RSS Bucks Team Notes

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Bucks 123, Hornets 113

The Milwaukee Bucks have finally won consecutive games on the back of big performances from their bigs. Portis led the way with 25 points off the bench, but it was Myles Turner who was the steady force throughout (23 points on the night) and Giannis finishing things off late that enabled the Bucks to overcome Charlotte’s backcourt of Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball who combined for 57 points.

NBA.com Box Score.

Game Recap​

The game began with a Brandon Miller airball and the teams combined for another four consecutive misses, but a LaMelo Ball playground three from the left corner broke the cylinder and then threes to Kevin Porter Jr. and Myles Turner got the scoreboard ticking over. Coming off his dunk-fest against the Bulls, Giannis was in attack mode early in this one and was irate when Miller stuffed him at the rim trying to get his third of the quarter, leading to the game’s first timeout. An AJ Green drive-by layup gave the Bucks an 8-0 run and 16-9 lead halfway through the quarter, but when Colin Sexton hit a floater to cap a 9-2 Hornets run the scores were tied at 21. The final two minutes of the quarter mirrored the game’s opening moments—mainly misses—though Bobby Portis made up for an earlier three-point shooting foul on Brandon Miller with a buzzer-beating bank shot and the Hornets’ lead was one, 26-25.

Porter opened the second with a mid-range jumper, rebound, and assist sequence, giving the Bucks a three-point lead, though Miller erased that with an and-one in the paint and, after three early turnovers—the last leading to a Moussa Diabaté transition dunk that gave the Hornets the lead—Doc Rivers was forced into a timeout. It worked too—Bobby Portis hit consecutive threes and Giannis converted an and-one to give the Bucks a 38-33 lead with 8:48 on the clock. Three minutes later, though, the Hornets had their largest lead of the night on the back of a 15-3 run bookended by Sexton triples. Timeout, Bucks. The Hornets’ lead built to as much as 11 on the back of their hot shooting from distance (12/23 3PT for the half), but Ryan Rollins found his rhythm to end the quarter, scoring nine points in the final 3:31, and the Bucks kept the scores close—the half ending with the Hornets up 66-63.

Following a mid-range basket by Porter and rolling dunk by Turner to open the second half, the Bucks had their first lead since the 7:20 minute mark of the second quarter. The scores would go back and forth for the first half of the third quarter, highlighted by a Ball to Miller alley-oop and blocks at the rim by Turner, Porter, and Diabaté. Turner continued his strong play with a right corner three and pair of free throws and, despite the Hornets cleaning up the offensive glass—including three on one possession—the Bucks found themselves up 87-82 with 3:48 to go and they would have ended the quarter up by six if not for an ill-advised Gary Harris foul on a heavily trapped Sexton on the baseline with just one second remaining. Sexton split the free throws and the Bucks went into the fourth up 95-89.

Ball made it a one possession game with a three to begin the fourth and then backed it up with another from Chino Hills—the Hornets’ 16th of the game—to tie it, but Portis felt the buzz and showed his own, hitting not one, not two, but three in a row. And when Giannis spun baseline into a reverse layup that forced the Hornets into a timeout, the Bucks held their biggest lead of the night, 106-97. Point-blank misses at the rim by Josh Green and Diabaté led to a BP bucket—his 11th point of the quarter and 25th of the night—and the crowd fell silent, but a Miller and-one poster dunk on Kyle Kuzma brought the arena back to life and soon enough chants of “Defence” helped the Hornets to cut it to five, 114-109, with just 3:12 left. Out of their timeout, a Rollins and Turner pick and roll basket gave the Bucks some breathing room and another Giannis baseline spin—this time from the left block—forced their Hornets into a timeout of their own. A Giannis and-one dunk out of the timeout gave the Bucks a 12-point lead and effectively ended things for the Hornets—time of death 1:21 in the fourth.

Stat That Stood Out​

The Bucks have struggled with rebounding and turnovers all season. Tonight, the former of these continued as they finished with just 31 rebounds (5 offensive, 26 defensive) compared to the Hornets’ 47 (17 offensive, 30 defensive). However, they only turned the ball over eight times, compared to the Hornets’ 13 (including six from Ball). That’s progress.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...score-recap-bobby-portis-myles-turner-giannis

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Hornets Player Grades: Bobby Portis, Bucks bigs get in their bags; silence the buzz

For the first time since the fifth game of the season, the Bucks are winners of two in a row, pulling away from the Hornets in the fourth quarter to win by 10. The victory gives the Bucks a 2-1 season lead over the Hornets and concludes their five-game road trip on a positive note—winners of three of the five with a two-game home-stand to come. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

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Player Grades​

Giannis Antetokounmpo​

25 minutes, 24 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 11/16 FG, 0/1 3PT, 2/4 FT, +4

The Brandon Miller block at the rim notwithstanding, Giannis got whatever he wanted offensively, spinning his way to dunks and layups throughout the night, and the assists are always nice to see. He did make some poor choices, though—overlooking a wide-open AJ Green in the corner in an attempt to draw a shooting foul stands out—and, like all of the Bucks, his rebounding left something to be desired. Gee, it’s good to have him back, though.

Grade: B+

Kevin Porter Jr.​

38 minutes, 15 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 6/13 FG, 1/3 3PT, 2/2 FT, +5

Porter has rightly been criticised for his haphazard ball security recently, but boy did he address that last night. Finishing with just one turnover to go along with his 11 assists, Porter played the role of facilitator superbly. He seldom forced anything and, although the Hornets’ backcourt scored heavily, he contributed to their inefficiency (Ball and Miller combined to shoot just 18/45 and had seven turnovers). Keep it coming, Scoot!

Grade: A-

Ryan Rollins​

31 minutes, 13 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 3/10 FG, 2/4 3PT, 5/6 FT, +7

Rollins was relatively quiet overall last night, finishing with his lowest scoring total in six games, but the Bucks would’ve lost this game without him. His stretch to end the first half—nine points, an assist, and a pass that led to free throws—kept the Bucks in it when the Hornets were on a tear.

Grade: C+

Myles Turner​

31 minutes, 23 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks, 7/12 FG, 3/5 3PT, 6/6 FT, +7

Heading into last night’s game, Turner was in a funk: 11.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 0.9 BPG on just 35% from the field and 32% from three over his prior 11 games and career-low averages nearly across the board on the season. Against the Hornets, though, Turner looked like the guy the Horst was hoping for when he signed him in the offseason. Turner anchored the Bucks on both ends and, stats aside, it was his physicality that stood out—he looked to make shots (and drew fouls because of that), rather than trying to draw fouls (and throwing up prayers). This is the new benchmark.

Grade: A

AJ Green​

27 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2/6 FG, 1/5 3PT, +16

Green stole Gary Harris’ “plus/minus with minimal counting stats” crown last night and, despite the poor shooting and limited numbers, the eye test backed it up. He even showed off a new wrinkle—a drive-by layup in the first—and his gravity still helped the spacing. Bigger picture, though, there are still reasons for concern: outside of his hot shooting performance against the Grizzlies, Green is now just 6/29 from three since returning from injury.

Grade: D+

Kyle Kuzma​

26 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3/7 FG, /2 3PT, +13

Kuzma has a tendency to stand out—both when he’s playing well and when he’s actively hurting the team. Against the Hornets, it was the opposite as he faded into the background while the Bucks’ other bigs did the damage. Sometimes it’s your night and, on others, you just have to not hurt your team. Last night, Kuzma did the latter, and ironically, that stood out.

Grade: C–

Bobby Portis​

23 minutes, 25 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 8/12 FG, 5/7 3PT, 4/4 FT, -5

Bobby. Gets. Buckets—and last night was no different. When the game was there to be won in the fourth quarter, it was Portis who stepped up, scoring 11 of the Bucks’ 28 points, including nine in a row after Ball tied it early in the quarter. On the downside, he only had two rebounds, often falling to box out Moussa Diabaté (who had six offensive caroms). But rebounding is a bigger, team-wide issue, and overall, Portis was great.

Grade: B+

Gary Trent Jr.​

20 minutes, 9 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3/6 FG, 3/5 3PT, +2

Back in action after missing the last two games, Trent—sporting a new ‘fro—was a valuable contributor off the bench in this one, thanks mainly to his prowess from deep. He looks much better as a finisher of plays than a creator; hopefully, this is the start of his return to form after struggling for much of the season.

Grade: C+

Gary Harris​

17 minutes, 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1/2 3PT, +6

Harris had a very typical game from a box score perspective. On the court, it was good to see him swish a three from the left corner after air-balling one earlier and, despite his poor foul on Colin Sexton to end the third quarter, continued to showcase his heady veteran play.

Grade: C

Doc Rivers​

Rivers did what he was supposed to do in this one. He called timeouts when they were needed, and it was good to see the team come out of these with adjustments, including personnel—too often recently it’s felt like the Bucks have called for a timeout only to return with the same team on the court that needed the timeout to begin with. Limiting Sims’ minutes was an interesting choice considering the team’s rebounding challenges, but it was the right one with the Bucks nearly at full strength and Turner and Portis’ play.

