Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 99-95 win over Detroit Pistons
By Adam Coffman
Hook’s Still Got It
As game after game passes, the more skeptical contingent of Bucks fans braces themselves again and again for John Henson to revert back to his old self — namely, the player who was all but permanently benched last season due to a complete lack of efficacy.
That version of Henson has yet to show himself this year, and it’s become more crucial than evr that this remains the case. The Bucks are incredibly dependent on him remaining in his current form, rostering just the inexperienced Thon Maker alongside Hook at the center position.
Going against a tough matchup in Andre Drummond, the much thinner Henson needed to assert himself on the boards and in the restricted area to prevent the PIstons from getting easy points.
Drummond did wind up with eight offensive rebounds, but the Pistons as a team scored only 22 points in the paint, in large part thanks to Henson and the rest of the defense’s activity and shot contests.
On offense, Henson was involved frequently in pick and rolls, racking up 10 points and drawing a number of fouls as he dove to the hoop.
On a couple occasions, his inability to see the floor kept Milwaukee from taking advantage of a four-on-three opportunity following a hard hedge, but few centers in the league are able to facilitate in that capacity.
He’ll never be a feared matchup, but John Henson maintaining his current level of competency is one of the most important storylines to follow over the next few weeks.
Next: Win In 6 Podcast #160: Fast start to the Eric Bledsoe era
The Bucks will attempt to extend their win streak on the road against the Dallas Mavericks on November 18.