For whom the Snell tolls
For the second straight game, Bucks swingman Tony Snell finished with a scoreless showing as he went 0-of-2 from the field (0-for-1 from deep).
To make matters worse, Snell’s night topped out at just over 16 minutes with Bucks interim head coach Joe Prunty turning to rookie Sterling Brown to hold down the fort at the 2-spot at the 9:20 mark of the third quarter, leading to the 26-year-old Snell never returning back to the game.
As ESPN’s Zach Lowe recently touched on his recent 10 Things I Like/Don’t Like column, the fluctuation of Snell’s minutes and his inconsistent role has unequivocally contributed to his uneven campaign. We’ve seen what having the confidence of his coaches and his teammates does to transform his game even under his ultra-complimentary role, given how little touches he needs to make an impact on a given night.
After the game, Gabe Stoltz of Brew Hoop asked Joe Prunty about Snell trying to get back into form, especially with the start of the playoffs nearing:
In his last six games, Tony Snell has scored just 18 points. Tonight marked his second consecutive scoreless game. I asked Prunty what he thinks the biggest key is in getting him back in a groove with the playoffs nearing. Here's his response: pic.twitter.com/j9NRr7VpxR
— Gabe Stoltz (@Stoltzy3) April 6, 2018
With plenty of talk about the team’s lack of coaching aptitude and structural issues in terms of the team’s tactics, it’s not hard to figure out why the team’s cadre of role players have struggled to find their place this season, with Snell being a shining example of that. For all those reasons, it’s tough watching Snell finish out the year in the manner of slowly letting the air out of a balloon.
The Bucks will fly out to the East Coast to take on the New York Knicks on Saturday night at 6:30 PM central time.