Grade: B

Limited Minutes: Jericho Sims.

DNP-CD: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Cole Anthony, Andre Jackson Jr., Pete Nance, Mark Sears.

Inactive: Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo.

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Miles Bridges left the game at the 4:54 mark of the first quarter with an ankle injury and did not return.
• At half time, Miller and Ball combined to score 31 points on 6/14 from three. In the second half, they converted just 3/11.
• The Bucks—shooting a league-worst 72.8% on free throws for the season—shot 9/9 in the first half and finished the game shooting 19/22 (86%).
• The Bucks’ 31 total rebounds were their worst since securing just 27 against the Houston Rockets on the 9th of November. Want more? The Hornets had more individual players get offensive rebounds (10) than the Bucks had offensive rebounds as a team (five).
• With just eight turnovers on the night, the Bucks tied their season-best total (they also had just eight against the Washington Wizards on opening night). They also had more steals (nine) than turnovers for the first time this season.
• Speaking of turnovers, after the game Porter spoke about his offensive progress (he has 20 assists to just five turnovers) following the loss to the Grizzlies:

“Just emptying out my mind. I feel like I try to be perfect a little too much and was trying to make reads. But, you know, just simplifying it and going at my own pace and trusting my work… that’s been working for me.”

• In his media availability, Turner spoke often about “embracing being uncomfortable.” This is a reminder that players are people too and Turner—playing in a new place for the first time in a decade—is still finding his feet in Milwaukee. Last night, he was great; the best is still yet to come, though, folks. Believe it.
• The Bucks are now just four games behind the Orlando Magic for the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference. Never give up!

Up Next​

Having finished the road trip, the Bucks have today off before hosting the Washington Wizards at Fiserv Forum tomorrow. You can find all the action on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin—tip off is at 7:00 p.m. Central.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...rades-stats-bobby-portis-myles-turner-giannis

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Giannis expected to return tonight vs. Bulls

Good news! Eric Nehm, Bucks beat writer for The Athletic, has reported that the Bucks expect Giannis Antetokounmpo to return from his right calf strain tonight against the Chicago Bulls (pending his clearing pregame fitness testing). It is safe to assume he will be on some sort of minutes restriction as the Bucks ramp him up to his standard minute load.

Antetokounmpo went down in the opening minutes of Milwaukee’s December 4 game against the Detroit Pistons and has missed the last eight games, with the Bucks winning two of those. Giannis’ return comes at a good time, with the Bucks’ next five opponents having .500 or below records (Chicago, Charlotte x2, Washington, and Sacramento). Hopefully, the big fella can juice the team on both ends and help nab some wins in the immediate future.

The Bulls have been playing out of their skin of late, winning six of their last seven games, five of which came against teams currently in the Eastern Conference playoff picture; like the Bucks, the Bulls are also on a back-to-back, having beaten the Philadelphia 76ers last night. Giannis has appeared in 17 games this season and is averaging 28.9 PPG, 6.1 APG, and 10.1 RPG on 63.9% shooting from the field.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-inju...port-giannis-calf-strain-return-chicago-bulls

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Deer Diaries Episode 227: Ba Humbug

The Milwaukee Bucks keep finding ways to put themselves on the naughty list. Prior to Tuesday’s win against the Pacers, Kyle and Jack discussed their two losses to the Raptors and Timberwolves and how the Bucks are struggling on offense in various ways. Then they discuss Giannis’ new injury update and how the extended absence can make things more complicated for the Bucks (with Giannis’ media appearance not giving Bucks fans complete reassurance).

Jack highlights how the Bucks being “buyers ” is a lose-lose situation for the short- and long-term, while Kyle wonders if the Bucks have hit rock bottom and, if not, what will it take to get there.

Then, to end, Jack has some more Aussie slang, Kyle reviews a classic Christmas movie, and they try to predict the road games this week.

We appreciate you listening and wish you a Happy Holidays.

You can watch our faces move to match the audio over on Brew Hoop’s YouTube channel:

Here it is on Apple Podcasts:

View Link

For those on Spotify:

And it is available everywhere else MP3 files are shared on the web!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-podc...227-ba-humbug-milwaukee-bucks-podcast-giannis

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Washington Wizards Preview & Game Thread: Ending 2025 on a high?

The Milwaukee Bucks have, for the most part, done their job over the last week (or so), beating teams they should beat, which must continue tonight against the Washington Wizards in their final game of 2025. The season series currently sits at one game apiece, with the Bucks beating the Wiz on opening night, but Washington surprising Milwaukee on December 2.

Where We’re At​

The Bucks have taken care of the Pacers, Bulls, and Hornets of late, while dropping one to the Grizzlies. Of course, having Giannis back helps enormously. Everyone knew that if the Bucks were going to have any shot at getting out of this hole, they’d have to stack wins in this part of the schedule, because their January slate is tough. And to Milwaukee’s credit, they’ve started to turn the boat around. Tonight’s matchup is another test against a Washington team that has played .500 ball over its last eight games.

The Wizards come in boasting recent victories over the Grizzlies (twice) and Raptors. One major development for them has been the ascension of rookie Tre Johnson, who just dropped a career-high 24 points against the Suns; Johnson is averaging 13.1 PPG through December, shooting 42% from deep. CJ McCollum has averaged 19.6 PPG and 4.1 APG this month, and we know all too well what Khris Middleton can do. In summary, this is a team that, even with some injuries, is playing a cohesive brand of basketball right now.

Injury Report​

For the Bucks, Taurean Prince (neck) is out.

For the Wizards, Kyshawn George (hip flexor), Corey Kispert (hamstring), and Cam Whitmore (deep vein thrombosis) are all out. Malaki Branham (calf) is questionable.

Player To Watch​

I mean, there’s just no doubt that Khris Middleton has extra juice for the Bucks. He wants to take the big shots whenever these teams play, and he happened to hit the go-ahead three in the last game. As has been well documented, the Bucks struggle to guard this exact player type because they don’t have great personnel at the wing spot. Kuzma hasn’t worked; Giannis hasn’t worked; Lord knows, Trent and guys of that ilk are too small. It’s just not a good matchup, which makes the “team defence” all the more important.

How To Watch​

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

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

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Wizards 114, Bucks 113

Out of all teams that have given the Milwaukee Bucks trouble, the Washington Wizards have seemingly given them the most, beating Milwaukee 114-113 in their second win over the Bucks this season. CJ McCollum hit the game-winning shot with one second left, and Giannis missed at the buzzer to win it. The Bucks went the entire 2025 portion of the season without a three-game winning streak. Giannis scored 33 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in his first game back at Fiserv since his injury. Bub Carrington and Alex Sarr led the Wizards with 20 points each.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

For the first time in 28 days, Giannis graced Fiserv Forum, making his presence felt from the jump. He scored 10 of the Bucks’ first 15 points, as Milwaukee took an eight-point lead in the early going. The Wizards did cut it down to two, but a couple of long-range bombs from Myles Turner got it back to eight points with just over three minutes left in the first. From that point, though, the Wizards took control, doubling the Bucks in scoring 12-6. Milwaukee still held the lead, albeit by just two points, heading into the second quarter, 32-30.

Everyone knows how emotional Bobby Portis is, and sometimes that helps. Other times, like tonight, it did not, as Portis punched the padding on the basket, resulting in a technical foul. The Bucks were up six when that happened, and the Wizards turned it into a 10-0 run to take their first lead of the game with 6:44 left in the stanza. The Bucks were able to flip the script, though; in the final 2:12, they battled back from an eight-point deficit, going on a 10-2 run to tie the game at 62-62 in the final minute. Yet it was Washington who got the final bucket of the first half, with CJ McCollum nailing a late three, giving the Wizards a 65-62 lead heading into the locker room. The three-point shot was the big difference, as the Wizards shot 6/6 in the frame, while the Bucks shot 3/8 from distance.

Milwaukee got off to a good start in the third, with Turner hitting his third triple of the night and Giannis getting a layup to go. Washington responded with their hot shooting performance, going on a 10-1 run to take an eight-point lead before Doc Rivers called a timeout. The Bucks responded in kind, tightening their defense on the three-point shot and bringing out their 2-3 zone. Washington missed three straight from distance, and the Bucks took advantage with eight straight points to take a one-point lead, 76-75 at the six-minute mark. Neither team got much separation for the rest of the quarter, trading buckets down the stretch. Kyle Kuzma, on his second basket of the quarter, broke the tie with 26 seconds left, giving the Bucks an 88-86 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Bub Carrington got white hot to start the fourth, dropping three consecutive bombs to give the Wizards a 99-91 lead. The Bucks would stage a comeback, though, as AJ Green’s third three of the night sparked a 7-0 run. Both sides hit a rut offensively, with the Bucks trailing by three, as they went nearly three full minutes without scoring. Luckily, Ryan Rollins hit a clutch triple to tie the game at 110-110 with 2:02 left. The Bucks then took and kept the lead momentarily thanks to a Turner free throw and a monster block on the other end. Giannis extended that lead to three, 113-110, with 33.2 seconds left. But it wasn’t over yet, with the wily McCollum quickly hitting a layup on the ensuing possession. Then, after missed shots from KPJ and Giannis, CJ came the other way in a mad scramble and nailed a mid-range jumper to give Washington the lead with one second left. Out of the timeout, Giannis’ fading mid-range jumper rimmed out, sealing the loss.

