Milwaukee Bucks: Hiatus could allow increased playoff minutes for starters
By Adam McGee
By the time the postseason rolls around, the months of rest could allow the Milwaukee Bucks to increase their starters’ minutes totals.
One of the key signifiers of Mike Budenholzer’s tenure as Milwaukee Bucks head coach has been just how dominant his team has been, and how in turn that has led to their star players not having to clock up anywhere close to the kind of minutes totals that are normal for many of their rivals.
Of course, under the guidance of Budenholzer’s predecessor, Jason Kidd, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton were mainstays in the NBA’s top-10 in total minutes played. In contrast, this season they ranked 72nd and 95th, respectively, before the coronavirus pandemic led to the the season being suspended.
More from Bucks News
- Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
- Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
- Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
- Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
- New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited
The positives of this strategy have been obvious as the Bucks have avoided major injuries to their key players, and have theoretically been able to keep them fresher for the challenges of the postseason. And yet last year, when the time came for minutes to be ramped up against Toronto in the Conference Finals, the Bucks didn’t quite look equipped for it and Budenholzer still employed a more cautious approach in managing workloads.
That sets up an even more interesting scenario as the NBA gets set to resume the 2019-20 season at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando later this month.
In spite of their comparatively modest minutes totals, a number of Bucks were certainly in need of a chance to rest and allow their bodies to heal up before the break. The league’s hiatus has allowed Antetokounmpo to get fully healthy again, while George Hill and Donte DiVincenzo have also been among the Milwaukee players noted to have benefited from some rest.
Of course, the Bucks haven’t been the only team with their feet up in recent months, though.
Has the hiatus negated any potential advantage the Bucks could have gained with their approach to keeping players fresh, or could it still factor into the postseason?
The truth is the top priority for all teams when training camp gets underway, scrimmages are played, and seeding games round out the remainder of the season will be to first regain game shape and sharpness without picking up a plethora of injuries.
That could now be complicated for the Bucks given the latest round of COVID-19 testing has led to their practice facilities being shut down before they leave for Walt Disney World Resort.
Beyond that, though, the Bucks’ diligent approach to minutes could yet pay off in a big way. It’s worth remembering that Milwaukee needs just one win or Toronto loss to claim the No. 1 seed in the East bracket. That means that they will have the luxury of working on their conditioning with less pressure than many of their rivals, and without having to push players to the point where injuries would be more likely to occur.
On top of the obvious physical concerns, the strange environment the games will be played in means the mental toll of this season could play an outsized role in determining a champion.
If that proves to be the case, when the chips are down, all of their blowout wins this year, added to a few months of unexpected rest, could well fuel the Bucks to play for longer and at a higher level in their season’s most important games.