Milwaukee Bucks: Guard Heavy Rotations in Game 1
By Reid Mueller
The Milwaukee Bucks beat the three seeded Toronto Raptors on the road as Jason Kidd went with an obscure rotation to smother the opposition’s All-Star guards.
Milwaukee Bucks coach Jason Kidd is known for his inconsistent rotations, but Game 1 in Toronto took the cake on odd rotations for the season.
Matthew Dellavedova and Greg Monroe were the only two players off the bench who played at least 10 minutes. Khris Middleton, who has struggled finding the energy to get the ball over the top of the rim of late, played a team-high 41 minutes. But most interesting, was how Jason Kidd matched up with the Raptors guards.
Toronto was either playing a big lineup, pairing Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas, or going small with DeMarre Carroll or P.J. Tucker playing as the small ball, stretch four.
More from Bucks News
- Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
- Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
- Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
- Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
- New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited
Coach Kidd fired back against the big lineup with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thon Maker. They give up a ton of girth, but are so much faster than the Raptors front court. Advantages in the frontcourt matchups could fluctuate back and forrth as the series goes on, but in this one, speed won out.
Toronto only played Valanciunas for 24 minutes, instead leaning towards going small against the young Bucks team. Milwaukee countered that with a combination of Dellavedova and rookie Malcolm Brogdon.
With the Raptors small ball lineup of Kyle Lowry–DeMar DeRozan-DeMarre Carroll-P.J. Tucker-Serge Ibaka, they fed into Milwaukee’s best defensive hands. Coach Kidd countered with Dellavedova-Brogdon-Snell-Middleton-Monroe.
Kidd only used this lineup for five minutes, but the Bucks dominated with an astonishing defensive rating of 45.7 in that time. The Bucks also turned to a similar lineup where Snell was replaced by Antetokounmpo for seven minutes, resulting in a 48.7 defensive rating.
Carroll and Tucker are both low usage wing players, who spot up in the corners, allowing DeRozan and Lowry to attack via the pick-and-roll. Dellavedova went head to head with Kyle Lowry, who recently returned from an extended injury. While Brogdon sought to slow down the Raptors leading scorer, DeRozan. Middleton and Snell were in positions to show, clogging the lane on the pick-and-roll. They just needed to stay within striking distance of their matchup to contest the kick out three.
This put the Raptors guard duo in a tough situation, as Moose as well as Thon were able to show on the pick-and-roll long enough for their teammates to regain their defensive position.
The two point guard lineup helps Milwaukee in this situation, as both Michael Beasley and Mirza Teletovic would be at a distinct disadvantage defensively. Tucker and Carroll would have a nice chance at out-hustling the Bucks stretch fours, whether it be back door cuts, aggressiveness on the offensive boards, or a lack of enthusiasm closing out to the open shooter.
Going with the smaller lineup counters that and also allows the Bucks to switch one through four and still have a capable defender on the roller. Middleton and Snell both have the length to challenge DeRozan, regardless of where he’s attacking from on the floor. While Brogdon has an underrated athleticism, allowing him to stay in front of the All-Star as he tries to bully his way into the lane.
With the Raptors choosing to play Tucker over fellow backup Patrick Patterson, Milwaukee will likely be able to stick with the two point guard lineup for Game 2. The playoffs can be decided by scheme changes from game to game. To adjust for the Bucks two point guard lineup, I’d expect coach Casey to adjust by clearing out and posting up DeRozan on Brogdon.
A small gameplan change such as this, could make all the difference for the Raptors. The Bucks played some of their best basketball on Saturday. It’ll be hard to keep it up against a team full of playoff experience.
Playing two point guards at the same time also helped Milwaukee keep the ball moving. Saturday was one of the team’s best passing performances of the season, finishing with 22 assists to just five turnovers.
When Giannis is playing alongside both playmakers, the offense is also still running through the 22-year-old star. This is great on two fronts. First, it’s the second half of April, Giannis needs the ball in his hands as much as possible. Second, both playmakers retain some energy to chase the Raptors guards around screens.
Next: Milwaukee Bucks: Thon Maker’s Defense Set The Tone In Game 1
Just like the rest of us, it’s worth noting that Toronto is watching the game tape too. The Raptors are certainly planning on some scheme changes to try to regain the matchup advantage in Game 2. The Bucks have had a great start, but it’s a seven games series and Milwaukee has a lot left to prove.