Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways From Win Over Toronto Raptors

Bucks Centers Caused Problems Again

One of the biggest surprises of this series is the defensive impact of rookie Thon Maker. The Raptors’ guards have an incredibly hard time getting to and finishing at the rim when the duo of Giannis and Thon are protecting it. In addition, Thon is fearless when switched onto guards, and his surprisingly quick feet have allowed him to keep up with even Kyle Lowry when he’s asked to.

Thon’s minutes have increased each game this series. He’s finally seeing second and fourth quarter minutes, which was rare throughout the regular season. The box score doesn’t do him any justice, as he’s not credited with any blocks, but there’s no doubting his impact when it comes to rim protecting.

On the other side of things, there’s Greg Monroe. One of the best bench players in the league, Monroe has embraced and excelled in his bench role. Every night in this series, he has scored efficiently, rebounded well, and avoided getting burned in pick-and-rolls by hedging the guards hard. He took Lowry all the way back to mid-court while hedging him after a screen early in the game.

This was another complete performance from the Moose. In his 23 minutes off the bench, he scored 16, grabbed seven rebounds, gave out three assists, stole the ball twice and even blocked a shot.

Much was made last year of the poor defense Monroe provided. He eventually lost his starter’s position, which is rare for max contract players. But he really worked on his game, and has proved himself completely capable of fitting into this team’s defense.

Both Maker and Monroe looked like one of the most formidable center rotations in the league. Maker with his fearless rim protection and three-point range, and Monroe with his large collection of post moves, tough rebounding, and awareness on defense.