Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from Summer League win over Brooklyn Nets
By Adam McGee
Team Rebounding
When the Bucks were blown out by the Cleveland Cavaliers in their opening game on Friday, the team’s lackluster rebounding effort stood out as one of their biggest issues.
D.J. Wilson arrived in Milwaukee not exactly renowned for his rebounding abilities — Jason Kidd even joked about it at a press conference — while Thon Maker still struggles to hold his own while securing rebounds.
The result was that front court duo managed only 10 combined rebounds against Cleveland, while the Bucks were out-rebounded 51-31, and blown out by 29 points.
On Sunday, both Wilson and Maker upped their efforts, but they also received much greater support from their teammates. Having generally lacked cohesion in their opener, the Bucks looked much more in sync as a unit, and the way which that paid off on the glass ultimately proved decisive.
The Nets prevailed with the rebounding edge, but only by the narrowest of margins, 43-40.
The Bucks were able to bridge that gap by committee. Maker and Vaughn led the way with eight rebounds each, Wilson had six, Sterling Brown and Jalen Moore had five apiece, while Gary Payton II chipped in with four boards too.
Rebounding is an issue that also translates to the Bucks’ main squad, and like them, if the Summer League team wishes to have success, they’ll need all hands on deck.