The moments that the Milwaukee Bucks have been working all season long for have finally arrived.
Saturday afternoon will see the Bucks kick off their 2021 playoff run with a rematch of last year’s Conference Semifinals matchup with the Miami Heat. Obviously, much has changed between the two sides, but the agony of defeat still stings for the Bucks following their biggest playoff collapse in franchise history.
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Milwaukee has since retooled and rebuilt their roster, all with the postseason in mind. Whether that’s adding a singular talent like Jrue Holiday, whom the Bucks hope will be a difference maker, or all of the tactical changes they have steadily integrated into their system.
Still, the Heat will test the Bucks in ways they’ve grown accustomed to and this series will be swung by a number of wild cards and big questions. So without further ado, let’s explore the three biggest wild cards and questions going into the Milwaukee Bucks’ first round series with the Miami Heat.
Will P.J. Tucker be the Milwaukee Bucks’ defensive stopper vs. the Heat?
After months of speculation and interest coming from Milwaukee, P.J. Tucker joined the Bucks a week ahead of this year’s trade deadline. In need of gritty defensive stopper, Tucker has played up to exactly that and hasn’t veered much outside of that box.
Between the versatile, tough-as-nails defending he’s specialized in as well as hitting the occasional corner triple, Tucker is there to do all of the dirty work and take on all of the challenging defensive assignments to ease the burden off of the Bucks’ ‘Big 3’ shoulders, respectively.
Now is the time where Tucker will be leaned on more than ever and the big question is whether he can keep up.
Tucker’s durability and health quickly comes to mind first. After all, Tucker had missed 11 games due to suffering a calf strain upon coming to Milwaukee that he has since healed from and the Bucks have been mindful of not pushing Tucker past his limits just yet.
Yet with Tucker’s clear decline in terms of athleticism and mobility very present, time will tell just how much time he sees on the court. For example, is Tucker able to avoid foul trouble when guarding Jimmy Butler extensively? Butler’s one of the best players, regardless of position, in relentlessly attacking the paint and basket and will surely test Tucker’s defensive abilities and toughness.
Tucker won’t be the only one covering Butler obviously as the Bucks have strong options to turn to elsewhere. But that specific matchup will go a long way in determining Tucker’s role, especially late in games.