Milwaukee Bucks: 3 things to watch for while hosting Phoenix Suns
Forging on without Donte and George
Friday night’s loss to the Nuggets left the Bucks without a pair of quality contributors off the bench, those being Donte DiVincenzo and George Hill. And the Bucks’ performance clearly suffered without them on the court as a result, playing a small part in their play unraveling as the night went along.
Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer spoke directly to that as he talked about with The Athletic’s Eric Nehm after the defeat:
"“I tend to think of breakdowns as defensive breakdowns and I think we’ll look at the film and we weren’t great there,” Budenholzer said when asked if their absences caused problems in the loss. “Offensively, just not a rhythm. Guys not in their right spots … just not the same normal rhythm with George and those guys and Donte. “They’ve been in a really good rhythm. It’s hard. I thought Sterling gave us his best and Pat, but it’s just a little bit different. Sometimes, it takes a minute to get into your rhythm.”"
As Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported before the game, DiVincenzo will be re-evaluated before Sunday’s game, while the Bucks will continue to be without Hill for the following few games. Could that stretch into the All-Star break if the Bucks don’t want to push it?
Bud says he expects George Hill (left hamstrung strain) will miss a few games including tonight. Donte DiVincenzo twisted his left ankle during Tuesday’s game but Bud says the team is hopeful his will be a shorter absence. He will be evaluated before Sunday’s game.
— Matt Velazquez (@Matt_Velazquez) February 1, 2020
That’s just some reckless speculation, but without both DiVincenzo and Hill in the mix, not only are the Bucks thin in their guard rotation, but their depth, which is usually a strength, certainly doesn’t look as sturdy as it has been for most of the season.
Next. Hill sustaining outstanding 3-point shooting. dark
The Bucks will host the Suns for a 1 p.m. central time tip-off Sunday afternoon at Fiserv Forum.