Stat That Stood Out​

It was a bad night for the Bucks’ bench, while the Wizards’ reserves paid enormous dividends for the visitors. On the night, Milwaukee’s bench was outscored 52-23, with just one Bucks player scoring in double figures (Bobby Portis with 13 points). Meanwhile, Bub Carrington and Julian Champagnie combined for 32 and shot 50% from three-point range.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...core-recap-bub-carrington-giannis-cj-mccollum

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Wizards Player Grades: Giannis’ Herculean performance can’t overcome teamwide malaise

The Milwaukee Bucks will have to look to 2026 for their first three-game winning streak of the season, as they lost 114-113 to the Washington Wizards for the second time this month. CJ McCollum spoiled Giannis’ return to Fiserv Forum, as he nailed a mid-range jumper with one second left after the Bucks held a three-point lead with 33 seconds on the clock. The Wizards now hold the season series edge 2-1 over 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.

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Player Grades​

Giannis Antetokounmpo​

28 minutes, 33 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 6 turnovers, 12/20 FG, 9/14 FT, -4

Giannis gave the fans a show, despite still being on a minutes restriction in his third game back from injury. His absence during the third quarter while the Wizards made a push was felt throughout the rest of the game.

Grade: A

Myles Turner​

31 minutes, 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 blocks, 2 steals, 4/6 3PT, +12

This was definitely one of the better games for Turner, especially on the defensive end with a season-high five blocks. You’d have liked to see him make a two-pointer, as he went 0/4 on those, but it was still a strong game from the man in the middle.

Grade: B+

Kevin Porter Jr.​

39 minutes, 19 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 9/17 FG, 1/7 3PT, +10

Porter was a good secondary scorer last night, but he seemed lost at times defensively. Need more for KPJ on that end.

Grade: B-

Ryan Rollins​

39 minutes, 16 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 5/13 FG, 4/7 3PT, +3

While Rollins struggled from the field, he played a solid game overall. He hit a big-time three to tie the game late, and was one of the Bucks’ better defensive players.

Grade: B

AJ Green​

34 minutes, 9 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 3/8 3PT, +12

Green continues to shake off the rust, having one of his better shooting games since coming off the AC joint injury. He also had some really good individual defensive moments against Tre Johnson and McCollum, despite the game-winning shot being hit over him.

Grade: B-

Bobby Portis​

20 minutes, 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 4/11 FG, 3/6 3PT, 2/2 FT, -11

The 13 points are a bit deceiving, because this was a below-average game for BP. He got called for a technical for punching the basket padding after not getting a foul call, and was nearly unplayable after that. He did hit some big threes later on, but it was not the best day at the office for Portis.

Grade: C–

Kyle Kuzma​

21 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 2/3 FG, 1/2 FT, -5

Kuzma was largely invisible last night. He did make a layup and a dunk but didn’t have much of an impact outside of that.

Grade: C-

Gary Trent Jr.​

15 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound, 0/4 FG, 0/3 3PT, -12

The new ‘do didn’t help GTJ. He couldn’t get his shot to fall and his defense wasn’t good. He continues to be the plus/minus victim, but last night’s number was mostly self-inflicted.

Grade: D

Gary Harris​

11 minutes, 5 points, 2/2 FG, 1/1 3PT, -10

Harris has really become a solid end-of-rotation player for the Bucks. Doc praised his ability to do the little things night in and night out. He did just that in this game, despite the plus/minus number not showing it.

Grade: C+

Doc Rivers​

I, and many others here at Brew Hoop, have made the call that Doc Rivers shouldn’t be the head coach of the Bucks anymore. There have been excuses and some legitimate reasons for where the Bucks are at, but there’s no excuse to lose to the Washington Wizards twice in one season, with Giannis healthy for all three games so far. This can’t be excused as an early-season struggle or the team trying to find itself. Under Doc, this is who the team is.

Grade: D–

DNP-CD: Cole Anthony, Amir Coffey, Jericho Sims, Andre Jackson Jr. Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Inactive: Taurean Prince, Pete Nance, Mark Sears, Alex Antetokounmpo

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Doc Rivers didn’t even let the first question finish before saying they didn’t deserve to win last night’s game, calling out what he sees as emotional immaturity:

“We had every shot we wanted at the end of the game, our execution was flawless, even the last play, but sometimes the basketball gods don’t let you win when you don’t play right. We’ve been great the last two games. Tonight, we didn’t pass the ball to each other and we didn’t guard the ball. When you play like that, you lose the game.”

“I don’t know who said it, I think it was Bobby or Myles, that we have to play hard every night, we gotta get out of our feelings. I thought we were in our feelings the whole night tonight, and that’s emotional immaturity that we played with tonight.”

• Giannis agreed with Doc on the idea that the Bucks didn’t deserve to win last night, and gave his own view of where the Bucks sit as they try to figure this out:

“In basketball, sometimes, you play the way you play, you might not deserve to win the game, but you still win the game. Unfortunately, (tonight) wasn’t that night. There’s been a lot of nights I’ve been a part of ugly wins, they call it. I don’t care, when I go back home, I don’t care if it’s ugly or pretty or nasty or dirty, I still love my win.

Coach Doc is not wrong. I think we didn’t play at a high level; we need to trust one another. We kept them in the game too much and at the end of the day, we have to understand that either we are going to build good habits or we’re not. Every game counts right now, so we can go the other way or figure out the way to win games. It’s just hard when maybe some people are trying to do the right thing and other people are not trying to. It can be discouraging at times.”

• After making his fifth and sixth free throws of the night in the second quarter, Giannis passed big man Tom Chambers for 39th all-time in free throw makes. Giannis now has 5,071 and needs just nine more to pass Chet Walker on the list next, who has 5,079 makes.
• Per Justin Garcia, the Bucks ran a zone defense in 15 possessions during the third quarter. The Wizards scored nine points in those possessions, and flipped a seven-point Bucks lead into a two-point Wizards lead heading into the fourth quarter.
• Giannis also became just the 11th player in NBA history to record 80 or more games of 30+ points and 15+ rebounds. It’s the fourth time he’s done it this season, which second in the NBA in those type of games.
• Ryan Rollins scored in double figures for the 33rd time this season, which is a season-high for the 23-year-old.

Up Next​

The Milwaukee Bucks will begin 2026 with their second game of the week against the Charlotte Hornets, this time in Milwaukee. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central time on Friday from Fiserv Forum, and it will be televised on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...is-kevin-porter-jr-myles-turner-gary-trent-jr

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks interested in Michael Porter Jr.

Amid reports that they’re looking to buy ahead of next month’s trade deadline, recent intel from both Sam Amick of The Athletic and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line suggests that the Bucks are in on Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., according to league sources. Milwaukee is “monitoring” the 27-year-old former NBA champion’s situation in Brooklyn, but they are not alone: Fischer relays that Golden State is considering him too, and Detroit might also be a suitor.

I suggested MPJ as a possibility on our most recent episode of Deer Diaries. Jackson and I both approve, while Kyle brought up injuries as a reason he’s not interested. While yes, he has some history there after missing his entire rookie season due to a back injury sustained in his only season of college, requiring a second back surgery, plus missing 73 games in the 2021–22 season with a third back surgery, he’s been largely healthy since. Maybe he had Brook Lopez’s surgeon? In fact, from 2023 to 2025, he missed just five games over two full seasons. He’s missed five this year, but one was a SEGABABA, and the most recent was due to illness. So he seems pretty healthy.

Moving from third fiddle behind Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in Denver to The Guy in Brooklyn has obviously benefitted MPJ in terms of field goal attempts, but it’s worth noting his efficiency has increased as his volume increased by nearly five shots per game. His 62.9% true shooting is only topped by his second season, but he’s now getting to the line nearly twice as often as he ever has before. His three-point percentage remains superb at an even 41%, so he’s basically in line or better with all his previous shooting lines (.496/.410/.812 vs. a career 499/.407/.812). That’s boosted his per-game scoring average to 25.8 PPG, nearly seven more than any of his Nuggets campaigns. He’s also notching a career-best 3.3 APG.

While rostering both a Michael and Kevin of the Porter Jr. (no relation) variety might sound duplicative, the offensive skillset Michael brings seems like a clean fit with Milwaukee at a position of desperate need. His success going from third option to first bodes very well for the shot diet he’d likely see next to Giannis. His usage in Brooklyn is just under 30% with essentially the same volume as Giannis, but if he slid in somewhere between his 13ish FGA/game from the Denver years and the 18.5 he’s taking this year, that should work well in Milwaukee. For reference, Ryan Rollins and KPJ are second and third in attempts per game for the Bucks at around 13.5.

