The Milwaukee Bucks couldn’t overcome the Toronto Raptors, but the Bucks got the chance to push themselves to the limit, answering some questions and posing some new ones.
The Milwaukee Bucks blew a 2-1 lead to the Toronto Raptors and lost their first-round series when the Raptors managed to un-blow a 25-point lead and win on Thursday night.
It stinks that Milwaukee couldn’t get to the second round this season, but at the same time it makes some sense. Two of Milwaukee’s five starters for the duration of the NBA Playoffs were rookies, and one was clearly still recovering from an illness and who knows what else.
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Making excuses isn’t overly helpful, but context is. Learning from what’s happened in the past is also helpful. Every single minute of Bucks basketball offers something or other that can be taken away.
Even in a disappointing series loss, there were good things on display for these young Milwaukee Bucks. There were also some bad things that can be noted, although hope for the future (and owning it) still feels like the overriding feeling at the moment.
By going through five of the most important takeaways from the Bucks series against the Toronto Raptors, Bucks fans can learn more about their team. Although there was some discouraging signs, there’s reason for optimism as well.
Playoff Giannis Is Real
The fantastic play of Giannis Antetokounmpo is definitely the biggest takeaway from Milwaukee’s series against Toronto. Although Giannis did have a down game in the postseason, on the whole he played like the best player in the series, because he was.
Giannis averaged 24.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.7 blocks per game on 53.1 percent field goal shooting and 40.0 percent three-point shooting. Antetokounmpo stepped up when it mattered most, especially in Game 6.
The Bucks clearly couldn’t survive without him, so Giannis played all but 81 seconds on Thursday. In his 46-plus minutes played, the Greek Freak put up 34 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.
The more impressive part was that when it looked like Giannis was all out of gas, he just kept going. Every time the Bucks needed a bucket, he was doing everything possible to go and get it.
It may not have been enough for Milwaukee to take down the Raptors, but Bucks fans learned that Giannis Antetokounmpo is willing and able to go to bat for his team whenever he has to.
But He Needs Help
Giannis showed out in the playoffs, but the Bucks were unable to show up on a nightly basis and surround him with help. Milwaukee got good contributions from some role players, but that isn’t enough in the postseason.
Every great player in the NBA has some sort of second banana. LeBron James has Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant have each other, and Klay Thompson. Kawhi Leonard has … well, maybe not every great player has a second banana.
Anyway, back to the Bucks. Giannis needs someone else who can step up when he needs a breather. That should’ve been Khris Middleton this postseason, but Middleton clearly wasn’t right for the duration of the series.
Middleton had a good Game 6, but for the series he scored just 14.5 points per game on 39.7 percent field goal shooting. Obviously Jabari Parker should also be around to help out as well, but injuries really hurt the Bucks in the postseason.
The good news is that if everybody heals correctly, Milwaukee should have a healthy Middleton and Parker to pick up the little slack that Giannis leaves behind next time around.
Young Guns Can Play
Pretty much all of the Milwaukee Bucks outside of Jason Terry are young, so let’s be more specific here; the Bucks rookies can play. Malcolm Brogdon and Thon Maker went from draft picks to playoff contributors very quickly.
That’s not an easy transition to make. There’s a reason tanking teams play so many young players–it’s difficult for rookies to contribute to winning teams, even if Thon and Brogdon made it look pretty easy.
Both players struggled at times in the postseason, but Thon especially proved that he’s capable of changing games. Maker made life difficult for Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan when he was in the game by blocking and altering shots, and being able to capably defend guards on the perimeter.
Brogdon started slow, and he ended the series shooting 40 percent from the field and 47.6 percent from three-point range. Thon shot 38.7 percent from the field and 20 percent from beyond the arc.
There are clearly improvements that have to be made. Still, both rooks showed some positive signs that they’ll be able to be better next time the Bucks are in the playoffs.
Center Problems Persist
Another year, another weird center rotation in Milwaukee. The Bucks have a new starting center in Thon Maker, and one who makes for a terrifying four-five duo with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis and Thon both being able to guard pretty much anybody and handle the ball means Milwaukee’s front court is revolutionary, or at least has the potential of being that.
Unfortunately, there’s more to figure out here. There are three other centers on the Bucks roster: Greg Monroe, Spencer Hawes and John Henson. Hawes and Henson both got completely random playoff minutes, and Monroe is the Bucks de facto sixth man.
The Bucks need three of those players at most, and would be better off with Thon, Moose and some cost-controlled third option. Unfortunately Henson and Hawes might both be around next season, depending on how Hawes handles his player option, plus Monroe could wind up elsewhere if he opts out of the final year on his deal.
Henson and Hawes will cost a combined $18 million. That’s a lot of money for two players who combined for 29 postseason minutes, which is probably 29 more than they should’ve played.
The Bucks best player is Giannis, undoubtedly. Although he shot 40 percent from the field, Giannis is far from a talented sharpshooter. He needs those kinds of players around him though, meaning Milwaukee would be better to play less centers, not more of them.
That’s easier said than done, considering how much money is tied up in Henson especially. Still, if John Hammond can dump Miles Plumlee‘s contract, maybe he can do the same thing with Henson’s this summer.
Time To Change The Scheme?
This topic is another one that’s becoming old hat in Bucks circles, but it’s a fair point. Milwaukee’s defense was stifling to start the series, but the Raptors quickly adjusted by starting Norman Powell in place of Jonas Valanciunas.
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That move brought Thon Maker out of the paint. When the Bucks swarmed the ball-handler and trapped, all Toronto had to do was find whoever was open and they could get a three-pointer or a drive to the rim with ease.
Toronto was able to find open shooters whenever the Raptors moved the ball. The huge run the Bucks went on in the second half of Game 6 was possible because Toronto stopped passing, making it much easier for the Bucks to defend the Raps.
When questions about Milwaukee’s unique defense have come up this season, the recurring answer has been that it’s not possible to make any huge changes during the season. Now that the Bucks have months off until their next game, it would definitely be possible to make some changes.
The most obvious one would be to simply trap less. With Thon in the starting lineup, Milwaukee could switch on pretty much any screen they wanted to without giving up a huge matchup problem.
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Instead of swarming the ball, the Bucks could stay home and prevent those pesky corner threes from opening up in the first place. There’s no guarantee any change is made to the defense, but if one were to happen it would during the offseason.