while the Bucks were second in the league at 41.3%. Yet tonight, the Pistons shot a scorching 53.3% (16/30) from beyond the arc, nearly 20 percentage points higher than what they’ve done up to this point in the season. Duncan Robinson led them at 5/6 from deep.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...lins-bobby-portis-cade-cunningham-jalen-duren

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Pistons Player Grades: Detroit’s physical defense stymies Bobby Portis and Co.

The Milwaukee Bucks’ downward trend continued with their fourth straight loss, going down 129-116 to the Detroit Pistons. The win for Detroit not only extends their winning streak to 12 games, but also ends their 13-game losing streak against the Bucks. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

View Link

Player Grades​

Ryan Rollins​

34 minutes, 24 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 9/21 FG, 3/8 3PT, -23

It was a difficult matchup for Rollins tonight, with the Pistons throwing their best defender, Ausar Thompson, at him from the jump. Rollins handled it well in some spots and not so well in others. Having to carry an offense that is severely limited against good defensive players is a tall task, especially for someone who, not too long ago, was on a two-way.

Grade: B-

Myles Turner​

30 minutes, 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, 4/8 FG, 2/6 3PT, -23

The Bucks have to get Turner more involved offensively. They can’t treat him as just a catch-and-shoot big man and a roller. Doc talked about it back at media day that he can operate at the elbow and is an underrated passer. I’d also like to see more of an edge from Turner on the defensive end.

Grade: C-

Kyle Kuzma​

16 minutes, 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 5/10 FG, -12

It’s hard to knock a guy who was sick and had to guard Cade Cunningham. Doc rightfully shut him down for most of the night.

Grade: C

AJ Green​

28 minutes, 15 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 5/10 3PT, -21

Green continued his incredible efficiency from beyond the arc in this one. He seemed sound enough defensively compared to Thursday, and helped the Bucks get back into the game.

Grade: B

Bobby Portis​

25 minutes, 18 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 7/10 FG, 4/5 3PT, -15

Portis was electric in the first quarter, going a perfect 5/5 from the field and 4/4 from the three-point line for 14 points. He obviously slowed down quite a bit for the rest of the game, going 2/5 for four points the rest of the way. He also constantly left Tobias Harris open for three, which Harris made him pay for.

Grade: C

Gary Trent Jr.​

19 minutes, 8 points, 3/5 FG, 2/4 3PT, -3

Trent sat out most of the third quarter, and for good reason. He was getting beaten off the dribble on defense, and his shooting has been off for almost the entire season. All eight of his points came in the second half, when the game was well out of hand.

Grade: D+

Cole Anthony​

14 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 turnovers, 2/5 FG, +10

There have been calls from fans for Doc to bench Anthony in favor of rookie Mark Sears. While I don’t totally agree, I see where some people are coming from. He had over double the amount of turnovers as he did assists, and has been a negative on both ends of the floor.

Grade: D-

Jericho Sims​

24 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3/3 FG, +3

This was a solid game from Jericho. He was aggressive on the boards, played good interior defense, and finally scored on something other than a dunk.

Grade: B

Andre Jackson Jr.​

29 minutes, 6 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 2/6 FG, -3

Coming into the game, Jackson had only been on the floor for a combined 18 minutes this season. He nearly doubled that last night as he got his first chance to play big minutes with Kuzma sick. Overall, it was a good game for the former second-round pick. My only note is that he needs to take some velocity off his passes, as a couple of them bounced off the hands of other Bucks players and landed out of bounds.

Grade: B+

Doc Rivers​

The lack of creativity on offense, especially in ways to involve Turner more offensively than as a catch-and-shoot big. The decision to bring Jackson in over Gary Harris was intriguing, and I think it was a worthwhile shot, especially with Kuzma feeling sick. Outside of that, it ain’t looking good for Rivers.

Grade: C-

Limited Minutes: Gary Harris

Garbage Time: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Pete Nance, Amir Coffey, Mark Sears

Inactive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Porter Jr., Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Kyle Kuzma was added late to the injury report with an illness and still played 16 minutes. Doc Rivers said Kuzma was sick all day and didn’t even show up for practice. Rivers even admitted that he should have taken Kuzma out earlier than he did:

“You could see it early. I almost took him out early, [and] I probably should have. Of all the nights you don’t want to be sick, guarding Cade [Cunningham]. It was a tough one; he wanted to play. I wish I hadn’t played him.”

• Bobby Portis notched his 8,000th point in his NBA career. In his 11-year career, nearly 60% of his points have come with the Bucks.
• The Bucks had 15 turnovers, and 10 of them were outright steals by the Pistons. Detroit’s physical style hampered the Bucks’ offense all night long. AJ Green was asked what the Bucks could do better to counteract the physical defenses they’ll see again.