Defensively, things are less certain. He certainly has the size Milwaukee really needs on the wing at 6’10” and a 7’ wingspan, though he’s a good 30 pounds lighter than Giannis. He always played the three as a Nugget as Aaron Gordon took on the tough wing assignments, which wouldn’t really be congruent with how the Bucks prefer using Giannis. While I don’t think he’s the ideal wing stopper Milwaukee could use by any stretch, some say he has improved on D, and he’s always been a great rebounder, another area of significant need. And maybe the Bucks can get by regardless: over the past three weeks, they’ve actually been the league’s 11th-best defense.

Five reasons Nets F Michael Porter Jr. is the Warriors perfect trade deadline target

MPJ might be the best fit the Bucks can find on the trade market among names actually rumored to be available. But at what cost? Recall that this past offseason, Denver had to give up an unprotected 2031 first-round pick to trade him for Cameron Johnson. Brooklyn made them pay dearly for an older player but worse scorer primarily because of his contract: at the time, he had two years and $79.1m remaining on his rookie-scale max extension. A really nice trade for the Nets, and even better since he’s gone on to have a career year. Per Fischer, one league exec says “at worst he’s returned to neutral value, which is a major development.” Brooklyn definitely won’t have to give up assets to get off him, as Denver did.

They could now get another asset moving off him barely six months later, likely a first-round pick. Of the two rivals already discussed, Detroit controls all its future firsts, which makes them really scary. Already one of the East’s best teams and in position to outbid almost anyone with those picks and plenty of young talent, they wouldn’t need to add much to Tobias Harris’ expiring contract to make the numbers work. Harris and, say, Ron Holland plus a future first could give the Pistons their starting frontcourt for years to come (they would get Porter’s Bird rights in summer 2027, letting them offer whatever new contract they like), likely making them the prohibitive favorite in the East. Golden State can trade firsts in 2026–2028 and in 2032, or swaps in 2029 and 2031.

At the moment, the Bucks can only trade one first and a first-round pick swap. Their pick in 2031 or 2032 (whichever isn’t the swap) is very valuable, though, considering how old Giannis would be if he’s still a Buck at that point. Detroit looks likely to pick in the 20s for the foreseeable future, so Milwaukee’s pick may entice Brooklyn more. However, Golden State is one of the oldest teams in the league, and they could start drafting pretty high in the next few years, when Milwaukee’s picks are all elsewhere.

As far as salary goes, the Bucks can offer Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma for the deal to work. This would only add around $2.5m to their payroll, still well underneath the luxury tax threshold. Like Porter, Kuzma has a year left on his contract and would be saving the Nets around $20m next year. Bobby Portis can opt out after next year, so he would be a quasi-expiring contract. Even if he stayed, the Nets would be saving several mil. But perhaps one of these guys would need to be rerouted to another franchise.

I do think Porter would be worth giving up those two and a future first, hopefully with some protections. He fits Milwaukee’s timeline, but more importantly, will give Giannis a younger and offensively gifted running mate that might convince the big fella to stick around, hopefully enough to extend when he becomes eligible next October. In the short-term, he raises the Bucks floor and ceiling quite a bit, even if it’s not to true contention. But I don’t think there’s any single player right now who would necessarily do that, especially with this coaching staff. Also, I think the league needs to do what it can to keep him away from Detroit, which could turn that team into something like a juggernaut.

Amick also reported that Kings guard Malik Monk is also on the Bucks’ radar. After starting a lot for Sacramento this year, the former Sixth Man of the Year runner-up has seen his minutes slashed considerably under Doug Christie. That’s reportedly miffed Monk, and at 14th in the West, the Kings are looking to move off the rest of his contract. He’ll make $20.2m next season and can opt out of $21.6m to become a free agent in 2027 at age 29. While Monk is a helpful stat-stuffer for any team, he’s undersized and pretty limited to the backcourt. He’d be a nice upgrade over Gary Trent Jr., but do the Bucks really need another guard alongside KPJ, Rollins, AJ Green, and even Gary Harris? They’d have to trade one of Portis or Kuzma to acquire Monk, depleting forward and frontcourt depth when it’s already bad. There would have to be some other moves for Monk to make sense.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-rumo...oklyn-nets-kyle-kuzma-bobby-portis-malik-monk

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Bucks 122, Hornets 121

The Milwaukee Bucks edged out the Charlotte Hornets 122-121 in a thrilling clutch-time finish tonight. Giannis, who slammed home the game-winning dunk, led all scorers with 30 points, while Ryan Rollins added 29. The Hornets were led by Kon Knueppel, who had 26, and Miles Bridges with 25.

Game Recap​

NBA.com Box Score

The Hornets struck first, with Miles Bridges converting an easy lay on the left block. Milwaukee’s first field goal came off a Giannis “mebound.” The Bucks put an early emphasis on the Greek Freak getting touches down low, and he scored a quick six points in the first five minutes. Charlotte’s forward tandem of Bridges and Brandon Miller was dealing some damage too, and the score was knotted 17-17 with five minutes left in the opening frame. From there, the visitors went on an extended run fueled by some buckets from Tidjane Salaun and the hometown kid Kon Knueppel, ending the first quarter with a 38-24 advantage.

Charlotte was able to keep their lead around 15 for a large chunk of the second quarter, but some free throws from Giannis and Ryan Rollins triggered a 12-4 run for Milwaukee that cut the lead back to single digits by the 4:00 mark. The burst for the Bucks was capped off by a timeout-forcing alley-oop from Rollins to Kyle Kuzma. The highlight play wasn’t enough to spark a full comeback, and the Hornets led 60-51 at the break; however, the home team had the momentum heading into the locker room. Knueppel led all scorers with 17 points at intermission, while Rollins had 15 for the Bucks.

The opening minutes of the second half saw Milwaukee continue their push and shrink the deficit even further, with the big three of Giannis, Rollins, and Kevin Porter Jr. all chipping in some baskets to bring the home team to within just one point at the 7:45 mark. LaMelo Ball put in a layup, but then AJ Green drilled a corner trey to tie things up, completing an 18-9 run. What had the potential to be a disappointing loss turned into a whole new game with the Bucks in control. The green and cream crew reclaimed the lead for the first time since the first quarter when Kuzma banked in a fader at the 5:35 notch. The Buzz City boys weren’t about to roll over and give up, though. The two teams traded some punches, and Miller and Sion James each had a pair of hoops late that ultimately restored a 91-87 lead for the Hornets ahead of the final frame.

Charlotte started to pull away early in the fourth with triples from Bridges, Knueppel, and Collin Sexton. However, Bobby Portis, who had been having a quiet night, made Fiserv Forum erupt in cheers with some big buckets of his own that tied things back up at 102 with seven minutes left. From there, both squads cooled off a bit, and the score was just 111-107, Hornets, when Doc Rivers called a timeout with 3:20 remaining. The Bucks tightened things up with some clutch plays from Giannis and Rollins, and the game was running down to the wire. Kuzma splashed a three-ball with 10 seconds left to give the Bucks a two-point lead, but he gave it right back by allowing an and-one diving finish to Bridges on the next play. Doc called a timeout, and after the stoppage, KPJ and Giannis connected on a pick-and-roll lob. Miller missed a driving layup, and the Bucks escaped with a clutch victory.

Stat That Stood Out​

Ryan Rollins has had some inefficient outings lately, but he finished 11/13 from the floor and 6/7 from three tonight. The kid has a knack for the moment and hit some huge shots in this one. With each big-time game he puts together, he looks more and more like a future star.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...annis-antetokounmpo-ryan-rollins-kon-knueppel

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Hornets Player Grades: A win to remember for Giannis and Ryan Rollins

The Milwaukee Bucks kicked off the new year with an exciting crunch-time win over the Charlotte Hornets last night, capped off by a game-winner from Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks left with more than just a victory, as it was a night of milestones as well for Giannis and Ryan Rollins, the stars of the contest. 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​

Giannis Antetokounmpo​

30 minutes, 30 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 11/18 FG, 8/8 FT, +21

Nothing can stop Giannis from being great— a minutes restriction could never hold him back. The Greek Freak posted a point per minute in this one, putting in work in the post and throwing down the game-winning alley-oop while also going perfect from the charity stripe. His performance is slightly blemished by how often he got blown by on the perimeter, though.

Grade: A-

Myles Turner​

22 minutes, 1 point, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 0/4 FG, 0/2 3P, +6

Turner was largely invisible in this one, and he was rightfully on the bench in closing time. He’s getting paid 30-something million bucks and has to score more than one point.

Grade: D

Ryan Rollins​

37 minutes, 29 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 11/13 FG, 6/7 3P, +12

This was an incredible offensive outing for Rollins, the type of game that screams future star. He was part of every big run the Bucks went on, drilling several momentum shots, including a clutch trey late in the fourth. Doc Rivers had high praise for him after the game (see Bonus Bucks Bits). The only thing keeping this from being an A+ for Rylo is how he struggled a bit to stay in front of his man on D.

