Milwaukee Bucks Grades, Reactions From 106-91 Win Over New York Knicks
By Adam McGee
Milwaukee Bucks Grades: Starters
O.J. Mayo, B
17 Points| 8-12 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 5 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK |
The decision to start Mayo at point guard was concerning considering how frequently and how poorly he has been shooting the ball, but Mayo took his responsibility seriously. Showing the veteran head that Kidd so often lauds him for, but doesn’t necessarily get displayed in games, Mayo didn’t force shots, instead taking the ones that came to him more naturally. Five assists to a single turnover is a nice ratio. It’ll be interesting to watch if he’s required to take an extended run in the role.
Khris Middleton, C
7 Points | 2-10 FG | 2-3 FT | 4 REB | 3 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK |
After his run of red-hot form, it was a little disappointing to see Middleton struggle in this manner, but it might be time to start questioning if he should move away from all of the post-ups. They’re a big part of the reason that in spite of his lights out three-point shooting, his overall field goal percentage is below 40 through 21 games. I’m sure he’ll bounce back overall on Monday.
Jabari Parker, A
17 Points | 8-13 FG | 1-2 FT | 7 REB | 2 AST | 2 STL | 1 BLK |
This was the night that Major Cat was born (thanks, Johnny Mac). Jabari Parker found himself reinstated to the starting lineup, and proved once and for all that he never should have been taken out. Parker once again showed his ability to rise up and throw down ferocious dunks, but on top of that he also showed nice flashes of passing. A big performance in a new minutes high for the season, and hopefully a sign of what’s to come from him in the next 61 games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, B-
17 Points | 6-15 FG | 5-6 FT | 6 REB | 6 AST | 1 STL | 2 BLK |
Not a vintage Giannis night by any stretch of the imagination, but it highlighted what might be an important shift in his game. Over his first few seasons, the Greek Freak had a tendency to either dominate or disappear. In this one he was a little off offensively, but he found other ways to get involved. He grabbed six good rebounds, and importantly with the absence of a true point guard for much of the game, he distributed with six dimes too.
Greg Monroe, B+
18 Points| 8-13 FG | 2-2 FT | 14 REB | 0 AST | 1 STL | 1 BLK |
Robin Lopez could not even come close to handling Moose. His jumper was super smooth, something that if it can become a consistent weapon for him will make him near unstoppable. Monroe was 4-4 on field goals away from the paint. On top of that his rebounding effort was colossal. Lopez and Porzingis have size, but they could only combine for eight rebounds between them.
Next: Grades: Bench