“Playing together offensively, owning our space. They made it tough on [Rollins] picking up, and we didn’t help him enough early on. The times when we did and we got side-to-side, played the [dribble hand off] game, and got it moving, we got great looks. It’s hard to be physical when there’s pace and the ball is moving, and so offensively, I think we’re doing more of that, and you gotta match the physicality too.”

• For the second year in a row, through 17 games, the Bucks have the same record of 8-9.
• The Bucks are now 1-3 in games where Giannis doesn’t play.

Up Next​

The Bucks will end their three-game home stand on Monday, as the Portland Trail Blazers come to town. It will be the first time since he was waived and stretched this offseason that Damian Lillard will be in Milwaukee. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central time, and you can watch it on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...player-grades-stats-bobby-portis-ryan-rollins

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Trail Blazers 115, Bucks 103

The Portland Trail Blazers outclassed the Milwaukee Bucks in a 115-103 duel tonight. The visitors lived at the free throw line, racking up 15 more attempts than Milwaukee, which fueled their victory. Jerami Grant dropped a game-high 35 points, while Bobby Portis led the Bucks with 22.

Game Recap​

NBA.com Box Score

Portland struck first in the scoring column, with big man Donovan Clingan connecting on a rare three from the wing. Grant, who’s been on fire so far this season, drained one from the same spot on the next possession. The Bucks finally got a hoop at the 8:54 mark: a tough Kyle Kuzma layup. The triples kept flying and hitting home for the Blazers, and they built a quick 16-7 lead before Doc Rivers called timeout halfway through the quarter. Andre Jackson Jr. was an early sub for Milwaukee, and he came out aggressive, taking four shots in his first three minutes (although he only made one). The Bucks’ bench unit as a whole injected some much-needed energy into the game, cutting it to 32-27 Blazers by the end of the opening stanza.

The bench mob continued their surge in the second, with Portis and Cole Anthony knocking down a pair of jumpers off the bat to trim Portland’s advantage to just two. Another Bobby bomb from beyond the arc gave Milwaukee their first lead of the night at the 9:06 mark, but Deni Avdija promptly responded with a three of his own. The ever-confident Portis stayed hot, though, smacking a timeout-forcing three a couple plays later before flexing and yelling at the crowd, which started a chorus of “Bobby” chants from the Fiserv faithful. Unfortunately, while Bobby was rolling, the Blazers continued to stack points and amassed a 10-point lead by the two-minute warning. The visitors were pounding the paint and getting to the free-throw line a lot, finishing the half with 21 FTA compared to Milwaukee’s four (Grant shot 11/14 on his own) and holding 65-53 edge at intermission. Bobby Portis had 20 points in 13 first-half minutes, while Grant led all scorers with 22 through two periods.

A couple buckets from Grant and a free throw from Avdija to kick off the second half gave the Blazers a 15-point advantage, their biggest of the night up to that point. Portland’s size was giving Milwaukee’s multi-guard lineups fits. Myles Turner and Cole Anthony got some stuff going offensively, and the Bucks slimmed the deficit back down to 10 by the 2:30 tick. Grant just kept drawing whistles, though, and the Blazers rebuilt their lead to 92-74 at the end of the third.

A 7-0 sprint for Portland in the first minute-and-a-half of the final frame ballooned their lead to 26. The Bucks were seriously sputtering, struggling to string together scores, stops, or anything positive at all. Milwaukee raised the white flag at the 3:47 mark when Mark Sears, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, and Pete Nance ran to the scorers’ table, cementing yet another tough loss in Giannis’ absence.

Stat That Stood Out​

Milwaukee’s bench outscored Portland’s 59-28, and yet the Blazers still captured the convincing win. That speaks to just how poorly the starters played tonight for the Bucks, something that will be addressed further in the extended recap.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...e-recap-jerami-grant-free-throws-bobby-portis

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Injury Report: Giannis upgraded to questionable

After the Bucks’ losing streak reached five games last night and dropped them to two games below .500 through 18 games, good news was in short supply around the team… until now. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who sustained a right groin strain last Monday in Cleveland, may be returning in the next day or two. Ahead of tomorrow night’s NBA Cup group stage showdown in Miami with the 12-6—and now pretty healthy—Heat, Giannis is listed as questionable with the strain.

An MRI one week ago revealed the strain was minor, as confirmed by Doc Rivers on friend of the site Gale Klappa’s Courtside podcast. Doc said one to two weeks, but hedged by saying Giannis would be out “probably a couple weeks.” Bucks fans know very well about Giannis’ superhuman recovery time and his ability to play elite ball through nagging injuries, so it’s not a shocker he’s back on the lower end of that timespan, having missed the last three.