Grade: A

Kevin Porter Jr.​

36 minutes, 10 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, 4/14 FG, 0/4 3P, +1

KPJ made an impact without scoring much, taking pressure off Giannis by being an effective playmaker with the ball in his hands. His lob pass to the MVP at the end of the game was an awesome read. Inefficiency can’t warrant an A, but Scoot was solid.

Grade: B

AJ Green​

41 minutes, 12 points, 3 assists, 4/13 FG, 3/10 3P, +4

Dairy Bird did his job last night. He didn’t excel in it, as he could have hit another shot or two or defended a little better, but he was trustworthy, hence his team-high 41 minutes played.

Grade: C+

Bobby Portis​

22 minutes, 20 points, 6 rebounds, 7/11 FG, 4/6 3P, -8

The Bucks wouldn’t have won without Bobby’s flurry early in the fourth quarter. He’s been a huge spark for this team more often than not in the past month. As always, though, the big fella had a couple head-scratching defensive moments.

Grade: B+

Kyle Kuzma​

32 minutes, 18 points, 6 rebounds, 7/10 FG, 3/5 3P, -7

Like Rollins, Kuzma felt like a part of every major run Milwaukee put on. He hit his threes, including a clutch one with 10 seconds left, and took smart looks. Overall, an effective game from a guy who’s been memed and slandered so many times.

Grade: B+

Gary Trent Jr.​

17 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 0/3 FG, 0/3 3P, -17

Trent almost had a Tony Snell game last night, saved only by a couple of rebounds. He was a complete non-factor, if not a negative (as his plus/minus implies). GT hasn’t done much of anything for a few weeks now, and that’s got to change, or he’s going to have to start losing minutes to Gary Harris or Andre Jackson Jr.

Grade: F

Doc Rivers​

This game can’t be put in the “Fire Doc” portfolio. Yes, it was closer than you’d hope for against a mediocre Hornets team (although the Bucks are also mediocre right now), but it didn’t feel like the man behind the clipboard was impeding the team at all. It’s not like he can sub in and get stops himself when all his guys are getting blown by and conceding advantages. Doc pressed the right rotation buttons, not riding Bobby Portis’s hot hand to the point of exhaustion and pulling the plug on Myles Turner before he hurt things too much. He also effectively navigated Giannis’ tight minutes restriction in a game where the big man really needed to be on the floor.

Grade: B

Limited Minutes: Jericho Sims

DNP-CD: Cole Anthony, Amir Coffey, Andre Jackson Jr., Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Inactive: Gary Harris, Taurean Prince, Pete Nance, Mark Sears, Alex Antetokounmpo

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• With his 30 point, 10 board, five dime outing, Giannis officially became the all-time leader in 30-10-5 games with 158, which is only fitting considering he’s averaged those totals in three separate seasons.
• Despite that lofty achievement, Giannis passed the game ball along to Ryan Rollins, who hit some milestones of his own: 1,000 career points and a new career-high in three-point makes (6).
• Doc on Giannis, KPJ, and Rollins as a big three: “yeah, just gotta keep building that, keep getting better, Ryan is just playing. I mean, he plays off of Giannis right now better than anyone on our team. Scoot just gives Giannis a chance to get off the ball, so all three have been really good.”
• Charles Lee on offensive rebounding: “It’s also just a competitive advantage that maybe you can find throughout the game because it’s also one of those soul-crushing momentum plays, after you do a great job defensively getting the stop or forcing a tough shot, somebody flying in and getting an offensive rebound or getting a piece of one; it can change the momentum of the game, for sure.” The Hornets didn’t crush the Bucks on the glass tonight, but they have many times in the past. Perhaps Milwaukee needs to take some notes from their former assistant’s philosophy, as they’re currently dead last in offensive rebounds per game league-wide.

Up Next​

Milwaukee will begin a Western Conference road trip with a “Bucks After Dark” game against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday at 8 p.m. CT on FanDuel Sports Network.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...giannis-antetokounmpo-ryan-rollins-doc-rivers

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Charlotte Hornets Preview & Game Thread: New Year’s resolutions start now

The Milwaukee Bucks (14-20) open the new year with a home game against the Charlotte Hornets (11-22) tonight at Fiserv Forum as they attempt to wrap up the in-season series. The Bucks currently hold a 2-1 lead over the Hornets, having won their last two matchups, and look to start the new year with a win after a gut-punching home loss to the Washington Wizards to end 2025. Despite back-to-back 30+ performances from Brandon Miller, the Hornets are on a two-game skid, falling to the Golden State Warriors after losing to the Bucks.

Where We’re At​

Prior to the Washington loss, Milwaukee looked to be trending in the right direction, winning consecutive games for the first time since the fifth game of the season and three out of their last four in total. Even with the loss, there’s reason for optimism, largely because of the team’s improved defensive play, with the Bucks ranking sixth in defensive rating (112.5) over the last five games on the back of stringent paint defence—opponents score just 44.8 points in the paint, good for eighth best in the league during this span. They do need to improve their ball movement, though, ranking 28th in assists (29th in assist percentage at 55.7%) and being far too reliant on individual play to generate shots. Unsurprisingly, their turnover ratio ranks in the bottom ten in the league (23rd).

The Hornets, on the other hand, have hung their hats on offence, ranking second (127.0) in offensive rating over the last five, including fifth in assist percentage (69.1%). They’ve been absolutely scorching from three point land too, leading the league with 18.6 3PM at 43%, and most of this comes from their three-headed monster in LaMelo Ball (24.2 PPG, 7.0 APG, 5.4 3PM at 52%), Brandon Miller (23.8 PPG), and Kon Knueppel (18.8 PPG, 4.5 3PM at 62%). In their last meeting, they also destroyed the Bucks on the glass, hauling in 47 total rebounds (including 17 offensive), to just 31 (five offensive) from the Bucks.

Injury Report​

For the Bucks, Taurean Prince (neck) remains out.

The Hornets will be without Mason Plumlee (groin), Grant Williams (knee), and Ryan Kalkbrenner (elbow). Miles Bridges didn’t play against the Warriors after leaving the game against the Bucks with an ankle injury in the first quarter, and is questionable, as is Moussa Diabaté, who’s dealing with a sprained right wrist.

Player To Watch​

AJ Green is having a career year so far for the Bucks, averaging 10.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 2.0 APG, while hitting 3.0 3PM at 45%. However, in seven games since returning from injury, his per-game makes have dropped to 2.1, and he’s converting those at just 31% (and just 9/37—24%—if you exclude the 6/11 outlier against the Grizzlies). Against the Hornets, it’s equally concerning. Through three games, Green has put up a meagre 7.0 PPG and 1.3 3PM (33%) in 26.3 MPG. While he’s certainly got his critics, Green’s shooting is invaluable to the Bucks, not only in terms of the points he scores but also in the space he creates for others. This is now quantifiable too, with Green ranking as the Bucks’ best in terms of overall player gravity (4.7), a stat that measures “how much a player pulls defenders towards them above expected, essentially measuring how much attention they draw compared to what the spacing on the floor predicts” (per NBA.com). With the new year offering a fresh start, hopefully Green can get back to his elite distance shooting and put on a show to break free from Charlotte’s shackles.

How To Watch​

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

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

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Sacramento Kings Preview & Game Thread: Is Zach Leavin’ soon?

Milwaukee Bucks visit the Sacramento Kings to complete their season series. Their first game of the season—a 135-133 loss—had prompted the following mid-game text from my dad: “Defensive battle w Bucks. 141 points at half.”

Where We’re At​

The Bucks have gotten back to winning ways, even if mostly at the hands of the Charlotte Hornets. Their 3-1 stretch has not-coincidentally coincided with Giannis’ return. However, question marks with this team remain. At a certain point, it’s hard to square Myles Turner’s performance with what he’s being paid, myriad mitigating factors notwithstanding (cough cough Doc cough). It would also be nice to get a little more from Gary Trent Jr. But problems aside, Milwaukee does not seem to be trying to tank, so this is a stretch of the schedule where they need to be pumping (or at least eking) out wins.

The Kings are on a four-game skid. Their former SB Nation affiliate has a nice round-up of their “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year,” which featured trading De’Aaron Fox for Zach LaVine, Titanic-esque front office management, and an awful start to this season. A recent deep-dive points to their shoddy drafting as a key culprit during the “Ranadive error [sic intentional].” Of course, injuries to Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and someone called Maxime Raynoud (who has been playing well!) aren’t helping.

Injury Report​

Giannis is probable (right calf injury management) and Gary Harris is questionable (neck strain). Taurean Prince remains out (neck surgery).

Zach LaVine is questionable (left ankle sprain) and Domantas Sabonis is out (left knee partial meniscus tear).

UPDATE: LaVine is available.

