Five Reasons The Milwaukee Bucks Can Win This Series
By Ti Windisch
Apr 23, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau calls out during the third quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The Bulls Are Running Out Of Energy
The Bulls’ starting backcourt has done the bulk of Chicago’s scoring this series, as Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose rank first and second respectively in playoff scoring for the Bulls this series. They also have played a whole lot of minutes, and that seems to be taking a toll on the Chicago guards.
| G | MP | FGA | FG% | 3PA | 3P% | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS | GmSc | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 34:48 | 14 | .571 | 5 | .400 | 8 | .875 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 21.8 | +11 |
| 2 | 46:00 | 19 | .526 | 9 | .333 | 14 | .571 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 31 | 24.1 | +12 |
| 3 | 53:01 | 20 | .400 | 7 | .143 | 8 | .875 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 24 | 15.7 | +7 |
| 4 | 40:34 | 17 | .706 | 7 | .714 | 4 | 1.000 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 33 | 28.3 | +11 |
| 5 | 46:28 | 21 | .238 | 4 | .500 | 9 | .889 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 20 | 17.6 | +3 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/30/2015.
The above game log belongs to Butler. As you can see, he’s played a whole lot of minutes in this series so far, including a massive 53 minute outing in Game 3. That game was Butler’s second-worst game of the series. He played just 40 minutes in Game 4 and had an amazing outing in the Bulls’ loss, but then struggled once more in Game 5 after playing an average of over 44 minutes per game (!!) in this series so far.
| G | MP | FGA | FG% | 3PA | 3P% | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS | GmSc | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27:14 | 16 | .563 | 7 | .429 | 2 | 1.000 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 23 | 17.8 | +12 |
| 2 | 38:05 | 14 | .286 | 6 | .333 | 5 | 1.000 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 13.9 | +9 |
| 3 | 48:13 | 23 | .522 | 9 | .556 | 6 | .833 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 34 | 29.4 | +14 |
| 4 | 39:24 | 13 | .385 | 4 | .500 | 2 | 1.000 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 14 | 5.9 | +13 |
| 5 | 42:27 | 20 | .250 | 7 | .000 | 4 | .750 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 13 | -2.2 | -8 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/30/2015.
And here’s Rose’s playoff game log once more. For Rose the impact of his minutes seems even more profound: his most recent two games have been by far his worst in the series thus far, with Rose struggling mightily in Game 5. Rose has played 39 minutes per game in his first postseason since 2012. No wonder he (and Butler, to a lesser degree) are gassed.
Next: The Return Of The Milwaukee Grinder