Conservatively, I and others were anticipating him to be back on Monday, with an outside shot of this weekend. But tomorrow night—if he indeed plays—was not something I expected. He’ll likely test it out in pregame and go through a typical warmup before any determination. He might be on a minutes restriction too. Before last night’s loss to Portland, he did go through some sort of warmup routine, as relayed by Lisa Byington on the broadcast. So that pointed to things going in a positive direction, and is in line with what Doc said a week ago.

Kevin Porter Jr. should also be nearing a return after undergoing right meniscus surgery at the beginning of the month. Doc told reporters last night that he thought KPJ was also close before last night’s game, and he too went through some warmups alongside Giannis. For what it’s worth, Darvin Ham said on Gale’s pod back on November 13th—12 days ago—that Porter was about two weeks away. Though he’s listed as out tomorrow, don’t rule out the possibility of seeing Scoot in the coming days.

Maybe the undefeated group stage dream/Ham NBA Cup domination isn’t a lost cause?

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-inju...pgraded-questionable-groin-nba-cup-miami-heat

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks Poll: Is it time to move on from Doc Rivers?

Last week’s poll experienced a technical issue, and no one could vote for a couple days—apologies—so we kept the polls open into the weekend. While turnout only amounted to 100ish rather than our usual 300–400, we still have some representative answers. Before we move on to this week’s questions, here are those results:

How concerned are you about Giannis’ groin strain?​

Somewhat concerned: 41%

Very concerned: 34%

A little concerned: 18%

Not concerned: 7%

With Giannis out, who should start at the four?​

Kyle Kuzma: 62%

Bobby Portis: 30%

Jericho Sims: 8%

If Kuzma starts at the four, should Gary Trent Jr. re-enter the starting lineup?​

Yes: 51%

No: 49%

How was the last week of games affected your outlook for the season?​

More pessimistic now: 70%

Unchanged: 30%

More optimistic: 0%

At 8-7 through 15 games, where do you expect the Bucks to finish in the East?​

Play-in or worse: 35%

6th: 27%

4th: 16%

5th: 15%

3rd or better: 6%

Do you approve of the job Doc Rivers is doing as the Bucks’ Head coach?​

No: 50%

Undecided: 31%

Yes: 19%

Do you approve of the job Jon Horst is doing as the Bucks’ general manager?​

Yes: 52%

No: 28%

Undecided: 20%

Do you think this Bucks team can win the title as currently constructed?​

No: 76%

Yes: 16%

Undecided: 8%

In this week’s Tuesday Tracker, let us know if you are now even more pessimistic about the Bucks’ postseason chances this season and weigh in on Doc Rivers’ future. Also, a few names to consider from teams potentially selling off out West that could help the Bucks in the short term and perhaps longer. Note that acquiring any of these players would, of course, necessitate trading draft assets, and for salary-matching purposes, at least Kuzma plus Portis. Some would require Myles Turner. As such, any of these deals would have to wait until after December 15th to include Portis and/or Turner.

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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/bucks-poll...-giannis-injury-nba-playoffs-trade-candidates

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Trail Blazers Player Grades: Bobby Portis and Cole Anthony can’t carry struggling starters

The Milwaukee Bucks dropped another game without Giannis last night, this time at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland was superior on both sides of the ball, having their way in the paint and building a 33-18 differential in the free-throw attempts department. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast Bucks In Six Minutes below.

Player Grades​

Ryan Rollins​

30 minutes, 10 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 turnovers, 4/14 FG, 0/4 3P, -15

Rollins faced some serious ball pressure in this one, with Toumani Camara picking him up full court on most possessions. The young guard isn’t quite used to being a marked man yet, and it shows in his struggles from last night. That said, it would be unfair to expect him to have zero growing pains as he adjusts to a lead role.

Grade: C

Myles Turner​

32 minutes, 13 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks, 4/12 FG, 3/8 3P, -12

This was a solid outing for the man in the middle. He made some plays in the third quarter that kept the game from going completely haywire. It would be great to see him get a little more involved offensively with Giannis out, though.

Grade: B

Kyle Kuzma​

27 minutes, 15 points, 6 rebounds, 5/9 FG, 1/1 3P, 4/6 FT, +5

Kuz played the type of complementary basketball we want to see from him consistently. Most of his points were easy play finishes, not forced awkward off-the-dribble faders. He probably should have been more aggressive, honestly.

Grade: B

Bobby Portis​

26 minutes, 22 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 9/15 FG, 4/5 3P, -5

Bobby was *the* spark in this one. The Bucks won the bench point battle handily, and much of that is thanks to the Mayor. He scored 14 points in the second quarter alone, a run that nearly blew the roof of Fiserv Forum. The fact that he had 20 points at halftime and finished the game with just 22 is not ideal, though, and he probably should have gotten more touches and looks down the stretch ahead of garbage time.

