Milwaukee Bucks: 3 lessons to learn from this year’s NBA Playoffs
Milwaukee Bucks: 3 lessons to learn from this year’s NBA Playoffs – You can never have too many creators
For the second straight postseason, the Bucks’ offense rose up to be their Achilles’ heel and failed them in their series against the Heat especially. At the core of that problem was their shot creation and playmaking deficiencies.
That was only exacerbated by the struggles of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and the ineffectiveness of Eric Bledsoe, but the ways in which Bucks’ offense has been bogged down in the playoffs has left lasting damage. One only has to look at their fourth quarter meltdown in Game 3 against the Heat to see how extensive those droughts can be.
While it’s easy to explain away as to why the Bucks’ shots didn’t fall from 3-point range or their questionable shot selection, the lack of reliable, versatile playmakers and shot creators on the Bucks’ roster ultimately led to their downfall. And given the nature of the Bucks’ read-and-react system, the more playmakers on their floor, the better it is for the Bucks to get the offensive results they desire.
The Bucks don’t have to look far to see the benefits of having multiple playmakers on the court.
The Heat stood as a perfect example of the use of having multiple ball handlers on the court at all times, even as All-Star wing Jimmy Butler eventually stood as their closer when playing tight fourth quarters. Look out in the Western Conference and the likes of the Denver Nuggets and the NBA champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, all put around a functional supporting cast that around their core star players and leading offensive forces.
It’s one thing to have players who can make plays with and without the ball in their hands, it’s another to have players in supporting roles interlock around a team’s leading focal points in a productive manner. In the Bucks’ case, that being Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.
When it came down to it, the burden proved to be too great for the Bucks’ All-Stars, even against what was clearly a bad matchup against the Heat. Now, how the Bucks go about addressing their biggest need this offseason will be fascinating for a variety of reasons and they’ve been linked to arguably the biggest name that will be available the trade market in Chris Paul.
Going down the star route and adding someone of Paul’s stature and magnitude would obviously do wonders for the Bucks. But in order to get the full potential of their roster construction and their overall system, building up a committee of playmakers and/or capable ball handlers is still the most desired outcome in order to lift the Bucks to where they need to go next season.