Player To Watch​

Can Myles have a bounce-back game against a mini-team down its starting and backup centers?

How To Watch​

FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 8:00 p.m. CST.

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

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Bucks 115, Kings 98

The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Sacramento Kings 115-98 in a game that was mostly uneventful to kick off their West Coast swing. Giannis was dominant for the Bucks with 37 points and 11 rebounds. Russell Westbrook stuffed the stat sheet for the Kings with 21 points, six rebounds, three assists, four steals, and three blocks.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

The first quarter was basically a dead heat, with neither team able to stop the other from scoring consistently. Giannis nabbed two early buckets at the rim; the Kings are yet another team without the guys to guard him. Crucially, Gary Trent Jr. got some threes to go after going 0/6 over his last two. A Bobby Portis mid-range shot gave the Bucks their first real separation of the game, up 26-19 with just under three minutes left. Unfortunately for the visitors, Zach LaVine, returning from injury, came off the bench to score a quick five and cap a 7-0 run from Sac to even the game. A late Portis bucket had the Bucks up 28-26 after one.

The Bucks opened the second on an electrifying 9-0 run with another Trent triple, followed by a Portis and-one, and concluding with a Rollins transition bomb—all with Giannis on the bench. LaVine answered out of the timeout with a personal 4-0 run, but the Bucks would counter with an 11-2 blitz to blow the lead out to 15, 51-36, with just under five minutes remaining; Giannis was able to score easily over any given defender, while KPJ and Turner slotted in as secondary options. The Kings, on the other hand, were chucking up brick after brick, failing to register a single field goal in over six minutes (yes, six minutes). Bucks up 62-44 at half.

Giannis got off the chain early in the third, dominating inside to get the lead back up to 20 at the 8:33 mark. Rollins followed up with his own three and layup to give the Bucks a 25-point edge; the Golden 1 Center sounded like a library at that point. Russell Westbrook responded by putting heat on the rim, but Porter did the exact same. The Kings made something of a run late in the period with Giannis out, attacking in transition and getting to the charity stripe; this run had Milwaukee’s edge down to 16, 85-69, heading into the final frame. 69 was the second-fewest points allowed through three quarters for the Bucks all season.

By not blowing the lead out to end the third, Milwaukee gave Sacramento a sniff, which they capitalised on early with two straight threes from LaVine and Dennis Schroder—Bucks edge at 10 and an early Doc timeout. The timeout did not have the desired effect, with the Kings whittling their deficit down to just four over the ensuing three possessions. Thankfully, a breakdown in the Kings’ pick-and-roll defence allowed KPJ to get to the rim for an and-one finish, halting the momentum and giving the Bucks their first field goal since around the two-minute mark of the third. Milwaukee was able to knuckle down on defence and find ways to manufacture buckets on offence through KPJ and Giannis, going on a 16-3 extended run to put the game out of doubt.

Stat That Stood Out​

Giannis shooting with 13/17 efficiency is something we’ve gotten used to as Bucks fans, but should not be taken for granted. The big fella walked all over the Kings tonight.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scores-results/56960/bucks-vs-kings-final-score-recap-giannis

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Brew Hoop’s most-read articles of 2025

We like statistical analysis over here at Brew Hoop, but we’re usually looking at the numbers the Milwaukee Bucks put up, not our own. So with a hat-tip to our friends across town at Brew Crew Ball, we’re taking a look back at some yearlong statistics here at the site from 2025. Unlike Bucks fans, Brewers fans had the benefit of an extended playoff run in 2025, but it’s always interesting to see how similar our page views are on articles about the biggest news surrounding each team.

All told, Brew Hoop published 765 articles, had over 634,000 unique visitors and just over two million page views in 2025. Our best months were June and July, the latter in large part due to the waiving of Damian Lillard and signing of Myles Turner. In fact at nearly 356k views, July was our best month since February 2023 and our third best month in the last five years (predictably, July 2021 takes the cake with 666k views, thanks to the title). It’s interesting to see how well we did in June despite the Bucks just having a single second-round pick in the draft. February came in a close third thanks to the Bucks’ active trade deadline. As ever, it’s clear what hoops fans like to read about most: transactions! And apparently, Jimmy Butler.

Sorted by engaged minutes (i.e., the amount of time the article was on someone’s screen, hopefully being read!), here are 2025’s top ten:

10. Bucks are reportedly “active” and “moving money”​

Jackson Gross, June 26

11.8k visitors, 13.4k engaged minutes

9. After Dame, Bucks linked to a different future Hall of Fame point guard, but one Giannis might not like​

Finn Kuehl, July 2

15.8k visitors, 13.5k engaged minutes

8. Jimmy Butler suspended again, Bucks could get involved in a trade sending him to Phoenix​

January 22, Van Fayaz

8.6k visitors, 14.3k engaged minutes

7. Grading the Bucks’ Summer League players​

Finn Kuehl, July 21

6.2k visitors, 15.7k engaged minutes

6. Why the Myles Turner signing is not the foolish move it’s being made out to be​

Jack Trehearne, July 5

7.6k visitors, 16.4k engaged minutes

5. An update on the Jimmy Butler trade rumors​

Jackson Gross, January 9

12.0k visitors, 18.7k engaged minutes

4. Breaking: Bucks trade Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, and pick swap for Kyle Kuzma​

Van Fayaz, February 5

5.1k visitors, 19.6k engaged minutes

3. Report: More optimism about Dame returning for the playoffs​

Jackson Gross, April 13

14.3k visitors, 22.4k engaged minutes

2. Here are the only ways the Bucks could trade for Jimmy Butler​

Van Fayaz, January 6

10.2k visitors, 23.0k engaged minutes

1. Breaking: Bucks trade MarJon Beauchamp for Kevin Porter Jr.​

Riley Feldmann, February 6

13.1k visitors, 27.5k engaged minutes

Honorable Mentions​

These five all had just over 13k engaged minutes, and—with the exception of the third one, which had 10k—each had between 7–9k views:

• 12 players the Bucks could acquire with their trade exception this offseason
• Cole Anthony to sign with Bucks
• 2025 NBA Draft: Latest Bucks rumors and predictions
• Doc Rivers expresses interest in adding a big man
• The story of MarJon Beauchamp is a tragedy

In terms of average engagement time, two of our top three posts were Dawid’s recapping of the Bucks’ worst moves since 2002:

• The chapter of errors, part IV: 15 biggest mistakes by the Milwaukee Bucks (2002–2025): 687 visitors, 3.5k engaged minutes (5:06 per visit)
• Roundtable: State of the Bucks after the trade deadline: 2.1k visitors, 10k engaged minutes (4:53 per visit)
• The chapter of errors, part III: 15 biggest mistakes by the Milwaukee Bucks (2002–2025): 895 visitors, 4.3k minutes (4:45 per visit)

Thanks for reading Brew Hoop in 2025, and here’s hoping for a year of better news about the Milwaukee Bucks!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-features-profiles/56915/brew-hoop-most-read-articles-2025

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Peter Feigin “transitioning away from role” as Bucks president, Haslam Sports Group exec taking over

Surprisingly, the Bucks announced this morning that longtime team president Peter Feigin is stepping down from his position within the franchise, to be replaced by former Columbus Crew interim president of business Josh Glessing, a member of Haslam Sports Group. There had been no previous indication that Feigin, who isn’t of typical retirement age, was looking to depart. Nor is there any indication where this decision came from: if it was mutual or one of the sides looking to make a change. All we have from him is this statement:

“Serving as President of the Milwaukee Bucks has been the honor of my professional life. Together with our ownership group, partners, players, and an incredible staff, we built something truly special for this city and state. I am incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished and confident that the organization is in tremendous shape.”

Feigin was somewhat of a transformational figure for the Bucks. He was hired several months after a group led by Wes Edens, Jamie Dinan, and Marc Lasry purchased the team from Senator Herb Kohl in April 2014. His background in marketing and business development took him from Six Flags to New York City, where he was a VP of marketing for Madison Square Garden, then spent a few years away from sports. Under his leadership, the Bucks rebranded, secured a new arena, thus cementing a long-term future in Milwaukee amid relocation rumors, built the Deer District into a destination, and won the 2021 NBA title. He was a major part of rescuing the Bucks from national and even local irrelevance, which they were mired in for a good two decades. All in all, a successful tenure.

Now onto his replacement, which might give you some pause because of where he’s worked the past few seasons. Glessing, a Wisconsin native, has some history with the team dating back to six years as a VP at Goldman Sachs in their “global sports finance and advisory group within the investment banking division.” While there, he worked with Bucks ownership to finance Fiserv Forum before joining Haslam Sports Group in 2019 as chief of strategy and development. During that time, he’s focused on “strategic business and growth initiatives for the HSG portfolio of companies encompassing the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, HSG Ventures, and HSG Real Estate.” Indeed, he led HSG’s purchase of a 25% stake in the Bucks in early 2023, installing Jimmy Haslam—who will take over from Edens as governor in 2029—as an equal partner alongside Edens and Dinan.