Grade: A

AJ Green​

22 minutes, 6 points, 2 rebounds, 2/7 FG, 1/6 3P, -31

What does AJ Green do when he’s not hitting threes? Apparently, he doesn’t play defense anymore; he couldn’t do anything but hack away on that end when matched up against Jerami Grant. Dairy Bird’s game-low plus/minus of -31 emphasizes just how much of a non-factor he was in this loss.

Grade: D

Gary Trent Jr.​

32 minutes, 12 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3/7 FG, 2/4 3P, 4/5 FT, +9

Trent did his job. He hit a few shots. Considering how much plus/minus has hated him as of late, seeing him lead the team in that category is a pleasant surprise.

Grade: B

Cole Anthony​

17 minutes, 16 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 8/12 FG, 0/3 3P, -15

Besides Bobby, Anthony was the only Buck really getting stuff going offensively across long stretches. This was a nice bounce-back for the streaky guard after some rough performances recently.

Grade: A-

Jericho Sims​

11 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound, 4 fouls, -17

Sims started this game, the first time he’s done so in a Bucks uniform, but he had an extremely quiet outing, which is unfortunate because Milwaukee really needed some help in the size and physicality departments. Foul trouble torpedoed what was a prime opportunity for the big man to earn some more PT.

Grade: D

Gary Harris​

17 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, -1

There’s not much to be said about the elder Gary’s night. He’s a respectable end-of-rotation player; he looked like one tonight, but he probably should have let at least one shot fly.

Grade: C

Doc Rivers​

This team is automatically at a massive disadvantage without Giannis, so it’s tough to heavily fault Doc for things looking rough like they did tonight. However, the repeated defensive lapses have to be addressed, like, yesterday, plus more creativity could have been put into the offense to rescue Rollins from the clutches of Camara and get some real half-court action going.

Grade: C-

Limited Minutes: Andre Jackson Jr., Mark Sears, Amir Coffey, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Pete Nance

Inactive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Porter Jr., Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Doc Rivers on balancing Bobby Portis’ minutes when he’s hot and the starters are struggling:

“It’s kinda misleading cause we took him out at the end, so he probably would have played those minutes as well. But he had a great stretch for us, but Bobby in long stretches struggled as well, you know, 30 minutes is usually like his number. I think if it wasn’t a blowout he probably would have played that.”

• Tiago Splitter on how the Bucks are different when Giannis isn’t playing and how he prepared his team for those wrinkles:

“Well, definitely a team that has a lot of shooting pieces to surround Giannis, it makes sense. So the shooting piece is still there, so you gotta be aware of that. Of course, other players now have more shots; it’s just a different team, but still a very talented team and a dangerous team.”

• Myles Turner has now scored double-digit points in nine of his last 10 games. He’s starting to regain form after his slow start to the year.
• This was only the fifth game this season which AJ Green made less than three triples.

Up Next​

The Bucks will travel to Miami for a Wednesday night NBA Cup showdown against the Heat, looking to keep Darvin Ham’s famous undefeated record alive. You can catch that one on FanDuel Sports Network at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...-stats-bobby-portis-cole-anthony-ryan-rollins

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Heat 106, Bucks 103

The Milwaukee Bucks gave the Miami Heat a big run for their money, but could not emerge victorious, losing 103-106 in a tight tussle. Myles Turner and Ryan Rollins led the Bucks with a combined 50 points. Tyler Herro was awesome for the Heat as he returned from injury, dropping 29 big ones.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

All told, it was a damn good opening stanza for Milwaukee. Their offence was crisp and decisive, allowing them to get to good looks at the end of each possession. AJ Green got the Bucks going with consecutive threes, the second of those coming from deep. Then, for the rest of the quarter, the Bucks made a concerted effort to get it to Myles Turner following screening actions to combat the Heat’s switching defence; Turner made a bunch of great decisions out of those actions, generating scores for himself and others. Of course, the Heat were able to keep up with the Bucks as contributions came from everywhere—Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, and Bam Adebayo being the main culprits—but regardless, it was a solid quarter from the visitors, down 27-29 after one.

Milwaukee’s offence slowed to open the second (despite getting some great looks), but their defence stayed just as good, with the deficit remaining at two points through the opening three minutes. The Heat pulled away slightly after that, as the Bucks went on a 3:37 field goal drought; thankfully, AJ Green put an end to it midway through the period with his third three of the night. Unfortunately, the visitors couldn’t parlay Green’s triple into more offence, shooting just 15% in the quarter at that point; Kel’el Ware and Norman Powell took advantage, extending Miami’s advantage to eight, leading 43-35. The Bucks would respond, though, going on an 8-2 run that Turner and Rollins spearheaded. At the half, the Bucks were down six, 47-53.

