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

The Milwaukee Bucks must hunt mismatches against the Atlanta Hawks

The Bucks went toe-to-toe with the Nets during the Conference Semifinals and their firepower and shot creation proved to be just enough for the Bucks ultimately.

Eventually the key in that was hunting mismatches to exploit the Nets’ weaker defenders and they’ll need to rely on that further when they go up against the Hawks.

It isn’t to say the Hawks got off lightly, but the 76ers didn’t have nearly the offensive personnel to exploit the likes of Young and the Hawks’ exploitable defenders last round. Milwaukee can’t afford to make that same mistake.

Whether it’s Khris Middleton calmly maneuvering around ball screens and getting Young matched up on him or Jrue Holiday muscling through Young in the post, the Bucks have weapons to turn to in order to exploit Young’s liabilities.

This may seem like a no-brainer with the simple solution for Atlanta being that they’ll send a double team with Clint Capela or Danilo Gallinari. This creates easy opportunities for the Bucks shooters to get open for an easy pass. From there, it’ll be about knocking down shots and attacking the interior, which we’ve seen both Middleton and Holiday have their moments with throughout this postseason.

If the Milwaukee Bucks are able to manage these three factors, Atlanta will be forced to try new tactics. The Bucks need to stick with what works, and if they do, they have a good chance at getting out of the East and making their first trip to the NBA Finals in 47 years.