Milwaukee Bucks Grades, Reactions From 111-90 Loss To Toronto Raptors

Dec 26, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe (15) drives for the basket during the first quarter against the Toronto Raptors at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Reactions: The Good

• Greg Monroe had himself a ball game. The powerful center scored nineteen points on 7-10 shooting, while going a perfect 5-5 from the FT line, and adding 11 rebounds. He was conspicuously left on the bench while the Raptors went on their eventual game-winning fourth quarter run. He was the only Bucks player to finish the game with a positive (+/-) with a +1. Monroe does it all for this young Bucks team–it’s a shame they can’t deliver the wins they promised when he signed here in free agency.

• This happened. Remember last year when Johnny O’Bryant was little more than the butt-end of a snarky inefficiency joke? Those days are gone. Now he’s pulling in offensive rebounds at a high rate and making beautiful shots like this first quarter gem.

• That’s three straight games with twenty or more points for Khris Middleton. After a middling first month of the season, Middleton has regained his form. He’s pushed his season shooting percentage over .400, maintained his career-high .444 three point percentage (that’s a really, really good mark – 7th in the league good), and has started to take high percentage shots. Gone is the reliance on turnaround post-jumpers. He’s getting back to the basics with catch and shoot threes, dribble penetration layups or assists, and one-dribble jumpers. He added five three pointers and seven assists against the Raptors. If he keeps this up (and he should) that contract will start looking like a real bargain.

• Speaking of contracts, someone who hasn’t lived up to theirs is John Henson. But that doesn’t stop him from making highlight reel blocks–like this one on Luis Scola.

Next: Reactions: The Bad