Bam Adebayo got the Heat off to a good start in the second half with a three, a shot he is taking 5.3 times per game this season, up from just 2.8 last year. Gary Trent Jr. responded with his own triple in transition, which was then followed by an awesome AJ Green dime off a dribble handoff as he read the low-man help defender cheating to the corner, zipping it to Turner under the hoop. Milwaukee continued to play well on both ends for the next 4-5 minutes, taking a three-point lead with just over four minutes to go after an impressive Rollins step-back three. The Bucks were down four, 77-81, after three.

Milwaukee had done a decent job taking care of the ball up to the start of the fourth, but a Cole Anthony turnover to open the final frame kick-started Miami. That said, the visitors were able to dissect the Heat’s zone fairly easily in the first few minutes, with Portis scoring on back-to-back plays. Unfortunately, another pick-six turnover from the Bucks allowed Herro to score in transition as Doc called a timeout with the home team up 87-81. AJ Green nailed another tough three coming out of the timeout, but that bucket was followed by deep balls from Herro, Pelle Larsson, and Andrew Wiggins, as the Heat’s edge blew out to 12 halfway through the fourth. The Bucks did not give up, though, whittling the Heat’s lead to just three with 47 seconds left after a set of tough threes from Trent. Then, following a missed Rollins free throw, the Bucks got the offensive rebound, and GT had a chance to tie, but he narrowly missed as the Heat escaped with the win.

Stat That Stood Out​

Miami won the game with their depth, beating Milwaukee 36-18 in bench points.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...e-recap-myles-turner-ryan-rollins-bam-adebayo

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Heat Player Grades: Myles Turner’s and Ryan Rollins’ combined 50 points not enough

The Milwaukee Bucks locked in to post their best defensive rating of the young season, but couldn’t get their offence to hum at the same time against the Miami Heat, losing 106-103 in South Beach. Tyler Herro dominated the Bucks with 29 points on 60% shooting, plus seven assists to boot. The Heat now leads the season series 1-0. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast Bucks In Six Minutes below.

View Link

Player Grades​

Ryan Rollins​

41 minutes, 26 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 turnovers, 11/24 FG, 4/14 3P, +6

Rollins started slow, going 3/8 and 1/5 from three in the first quarter, but he picked it up after that, as he has done in the past few games. This definitely wasn’t one of Ryan’s better games, and the turnovers need to come down. That said, Ryan is being relied on to do a lot for the Bucks, along with being at the top of the opponent’s scouting report.

Grade: B

Myles Turner​

31 minutes, 24 points, 8 rebounds, 9/15 FG, 1/5 3P, +11

I loved Turner’s game last night. He is so much better in a fast-paced system where the team is decisive in what action to flow into next. I liked the way he punished the Heat’s switching defence inside and had no hesitation from three, even though it didn’t always go in. Process > results.

Grade: A-

Kyle Kuzma​

29 minutes, 8 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 4/11 FG, +1

Not sure if Kuz is still dealing with the aftereffects of being sick, but he hasn’t had it from a shooting standpoint of late. That said, he is impacting in other ways, and his ability to “know how to play basketball” generally transfers, whether he is making shots or not.

Grade: C+

Bobby Portis​

20 minutes, 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 4/14 FG, 0/3 3P, –7

I actually didn’t mind Bobby’s process last night; I thought his decisions were quick and decisive. It just was not his night from a shooting standpoint. As we know, when BP doesnt make shots, it’s tough for him to be a plus out there.

Grade: C

AJ Green​

36 minutes, 12 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 4/6 FG, 4/6 3P, +5

I thought AJ was pretty damn solid last night. I loved the aggressiveness with which he was coming off DHOs and screening actions, forcing the big to step up and allowing him to find the roller or an open teammate after the roller was tagged. According to the always trustworthy Google AI, this was the first NBA game where Green had recorded eight assists. However, he still needs to limit the silly fouls and improve his defensive awareness.

Grade: B+

Gary Trent Jr.​

34 minutes, 15 points, 2 assists, 5/14 FG, 5/12 3P, +10

Even though the stat line doesn’t look overly great for Trent, I liked the shot distribution. If he’s going to shoot 15 times, make most of them threes (and it felt like most were good shots). I also loved how he stayed confident in his shot and nailed a few crucial ones at the end.

Grade: B+

Cole Anthony​

11 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 0/7 FG, 0/2 3P, -10

I guess it was back to regular scheduled programming for Cole after his first solid game in a while on Monday. As you’ll see in the next segment, it doesn’t sound like Doc is considering removing Anthony from the rotation, which befuddles me.

Grade: F

Jericho Sims​

16 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2/2 FG, -14

Another quiet game from Sims. That said, I didnt think he played badly, even though his plus/minus is not flattering.