Glessing’s most significant role, though, has been with the group’s MLS team in Columbus, where he took over in October 2023, two months before the Crew won the MLS Cup, Haslam’s only championship. As you might guess, they’ve done lucrative business by MLS standards over the past few years, though he almost certainly wasn’t responsible for their success on the field while “overseeing business operations, strategy, partnerships, and venue management.” Especially for that 2023 title. The Bucks say that Glessing will “oversee team business operations” and “work closely with Feigin during the coming months to ensure a seamless transition.”

The good news is that Glessing attests to his Bucks fandom, saying, “I was born a Bucks fan and I don’t need to learn what this team means to Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin. I have known it my entire life.” What’s concerning is the fact that he’s a Haslam guy. While buying Lasry’s stake certainly helped the team from a financial perspective and likely allowed them to continue fielding one of the league’s most expensive rosters until this past summer, the Bucks have dropped off since Haslam came into the fold. How much that has to do with the billionaire owner of Flying J truck stops, we don’t really know.

But we do know how things have gone in the 13 years he’s owned the Browns: a 70-123-1 record, including consecutive 1-15 and 0-16 seasons. While they rebounded in the earlier part of this decade with two winning seasons, they only won a single postseason game in two appearances and have since slid back into the AFC North basement. Infamously, they traded three first-round picks for quarterback Deshaun Watson in 2022, who faced 22 civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault and misconduct at the time and hadn’t played a game since January 2020. When he wasn’t charged criminally, the Browns made their move and gave him a five-year, $230m deal that was the most guaranteed money ever given to a football player at the time. The NFL suspended him for 11 games, and the contract immediately went south: Watson has sustained numerous injuries, including a torn Achilles that kept him out all of 2025. He’s played just 19 games over four full seasons, and underperformed when on the field. For on- and off-field reasons, it’s regarded as one of the worst contracts and decisions in pro sports history.

That, plus the Browns’ historical ineptitude, has garnered Haslam a reputation as one of sports’ worst owners. So Bucks fans were naturally wary when he got involved with the team. Reportedly, he and ownership pushed for Doc Rivers, one of the least popular coaches in the league, to be hired in January 2024 over the recommendation of GM Jon Horst. The news that Haslam is bringing in an exec who had at least some involvement with the Browns during the Watson debacle is not exactly great.

At the same time, Feigin’s role with the team was never about basketball operations. While he reported to ownership, he oversaw business operations involving the Bucks and Fiserv Forum but had no decision-making power in terms of players or coaching. That should continue to be the case, and Horst will maintain his current level of front office autonomy (which has unfortunately been overruled in the two most recent coaching searches). There may be nothing to worry about here.

But Feigin seems to be pretty close with Giannis, and I imagine it’s bittersweet for the big fella to see him go. That may be the worst part of this, though I’m sure Giannis understands and holds no ill will anywhere, if it was indeed Feigin’s decision. Fewer and fewer people remain in the organization since Giannis came to Milwaukee, not to mention since the 2021 championship. As fans, let’s hope Glessing continues the very good work Feigin did, doesn’t meddle with basketball ops, and doesn’t Haslamify the franchise any further. Things need to go better when Haslam becomes governor in 2029 than they’ve gone in Cleveland.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-news...-jimmy-haslam-columbus-crew-cleaveland-browns

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks Poll: Should the Bucks be buyers?

After a week off, the Tuesday Tracker is back! And the trade deadline is a month from today. All recent intel is that Milwaukee is looking to add to their roster as they push to re-enter the playoff picture, now that Giannis is back on the floor. They’re turning away all calls on their superstar, who has not requested a trade and downplayed his desire to leave in his first public statements since coming back.

One interesting development that we’re asking about is the Bucks’ improvement on the defensive glass over the past several weeks. They remain a very bad offensive rebounding team, but their struggles to corral opponents’ misses have been a highly visible issue this entire season, alongside turnovers. You’ll see their numbers since Giannis’ return—which seemingly stabilized their turnover problems—below, but going back four weeks, Cleaning The Glass ranks the Bucks’ defensive rebound rate seventh-best in the league and their turnover rate 24th. During the chunk of that period without Giannis, they were 29th in turnover rate and sixth in DREB%, so rebounding was improving even without him.

In this week’s Tuesday Tracker, let us know which way you want the Bucks to go at the deadline, and whether or not you think they’ll make it above the East’s play-in tier. We then have another record question for you, and want to know if you’re worried about AJ Green’s shooting slump.

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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...e-east-playoffs-rebounding-turnovers-aj-green

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Trade Candidate: Jerami Grant

Folks, as the calendar turns, it can only mean one thing: our annual Bucks trade candidate series is back! Stay tuned over the coming weeks as the Brew Hoop team breaks down various trade targets for the Bucks, including but not limited to: Zach LaVine, Michael Porter Jr., Andrew Wiggins, Corey Kispert, Dejounte Murray, Anfernee Simons, and Malik Monk. Today, though, we delve deep into Blazers forward Jerami Grant and analyse his potential fit with the Bucks.

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The Player​

Jerami Grant, 31, 6’7”, 213 lb, forward

Season averages: 20.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.6 BPG, .438/.395/.863

Jerami Grant is a veteran who has been around the block, having played a plethora of roles in his 12-year career. Grant began his time in the NBA as a defensive-focused junkyard dog who shot the ball much less than he does now, failing to average double digits until his sixth year in the association. However, he contributed on the other end, averaging 1.7 stocks during this period. It was in his second year with the OKC Thunder that he broke out, nearly doubling his attempts and shooting nearly 40% from three—he has shot 38% from deep ever since.

Grant then moved into a bona fide primary role on a (bad) Pistons team in 2019–20, piercing the 20 PPG mark for the first time in his career. After another season in the Motor City, he was traded to the Blazers ahead of the 2022–23 season, where he was brought in (foolishly, you might say) to be something of a second banana to our old friend Damian Lillard. The Blazers even signed JG to a five-year, $160m extension in 2023 in a list-ditch effort to convince Lillard to stay in PDX. Of course, Lillard asked out not long after that to come to Miami Milwaukee, leaving the Blazers holding the proverbial (and literal) bag.

Which brings us to where we are now. Ironically, the Bucks are reportedly looking to improve their team in a bid to convince their superstar to stay, just like the Blazers did. And even more ironically, they might be looking to do so with the exact same player:

“As for what the Bucks’ next steps are, general manager Jon Horst is expected to make a big move to add talent around Giannis and starting center Myles Turner, league sources said. At the NBA G League Showcase in Orlando, the one name that was floated around the most for the Bucks was Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant.” – Brett Siegel, Clutch Points.

The Trade​

To get up to Grant’s $32m number, Bobby Portis’ and Kyle Kuzma’s contracts basically must be in the deal (update: apparently this is not correct and Milwaukee could make this trade work financially by replacing Portis with any minimum player; my apologies). From there, it’s just about pick semantics. The Grant contract was bad when they signed it, and it still looks that way with another two years to go (including his player option) after this season ends. In the current cap environment, having a contract that large for a player who simply isn’t worth it can be incredibly hindering. Thus, the Bucks would actually be doing the Blazers a favour by taking on this contract and should be compensated for doing so. A first-round pick is likely not happening, but a few seconds should suffice:

On the other hand, the Blazers get a decent Grant facsimile in Kyle Kuzma (whose contract expires after next season) and a spacing big in Bobby Portis, who would help stretch the floor and unclog their oft-sluggish offence. Portis, who struggles on defence, would also be insulated by Portland’s slew of talented wing defenders. But let’s be honest, the primary appeal of this deal is that it would allow Portland to split Grant’s big contract into multiple smaller ones, increasing their cap flexibility.

I should note that the Blazers would need to waive someone from their roster to accommodate this deal because they currently have 15 standard contracts on their books—Duop Reath seems an obvious candidate. The good news is they would still be $4.1m underneath their hard cap.

The Fit​

Look, I’m not going to argue that Jerami Grant’s fit on the Bucks is perfect (or even good). The Bucks would run into the same problem they had with Kyle Kuzma: shoehorning a power forward into the small forward position because Giannis occupies that spot. Now, Grant (36.5%) is a better career three-point shooter than Kuzma (33.3%), which makes him somewhat more positionally malleable, I suppose, but the difference is so insignificant that I’m not sure it matters. Crucially, I also don’t think the Bucks could get away with bringing Grant off the bench the way they do with Kuzma because of politics, so he’d be the full-time starting SF.

Let’s explore the other parts of Jerami Grant’s game. One thing that may surprise folks is that, despite Grant’s size and length, the dude is allergic to rebounding! For his career, he averages a measly 3.9 RPG. To Grant’s credit, he has improved marginally as a passer as his role has expanded. Since arriving in Detroit, he has averaged 2.5 APG, up from 1.1 prior to that. Now, in the grand scheme of things, that’s nothing to write home about; you’d hope your primary option with a high usage rate would show at least some passing chops. Additionally, along with those 2.5 APG, Grant has also averaged 1.9 turnovers per contest, making that element of his game mostly a wash.

