Milwaukee Bucks Grades and Reactions in 97-86 Loss To Atlanta Hawks

Feb 22, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Jerryd Bayless (19) dribbles the ball down court against Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) in the second quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Reactions: The Good

• The Milwaukee Bucks didn’t miss a free throw–a stat that’s not completely impressive until you realize the Bucks shot a perfect 18-18 from the stripe. The last time the Bucks were perfect from the line while shooting fifteen or more free throws was January 12, 2012 against the Detroit Pistons, when they hit seventeen. Ersan Ilyasova is the only current Buck’s player who was also on that 2012 team. The Bucks are sixth in the league in free throw shooting percentage, boasting a .774 percentage.

I’m not sure what I like more about this Giannis dunk–the incredible length needed to pull it off, the effective euro step, or the “stink-face” expression on the way back on defense.

• Miles Plumlee could turn out to be a pleasant surprise for the Bucks–particularly for his rebounding ability. Plumlee pulled in five rebounds in just fifteen minutes, looking forceful and aggressive while chasing down loose balls. That’s something that the Bucks haven’t enjoyed lately. John Henson joined Plumlee’s aggressive rebounding party, pulling in eight rebounds in eighteen minutes and looking downright passionate for the majority of the game. One of the knocks on Henson’s game is that he tends to look complacent from time to time. He was anything but against the Hawks.

Honestly, Dennis Schröder, what did you think was going to happen?

Next: Reactions: The Bad