Grade: C

Gary Harris​

18 minutes, 3 points, 4 rebounds, 1/2 FG, -17

The only guy with a worse plus/minus than Jericho was Gary Harris. But again, I didn’t think he played all that poorly either. Thought Harris had some good defensive possessions.

Grade: C

Doc Rivers​

Doc coached a solid game, evident from the first tip when the team was very crisp in its sets. I also liked him not calling a timeout on the last play, which would have allowed the Heat to set their defence; Myles Turner got a good look that just rimmed out.

Grade: B

DNP-CD Andre Jackson Jr., Mark Sears, Amir Coffey, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Pete Nance

Inactive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Porter Jr., Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Doc admitted that Cole Anthony is “struggling” and that the coaching staff has to help him through it. “The Kid can play. We’ve just got to keep believing in him,” said Rivers.
• Doc said Giannis wanted to play, but he and the medical staff convinced him not to.
• Among other key areas, the Bucks keep getting beaten at the free throw game; the Heat shot 20 to the Bucks’ 14 in a game they lost by three.
• I said this on Deer Diaries, but the team really is playing so hard, and it sucks for them not to be able to get a W in these non-Giannis games.

Up Next​

The Bucks now travel to New York to face the Knicks on Friday night at MSG. Watch the game at 6:30 p.m. Central on Prime Video.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...-grades-ryan-rollins-myles-turner-tyler-herro

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks have shown interest in Zach LaVine and Anfernee Simons

The Bucks’ offense has cratered without Giannis in the lineup—hopefully ameliorated as soon as tonight—and HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto is connecting them to Kings wing Zach LaVine. Plenty of recent reports have mentioned that 5-13 Sacramento would entertain moving off their high-priced vets like LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. While the latter is a less optimal fit, LaVine is an intriguing, but much higher-salaried option. It’s not the first time the Bucks have looked into LaVine either.

Let’s look at the contract first. LaVine’s five-year max extension signed by the Bulls in 2022 appeared to be a misstep and made him one of the league’s most overpriced players. That’s paying him $47.5m this year with a player option for $49m in 2026–27, seemingly a lock to be exercised. Despite that onerous deal for a borderline All-Star a year removed from an injury-plagued season, Chicago didn’t need to attach more than a 2028 second-round pick to move him, and in fact received a 2025 first-rounder (their own, originally traded for DeRozan in 2021) in a three-way deadline deal with San Antonio and Sacramento.

I believe the price to acquire LaVine would be lower now in terms of draft assets. The 2025 first Chicago acquired in February was projected as late in the lottery, and while Milwaukee can only trade a second set of swap rights on their 2026 first-round pick, they do have firsts that can be dealt in 2031 and 2032. Placing lottery protections on them may be enough to get the job done. As far as salary-matching goes, Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis’ contracts wouldn’t quite be enough by themselves. But if the Bucks included a minimum player, even one making as little as Andre Jackson Jr. at $2.2m, it would just get them over the line.

The catch is that Portis isn’t tradeable until December 15th, thanks to the new contract he signed in July. Perhaps partially because of that, Scotto says nothing is imminent due to Giannis’ impending return and that Milwaukee has “conducted background due diligence on LaVine and others around the league, as usual.” So LaVine is likely one of a few names they’ve checked in on. Take this for what you will, but he also mentions that Kuzma and Kings owner Vivek Ranadive are both co-investors in Major League Volleyball. Seems like a very tenuous connection to me.

How might the fit be on the court? We’ll start with defense, which has always been a knock on LaVine. While there are times in his career—including during recent seasons with the Bulls—where he’s looked the part of a solid defender, he’s not the stopper the Bucks really need on the wing. However, he’s ever so slightly longer and taller than AJ Green and Gary Trent Jr., plus a fair bit bulkier. That added strength could help, as those two guards are routinely being outmuscled by bigger players. As we’ve seen, that’s put both them and the Bucks in foul trouble a lot. LaVine’s foul rate has never been particularly high, even in his more defensively-engaged Bulls years. With how much Green is being beaten on drives and how often he’s out of position, I don’t think LaVine would be a downgrade at this point.

If the Bucks can live with that—and I think they can—there are huge benefits to LaVine offensively. The Bucks’ offense has sunk to below league average with Giannis out, but it was trending that way anyway, in part due to their two-dimensionality. Plan A is to give one of the best players on earth the ball (a good plan!) and let him go to work inside, and Plan B has always been to shoot threes. That’s all well and good, but there needs to be a Plan C. LaVine can create his own shot from anywhere and is very efficient in doing so: he hasn’t posted a true shooting percentage below 60% in a full season since 2020. He’s far from a free-throw merchant, but he gets to the line more often than any Buck not named Giannis or Kuz. Also, he’s a long-established secondary ballhandler, which you can’t have enough of next to Giannis and whichever point guard is on the floor.

