Milwaukee Bucks: Roundtable ahead of Toronto Raptors Conference Finals series
By Adam McGee
After dropping Game 1 after a long break before the Celtics series, do you expect the Bucks to produce a better start to the Conference Finals?
Robby Cowles (RoBByCowles): I think the Bucks will win Game 1 but I expect them to have a slow start, which was the usual against the Celtics in the last round. The Bucks will be fresher, but they’ll have some rust and the Raptors are going to be hell-bent on stealing home court as soon as possible. I predict the Bucks will trail at the half but win the game.
Dan Larsen (@DanLarsen34): You would hope that, after the disaster that was Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Milwaukee Bucks would be much better prepared for the series opener this time around. I believe they will be, even if there is a level of rust for periods of the opening game.
The Bucks have had over a week to rest, go over film, and get in some practices to work on things they could have done better last round. Toronto, on the other hand, is coming off of a grueling, physical series where it took a crazy bounce on the final shot of regulation in game 7 for them to make it here.
Cumulative fatigue at this stage in the post-season is a much greater concern than it would be after, say, the opening round. Toronto’s second best player this year, Pascal Siakam, picked up a knock in the previous series, and hasn’t looked the same since. Toronto struggled whenever Philly pushed the pace and was able to take advantage of their (at times) superior athleticism too. Those extra miles could be a big factor against a Bucks side that may be the most athletic in the NBA, and is at their best when playing at a quick tempo.
Even if Toronto has a bit of momentum coming off their more recent win, the Bucks could run them wild in game 1 if they push the pace, move on and off the ball, and take advantage of having that extra rest.
Milwaukee is also coming off a series where, even if they won in five, they were tested by Boston. They moved away from a lot of the bad habits they picked up in their first round series against Detroit, and I’d expect the team to be much better prepared mentally for this series opener because of it.
Dominique Baguna (@DominiqueBaguna): This is all uncharted territory for the Bucks going forward. After dropping Game 1 of the second round, the Bucks will be cautious of dropping the first game at home. Last series, the Bucks were up against the consensus best team in the conference to start the season. All the blame was thrust upon Kyrie and the Celtics when the series was complete. This round, however, the Bucks understand that a poor showing will be seen as a Bucks collapse rather than a Raptors triumph. I predict the Bucks to come out strong and lead most of the game to dispel any notions that they do not belong in the Conference Finals.
Rohan Katti (@rkattijr): I fully expect the Bucks to start the series with the right mindset and intensity. Going into Game 1 against the Celtics, Milwaukee had not been truly tested against the Pistons, which may have led to the malaise that resulted in a blowout loss at home. However, the Bucks faced playoff competition against Boston, and fully know why they struggled in Game 1 of the conference semifinals, and will likely look to right the ship against the Raptors.
Scott Romportl (@ScottRomportl): As with the Boston series, Game 1 and Game 3 will concern me the most. Game 1, for Toronto’s few days worth of preparation for giving Milwaukee different looks that they may not be expecting, and may not be fully prepared to adjust to on the fly. While the Bucks don’t necessarily need to adjust every time a new challenge presents itself (and rightfully so), Nick Nurse and the Raptors may present enough of one to where Game 1 could come down to the wire with Kawhi Leonard going for the early Game 1 punch. The Raptors know how difficult it would be to win four of six against a healthy Milwaukee team if they drop Game 1, so they have every reason to show out. Despite my concern, it still shouldn’t matter. Bucks by 8, 110-102.
Leander Wallace (@LeanderWallace): Yes, while the Bucks preached energy and playing harder as the keys to Game 2 of the Boston series, it was actually more than that. Milwaukee tried to downplay the importance of adjustments, but the rest of the series told a different story. The Bucks’ switching defense was the key to turning around the series. Game 1 wasn’t a matter of a long layoff causing poor play as much as it was just a matchup problem for Brook Lopez.
Ben Rauman (@Ben Rauman): I think they do. While the Bucks have tended to struggle after extended time off, the 1 p.m. tip-off in Game 1 against Boston certainly didn’t help either. Coming into the second round, Milwaukee had just swept Detroit without much resistance on the part of the Pistons. While that series was nothing to be taken lightly, given it was their first series win in 18 years, it almost didn’t feel like playoff basketball with the ease with which the Bucks dismantled Detroit. Now with Milwaukee coming off their fourth straight win, I fully expect them to continue that into the Conference Finals and protect home court. After all, Giannis said it best: “Against Boston, you can go down 1-0 and still be fine; but against Toronto, it’s hard to be in that spot when you lose the first game in your home.”
Jordan Treske (@JordanTreske): Slow starts have felt like a constant in the Bucks’ regular season and now in the playoffs. Of course, Game 1 against the Celtics might have served as a game-long metaphor for that if we really look at it. But I do think the Bucks will display a greater urgency and an infinitely better effort in Game 1 against the Raptors to send a message of intent, so to speak.
Considering the schedule of the series and the fact that Toronto is coming off a grueling, seven-game series that was literally decided on the final possession in regulation, both teams couldn’t be starting the series from more drastically different starting points. That’s certainly an advantage to the Bucks, but they have also preached about the importance of wanting to be in a rhythm time and time again throughout the year.
It may be a leap of faith on my part, but I figure we’ll see a very determined Bucks team that won’t resemble the kind we saw to start the last round.