Milwaukee Bucks: 3 keys for success going into series with Atlanta Hawks

By the skin of their teeth, the Milwaukee Bucks are in the Eastern Conference Finals and faced up against an Atlanta Hawks team that is on quite the Cinderella-like run.

Making their second trip to the Conference Finals in three years, the Bucks will rely on their experience, especially after getting past such a formidable foe in the Brooklyn Nets last round. The Hawks, meanwhile, will look to continue the magic they’ve conjured in the second half of the season onwards and making their second trip to the Conference Finals since being in Atlanta.

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In a series befitting of the wide-open 2020-21 season we’ve seen thus far, the Bucks are one team from making it out of the East, but it surely won’t come easy, given the form the Hawks are in at the moment.

So without further ado, let’s look at the three biggest keys for success as the Milwaukee Bucks prepare to take on the Atlanta Hawks in the Conference Finals.

Milwaukee Bucks must slow down Trae Young in Conference Finals

There’s no question that the start of the Bucks’ scouting report of slowing down the Hawks leads off with slowing down Trae Young.

Young stands as the head of the snake for the Hawks and despite having struggled at times against the Philadelphia 76ers last round, his ability to command an offense and stretch the floor from beyond the arc is tough to defend.

Of course, the Bucks have an All-Defensive caliber defender in Jrue Holiday that will be instrumental in tiring and slowing down Young at all costs. Furthermore, being able to force Young into taking tough shots or even getting the ball out of his hands will be key in forcing other Hawks players to step up on offense.

The foul game will be interesting to watch as it’s no secret Trae Young is a savant at drawing contact as he’s averaging 8.8 free throw attempts per game during the playoffs. With that said, the Bucks stand as the most disciplined team as they had the lowest opponent free throw attempt rate during the regular season, per NBA.com/stats.

The caveat is that Young is also slippery off ball, so keeping track of him after forcing him to pass will be the key to limiting his impact on offense.