After a three-game win streak, expectations were high coming into the road match-up against the Dallas Mavericks. Obviously, the game did not go according to plan, but how would we grade each performance?
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT1 | T | |
| All NBA | 27 | 12 | 17 | 18 | 1 | 75 |
| All NBA | 19 | 28 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 86 |
This was definitely a night to forget for Bucks’ fans. Not only did the team fall on the road to a win-less Dallas Mavericks team, but they had chances to win throughout. After looking amazing against the Kings the night prior, that same magic just did not seem to be there.
Both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker, the cornerstones, got caught up in foul trouble, which greatly affected the team’s offense. When both Giannis and Jabari have off nights, it puts a lot of strain on the other rotation players to pick up a big slack.
It was obvious in this game how important the Greek Freak is to the Bucks. Not only did Milwaukee miss his ability to score and distribute on offense, but his defense is also somewhat overlooked. Giannis does a tremendous job when guarding perimeter players, but he is also quite serviceable as a rim protector. This versatility allows for the occasional defensive mistake by his teammates. But without him on the floor for much of the game, the team suffered.
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On a positive note, Malcolm Brogdon had another solid performance off the bench. He continued to show a veteran attitude and poise for a rookie and ran the offense with stunning efficiency. Although he did not dish out any assists and only grabbed one rebound, his value was mostly in keeping the team under control and by playing solid defense. It is hard to judge a second-round rookie after just seven games with the team, but Brogdon is a very valuable part of this Bucks rotation.
As for the rest of the team, there was not much to celebrate. In an all-around horrible game, the best thing the team can do is just to learn from their mistakes and be ready for the next one. Hopefully this game against the Mavericks was just an off-night and that it does not become a regular performance. These kind of games cannot happen all that often if Milwaukee has their sights set on the playoffs, so they need to take the next three days off and figure it out.
Without any more introduction, what grades would we give the starters, bench, head coach, and the Dallas Mavericks?