Milwaukee Bucks: 3 adjustments to make in Game 2 of NBA Finals

Milwaukee Bucks have to balance more small ball lineups in Game 2 of NBA Finals

For as much as the Bucks have a size advantage on the Suns going into this series, it did very little in serving them well throughout Game 1 across various areas.

And it wasn’t until the fourth quarter when the Bucks were looking for ways to climb out of their lengthy deficit that they turned to playing small ball lineups that featured Antetokounmpo at the 5 to some semblance of success.

Having outscored the Suns 29-26 in the final frame, Milwaukee’s small ball lineups were among the few units to have a positive plus-minus and net rating Tuesday night. The Bucks’ lineup of Holiday, Bryn Forbes, Pat Connaughton, Khris Middleton and Antetokounmpo was a +4 in seven minutes.

Although these lineups surely affected the Bucks’ size, presence on the boards and offers up the Suns to hunt favorable mismatches, especially with Forbes on the floor, it opened up the Bucks’ offense in ways we didn’t see for much of the night. Of course, it was also a last-ditch effort for the Bucks to salvage anything out of Game 1 and it’s hard to expect the Bucks not playing someone like Brook Lopez for as much as the final 16 minutes and 48 seconds like he did at the end of Game 1.

With the Suns having lost Dario Saric to a torn ACL, we may see Phoenix lean even further with the versatility they have deep within their bench for the rest of this series. How that goes will surely tests the Bucks’ traditional setup and they have to be prepared to meet the Suns’ smaller lineups, especially when it can free up some easy looks for the likes of Antetokounmpo, Holiday and Middleton as a whole.

We’ll see how the Bucks can adjust going into Game 2 and whether it will result in Milwaukee evening up the series later Thursday night.