While you might chafe at nearly $50m for LaVine next year (assuming he picks up his option), remember that this is not the cap-strapped and tax-paying Bucks of previous years. They are currently $11.5m beneath the $187.9m luxury tax line, and adding LaVine plus a minimum-salaried 14th man would still keep them beneath it. Should he stick with Milwaukee in 2026–27, they’d have $188.6m committed to nine players, including five player options plus dead money owed to Damian Lillard and Vasilije Micić. That sounds like a lot, but the current tax projection is $201.7m, which would put the first apron at about $210.3m. So they’d have about $21.7m to fill four spots before any apron restrictions.

One of which may go to their 2026 first-round pick, who could make $4–5m depending on draft position. Vet minimums for three more players would then put them around $200m. They’d still have some room to give players like Trent or Kevin Porter Jr. raises if they opt out. However, the Bucks ducked the tax this season to begin resetting their repeater payor clock, and they’d need to be beneath the tax line next year again to complete that process. Finally, it’s worth noting that if they don’t to keep LaVine, his expiring salary on the player option would be large enough to acquire up to $61.4m in return.

Also from Scotto, the Bucks checked in on another former Blazers point guard over the offseason: Anfernee Simons. The 26-year-old is on an expiring deal and has only come off the Celtics’ bench this season after being traded to Beantown for Jrue Holiday back in July. After developing into a ~20 PPG scorer his last several years in Portland, his scoring is naturally down, dropping from 33–35 MPG to 25. But his per-36 numbers and shooting splits are as good or better as compared his best seasons, with the exception of assists. Never known as a defender, I find it unlikely that the Bucks are as into the idea of Simons right now, given the ascent of Ryan Rollins. But his $27.7m contract would be an easy one to acquire for Milwaukee: a one-for-one that sends out Kuzma works. Boston’s primary motivation here is to get beneath the tax line, and while they’re about $12m over right now, swapping Simons’ salary for Kuz’s $22.4m would help.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-rumo...avine-anfernee-simons-kyle-kuzma-bobby-portis

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks Poll: Fans are done with Doc Rivers

In this week’s Tuesday Tracker, we asked you about the Bucks’ playoff chances as their losing streak continues, Doc Rivers’ future, and trade targets from out west. Here are the highlights:

• Nearly 60% of voters still think the Bucks will make the postseason despite their current 8-11 record in the season’s early stages.
• 61% think Rivers should be fired before the new year, but 29% would like to see what he can do with a healthier roster that includes Giannis and Kevin Porter Jr. before making a determination.
• Interest is not very strong in acquiring players from scuffling Western teams like the Kings, Clippers, and Mavericks. Zach LaVine—whom the Bucks have checked in on—led polling with 30%, while Kawhi Leonard was the only other name more than 20% of voters liked.
• 87% of respondents believe Amir Coffey should be waived before his contract becomes guaranteed in January. He’s only played eight minutes over three games in the last two weeks, all in garbage time.
• A slight majority still supports Jon Horst, but Doc Rivers’ approval rating is just 9%, and 79% disapprove of his job perfomance.

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

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-poll...ll-doc-rivers-firing-zach-lavine-trade-rumors

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Knicks Player Grades: Giannis unable to end losing streak in return

The Milwaukee Bucks fell to the New York Knicks in their final group-stage game of the NBA Cup, losing 109-118. This gives them a final NBA Cup record of 2-2, meaning they will not be advancing to the knockout stage. Overall, this was Milwaukee’s seventh straight loss, giving them a record of 8-12 on the season. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast Bucks In Six Minutes below.

View Link

Player Grades​

Giannis Antetokounmpo​

28 minutes, 30 points, 8 assists, 15 rebounds, 10/14 FG, +2

Giannis was, for the most part, the same old Giannis we know and love. He simply punished the Knicks for guarding him with Josh Hart for most of the night. I liked how patient he was while attacking those mismatches.

Grade: A-

Myles Turner​

30 minutes, 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, 3/10 FG, 1/4 3P, -12

Myles’ struggles against KAT and the Knicks continued from last season when he was on the Pacers. Although I didn’t think Turner necessarily hurt the team too badly in his minutes (the plus/minus from this game is weird for all players), he certainly didn’t make much of a positive impact either; one place to start would be to be a better rebounder.

Grade: C

Ryan Rollins​

41 minutes, 13 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 4/10 FG, 3/5 3P, +0

This was a solid game from Rollins, even though he scored less than usual. He was efficient, got his teammates involved, and made a real impact defensively on Jalen Brunson. Obviously, Ryan’s offensive workload was lightened with GA back. Also, 41 minutes is a lot!