Having not watched a tonne of Blazers basketball, I can’t speak much to Grant’s defensive ability… which is why I turned to the always credible Blazers Reddit page for answers! From what Portland fans are saying, he’s not too dissimilar to Kuzma on D: not a pushover, but not a difference-maker either:

“He should never be your point of attack defender, you’d need someone different to hound the other team’s best. However, he adds a lot off ball, he’s smart, his lankiness helps clog passing lanes, and he makes decent rotations. He won’t make a bad defense good, but he’ll make a good defense better.”

In conclusion, while I think there are certain scenarios in which Jerami Grant could help this team, I don’t think it’s worth taking him (and his contract) on—even with draft pick compensation. Grant has been known as something of an empty-calories operator in his various stops, and I can’t say he’d be much different in Milwaukee.

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So, what are your thoughts on Grant? Is the juice worth the squeeze? Am I too low on the Blazers forward? Are there any other players you have your eye on? Let us know who to look at next!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...ortland-trail-blazers-bobby-portis-kyle-kuzma

 

[JJ]

OH BOY here we go with the Haslam stuff. Look, as a Bills fan I know what it's like to have ownership drama hanging over your head for YEARS so I feel for you Bucks fans on this one.

That said, let me break down what I'm seeing here:

**The Good Stuff:**
- Giannis going 13/17 against the Kings is absolutely DISGUSTING in the best way possible. That man is a cheat code when he's healthy and rolling. 37 and 11 is just casual destruction.
- Gary Trent Jr. finally hitting some threes is huge. When your shooters are cold, everything clogs up for Giannis.
- The defensive rebounding improvement is legit encouraging. That was killing them earlier.

**The Concerning Stuff:**
- This Feigin departure feels WEIRD. No retirement age, no warning, just "transitioning away"? That's front office speak for something going on behind the scenes. And bringing in a Haslam guy immediately? Come on.
- The Browns comparison is BRUTAL but fair. 0-16 doesn't happen by accident. That's systemic failure from the top down.
- Jerami Grant for Bobby and Kuzma? I don't hate it but I don't love it either. You're basically swapping one awkward fit for another awkward fit but with a worse contract. At least Kuzma's deal ends sooner.

**My Hot Take:**
The Bucks should absolutely be buyers but NOT for Grant. That contract is an anchor. Find someone who actually fits the roster instead of just grabbing names for the sake of "making a move."

What do you Bucks fans actually think Giannis wants to see happen here? Because keeping him happy is the ONLY thing that matters right now.

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks waive Mark Sears

It’s been a busy afternoon for the Milwaukee Bucks after deciding to fully guarantee the contract of Amir Coffey: they opted to waive their rookie point guard, Mark Sears. The news was broken by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype on Twitter/X. Sears appeared in just seven NBA games during his time with the Bucks, none for more than seven minutes, and averaged 3.1 points per game.

Sears was highly productive over the last four seasons of college basketball, averaging 18.0 PPG, 3.9 APG, 4.1 RPG, shooting 44% from the field and 38.4% from beyond the arc. He transferred to the University of Alabama after spending his first two seasons at Ohio University, and while there, he was a three-time All-SEC player, a two-time consensus All-American, and a two-time NCAA All-Region team selection.

Despite all that, the undersized Sears went undrafted out of college and was signed to a two-way contract by the Bucks on July 3. Most of his time with the franchise was actually spent in Oshkosh with the Wisconsin Herd, where he played in 9 G League games, averaging 15 points and 5.3 assists per game. Milwaukee now has a single two-way contract slot open, with Pete Nance and Alex Antetokounmpo still under two-way deals in their other two slots. They have until March 4th to fill that opening if they so choose (teams aren’t obliged to keep their two-way slots filled at all times), after which two-way contracts cannot be signed until the offseason.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...s-waive-mark-sears-two-way-university-alabama

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Warriors Player Grades: Giannis masterclass goes to waste

In a tough game where the Milwaukee Bucks really took it to the Golden State Warriors, they ultimately went down 120-113. There were some really good stretches, and as usual, some disappointing ones. This result evened the season series between the two sides, with the Bucks taking the first game earlier this 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​

31 minutes, 34 points, 5 assists, 10 rebounds, 14/22 FG, 2/4 3P, 2/7 FT, +3

Giannis was brilliant last night (apart from his free throw shooting, which had been pretty damn good since he returned!). I thought he mixed going directly at the likes of Draymond Green with his pick-and-roll game well. The Warriors are a smart team, and I thought GA diagnosed the different defences they were deploying against him at a really high level. The operative word is “composed” for me.

Grade: A

Kevin Porter Jr.​

40 minutes, 15 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds, 5 turnovers, 7/12 FG, 1/3 3P, –2

I’m at the point with KPJ where, while they do need players like him, I think he has way too much responsibility: it’s not some hot take to say that continuing to play through Porter to such a degree will augur negative results. Additionally, the situation is made worse by the fact that it feels like Ryan Rollins is suffering because of this. Some really bad reads down the stretch from him.

Grade: C-

Myles Turner​

24 minutes, 13 points, 4/8 FG, 2/4 3P, -7

Another instance where Myles failed to really put any imprint on the game. I get the offence can be heavily tied to his teammates, but it felt like he got out-physicalled by the Warriors on defence. Simply need more on both ends.

Grade: C

Ryan Rollins​

35 minutes, 16 points, 4 assists, 7/13 FG, 2/5 3P, -4

Solid stats. Needs to be trusted more! Good things seem to happen when Rollins has the ball, but he seems to be a bystander to others *cough KPJ cough* in way too many key moments (and just generally throughout games).

Grade: B+

AJ Green​

29 minutes, 11 points, 4/8 FG, 3/6 3P, +1

I find it hard to fault much of what AJ’s been doing lately. He makes those around him better and is selfless, exemplified by his rugged screening for Giannis in the inverted pick-and-rolls (even though doing that is extremely hard). The guy just does his job and is generally additive to whatever is happening on the floor; I thought he did a lot of that same stuff last night.

Grade: B+

Kyle Kuzma​

20 minutes, 13 points, 5/7 FG, 2/2 3P,-13

It was a fine Kuzma game because he didn’t try to do too much. He shot efficiently, and there might have only been one play where he went inward.

Grade: B

Gary Trent Jr.​

21 minutes, 5 points, 2/7 FG, 0/4 3P,-11

After finally hitting some shots against Sac, GT couldn’t regain that rhythm last night. I mean, I can’t say I’m too surprised that a guy with Trent’s limited skillset—and particularly his lack of ability to truly pierce the defence—would fare poorly against a physical outfit like the Dubs.

Grade: C

Gary Harris​

13 minutes, 8 points, 3/3 FG, –2

Gary Harris was solid! When Harris is making shots, he becomes a truly useful player because you know he’s going to have an impact on D; he’s also going to play his role on offence and make quick decisions. Nice.

Grade: A-

Bobby Portis​

23 minutes, 6 points, 6 rebounds, 2/7 FG, 2/4 3P, 0

Just a nothing game from Bobby. This is a bad matchup for him in most instances. Couldn’t get his offence going or seek his shots, and you know he’s not doing a whole lot on D.

Grade: C-

Doc Rivers​

I did think the Bucks were pretty crisp in their sets for much of this game. Giannis was a +3 in his 30 minutes; maybe if he could have played more, they’d have won, but that’s not Doc’s fault. Going to KPJ/allowing him to take over key possessions late, though, that’s on the coach; get the ball in the hands of your best player. I also thought the lineups featuring both Trent and Portis were simply untable defensively.

Grade: C+

DNP-CD: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Cole Anthony, Amir Coffey, Andre Jackson Jr., Jericho Sims

Inactive: Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo, Pete Nance

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Giannis played a great game overall, but when Turner rolls to the rim, he has to be in the dunker spot and not stand on the perimeter. Defences will give him that shot all day, and I want to say there were two instances in which it happened in this game.
• Speaking of Giannis, he (and his teammates) thought Draymond Green should have been assessed a flagrant foul for a layup he made late in the second quarter.
• It remains clear that Turner is a guy who can impact in the right system, but he needs a coach (and a great point guard, granted) who can use him strategically; Doc just isn’t that guy, which sucks on multiple levels—the main one being the contract he’s on with the Bucks!
• To my Gary Harris point, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say he’s been more impactful than Gary Trent Jr. for a good portion of this season. At least with Harris, you know the defence will be there; plus, he can drive a closeout and make the next play.
• De’Anthony Melton had his best game of the season.
• Jonathan Kuminga… the whole situation is a tad depressing.
• Jimmy Butler’s foul-baiting remains a frustrating watch, as it has been for years.

Up Next​

The Bucks get a day off today and will play tomorrow against the LA Lakers. Catch the game at 9:30 p.m. Central on NBA TV or FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...grades-stats-giannis-steph-curry-jimmy-butler