Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 113-107 Game 1 loss to Boston Celtics

The Celtics are playing chess

What is that old saying? “They’re playing checkers, I’m playing chess.” It seems to fit this series pretty well.

It almost seems unfair to beat up on Joe Prunty too much. He was put into a nearly impossible situation of taking a team that has been coached the wrong way for years and trying to make adjustments on the fly with little practice time.

With that said, an effort to show that he would like to change the way this team plays would be a nice start.

The difference in the level of coaching in this series is very noticeable even after only a game. Brad Stevens will find a way to outcoach most coaches in the league, but the Bucks seemed to walk right into TD Garden on Sunday with a desire to make the Celtics’ strategy work.

At one point late in the fourth quarter the Bucks had 19 turnovers, two offensive rebounds, and had only attempted 13 three-point attempts.

Turning the ball over is obviously always a negative but what really stands out is the number of three-point attempts. Ultimately, the Bucks ended up with only 21 attempts from behind the arc. This is including a few possessions where the Bucks had no choice but to take a three-pointer and, of course, five extra minutes being added to the contest.

Considering Boston’s entire goal seems to be to keep Milwaukee, Giannis in particular, out of the paint, this number is one that should be higher. There were a few possessions when Giannis drove, his gravity drew defenders toward him and he kicked the ball out for an open three. If the Bucks want to open things up for their young star, they must keep shooters on the floor around him, and those shooters must take outside shots without hesitation.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a force and will try to put his team on his back, but right now the 23-year-old needs some help from his coaching staff.

Next: Win In 6 Podcast #202: Reacting to an overtime loss in Game 1

The Bucks will look to bounce back from a tough loss in Game 1 on Tuesday in Boston.