Grade: B

Kyle Kuzma​

28 minutes, 20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 8/9 FG, 4/5 3P, -11

Maybe Kuzma’s best game of the season. Sure, he hit some tough shots, which may be unsustainable, but he also drove the ball in a controlled manner and created on the inside. Finally, I liked how Kuz, along with Ryan, made life tough for Brunson.

Grade: A

AJ Green​

39 minutes, 18 points, 5 rebounds, 6/12 FG, 6/12 3P, -12

I’m loving the confidence AJ has been playing with, seeking out his shot wherever possible. I also didn’t notice too many defensive mishaps in this game compared to prior outings.

Grade: A-

Gary Trent Jr.​

25 minutes, 3 points, 1/4 FG, 1/4 3P, -6

It was a nothing-y game from Gary; the ball didn’t find him that often. It was good that he didn’t force it, though. GT had nothing for Brunson.

Grade: C

Cole Anthony​

7 minutes, 7 points, 2 assists, 3/3 FG, -9

Well, that was a season low in minutes for Cole. Giannis is clearly going to take some of the non-Rollins minutes at PG. But hey, a point per minute isn’t bad, I guess.

Grade: C

Bobby Portis​

17 minutes, 3 points, 2 turnovers, 1/7 FG, 1/4 3P, +3

Bobby did basically nothing on either end in this game. I hate when he fades away on his post-ups when being defended by a wing; get to the jump circle!

Grade: D

Gary Harris​

23 minutes, 5 points, 1/2 FG, +0

Gary did a really nice job guarding Brunson and generally does all the little things that help you win.

Grade: B

Doc Rivers​

Ugh, this is tough because the Knicks are a tough cover, and the Bucks ultimately played a solid game. That said, the team’s continued loss of the basic math battle—a trend that has spanned seasons now—clearly does not reflect all that well on the coach. At the same time, it’s not as if the Bucks have too many guys who would theoretically thrive at grabbing offensive rebounds, for example, and that’s not something you can blame on Doc. The team is really set up around Giannis to have a good first-shot offence, leaving barely any room to make hay on second-shot opportunities.

Grade: C

DNP-CD: Amir Coffey, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Andre Jackson Jr., Mark Sears, Jericho Sims

Inactive: Kevin Porter Jr., Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo, Pete Nance

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• I wrote in the game thread that the Bucks advancing to the knockout round of the NBA Cup was unlikely, but ironically, the teams that had to lose (Detroit and Cleveland) did. If the Bucks had won, they’d have advanced!
• Giannis postgame: “We had the opportunity to go to Vegas twice in a row. Not going and being able to gamble on ‘34 red’ one more time is going to be very tough for me. At the end of the day, I want to win. We’ve lost seven in a row. I don’t remember the last time I lost seven in a row.” The last time the Bucks lost seven in a row was in March 2014 when Giannis was a rookie, and the team won only 15 games.
• Doc seemed to agree about the concerns around losing the possession battle: “The bottom line is they had 13 more shots than us. They had eight more free throws. We’re outshooting teams, shooting 52%, but it’s the turnovers, it’s the offensive rebounds, it’s the fouls. It’s a numbers game, and we have to win that game.”

Up Next​

The Bucks are back in action tonight against the Brooklyn Nets. Watch the game at 7:00 p.m. CST on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...r-grades-stats-giannis-aj-green-jalen-brunson

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks’ two additional regular season games scheduled after missing NBA Cup tournament

At the beginning of the season, every team has 80 games scheduled with two to be determined later, pending NBA Cup group stage results. For all teams, they count as regular-season contests, including the knockout stage, which are seeded by the standings in group play. For teams that don’t make the knockout round, like this year’s Bucks for the first time ever, the NBA tries to schedule their 81st and 82nd regular-season games against conference foes whom they only had three previously scheduled matchups.

As we noted in September, those teams were Atlanta, Boston, Brooklyn, Miami, New York, and Orlando for Milwaukee this year. The latter three all made the knockout round alongside the Cavs, and the Bucks might have lucked out here: they’ll play the Celtics and Nets as their two additional opponents in a couple weeks, one at home. As announced by the NBA and the team today, here are the details:

• Thursday, December 11th vs. the Boston Celtics at Fiserv Forum, 7 p.m. Central
• Sunday, December 14th vs. the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center, 5 p.m. Central

As usual, both of these tilts will be televised on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin. After the Nets game, the Bucks will actually have three days off around the NBA Cup title bout on December 16th before resuming with the Raptors at home on Thursday the 18th. In a way, having three of the teams they play only thrice this regular season make the knockout field benefitted Milwaukee, as Brooklyn is a weaker opponent on paper, and perhaps Boston is too. But perhaps we need to see how they fare against the Nets tonight first.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-sche...edule-additional-regular-season-games-nba-cup