Following a 118-108 loss in Game 2 on Thursday night, the Milwaukee Bucks find themselves in a 2-0 hole as the series shifts back to Milwaukee.
Giannis Antetokounmpo put on a masterclass performance, but it was just not enough as Phoenix’s shooters were too much for Milwaukee. Milwaukee’s struggles have been glaring in the first two games of this series and it’s left the Bucks with a lot of work to do to regain control going into Game 3 Sunday evening in Milwaukee.
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A lack of effort has led the Bucks to face an uphill battle as they look to bring the Larry O’Brien trophy back to Milwaukee for the first time in a half-century.
With that in mind, here are three of the Bucks’ biggest weaknesses that have been exposed in the NBA Finals thus far.
3-point defense continues to be an area of concern for Milwaukee Bucks
Although Milwaukee consistently ranks in the top ten in the NBA in team 3-point percentage, their ability to defend the perimeter continues to be a detriment.
The Suns have shot 37.8% from beyond the arc as a team this season. That is good for the sixth-best three-point shooting percentage in the NBA, and they played to that potential on Thursday night after their struggles in the Bucks’ Game 1 loss to open up the series.
Despite the Bucks shooting a better 3-point percentage in Game 1, which stood as their most efficient performance of the playoffs at 44.4 percent, Phoenix was still able to pull away with the win.
Game 1 saw the Suns shoot 11-for-34 from long range, good for 32.4 percent, well below their season average. Chris Paul was Phoenix’s best 3-point shooter that night by cashing in on 4 out of 7 attempts from three. Although the Bucks couldn’t pull out the win, limiting the Suns’ 3-point shooters was somewhat of a bright spot. However, that was all flipped on its head in game 2.
Following a below-average three-point shooting performance, the Suns shot an astounding 50 percent on their attempts from 3-point range by going 20-for-40 from deep, which was unsurprisingly a playoff high.
It should come as no surprise that Devin Booker was able to cash in on his 3-point opportunities as he went 7-for-12 from deep (58.3 percent). Furthermore, Paul, Jae Crowder, and Mikal Bridges all made three shots from beyond the arc, respectively. Former Buck Torrey Craig also cashed in, as he made two three-pointers. All in all, the Bucks were torched from deep.
If Milwaukee is looking to regain control, improved defense on the perimeter must be a priority. Allowing a team to make half of their attempts from deep is a recipe for disaster, and that is precisely what it was on Thursday night. Milwaukee must improve their three-point defense and create tougher shots for Booker, Paul, and Bridges going forward.
Continued lack of effort from Milwaukee Bucks’ supporting cast
Following the loss in Game 1, Bucks fans were extremely critical of Jrue Holiday. After putting up only ten points in game one, Milwaukee needed more out of their facilitator.
However, another poor performance in Game 2 has put Holiday under a microscope. Jrue put up only 17 points on 21 attempts and only hit seven shots from the field. While Holiday is best known for his defensive prowess, he has been a reliable offensive piece for the Bucks during the regular season by averaging 17.7 points on .503/.392/.787 shooting splits, the most efficient of his career.
Seeing Holiday stray away from his usual scoring output has caused concern among the Bucks faithful as fans have begun making comparisons between Holiday and Eric Bledsoe. Holiday’s poor performance goes much further than stats. Throughout the game, Jrue seemed sluggish and disinterested as the Suns went on run after run. Unfortunately, Jrue’s poor shooting and lack of effort were just one of the factors leading to the loss.
Khris Middleton played well in Game 1, but was unable to replicate his performance or even come close for that matter the following in the series.
In 41 minutes, Middleton only put up 11 points, the fewest of his playoff run, while going 5-for-16 from the field. Furthermore, he only made one of six 3-point attempts. Unfortunately, the story for Middleton in the playoffs has been a solid performance followed by a string of poor performances.
Now, this isn’t to say Middleton is a bad player. However, when discussing this Bucks team, it’s important to point out Middleton’s lack of consistency at times. What was said about Holiday’s effort can be said for Khris Middleton as well. Sluggish play, disinterest, and a lack of intensity were the downfalls for Middleton.
One other player to mention when discussing a poor supporting cast is Jeff Teague.
While Teague has seen a limited role throughout the season, the loss of Donte DiVincenzo following the Miami series in round one has led to a slight increase in his minutes. Although Teague has seen limited time, he has failed to make the most of it. Backing up one of the best defensive guards in the league is a tall task, but Teague’s defensive limitations have been a detriment to Milwaukee. Furthermore, Teague has not been able to bring the spark offensively that Jrue has been lacking in the first two games of the NBA Finals.
As the Bucks move forward, they need more from their point guards as Holiday and Teague have been the ones holding them back for most of this series.
Milwaukee Bucks’ size and length hasn’t enough against Phoenix’s shooters
Heading into the series, Milwaukee was given an advantage in the size of their team. With players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, and Brook Lopez, the Bucks would have an advantage with the size of their big men.
However, the first two games of the Finals have shown that Milwaukee’s size is just enough to keep up with Phoenix’s deep threats. Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Mikal Bridges have been torching Milwaukee from beyond the arc and show no signs of slowing down.
Due to their size not being beneficial for Milwaukee, the Bucks have begun to move Giannis to the 5 to go at more of a small-ball approach. While this has shown success, keeping Giannis in that position is not the most beneficial to the team and Milwaukee finds itself in a tough spot as a result.
Using a larger lineup leads to more three-point makes while using a small-ball lineup leads to Giannis getting fatigued much easier. The weakness here goes both ways as the Bucks attempt to balance their use of Giannis at the 5 and using their bigger lineup without sacrificing too much scoring output from deep.
All in all, the size advantage has not led to much success for Milwaukee. As they move forward, balancing their lineups should be a priority without risking too much wear and tear on an already hobbled Giannis.
As the NBA Finals head back to Milwaukee, the Bucks have a good chance to even the series. Milwaukee is 7-1 at home during the postseason and they will be given two days rest before Game 3 on Sunday night. However, if the supporting cast and defense on the perimeter do not improve, the Bucks could find themselves in a dangerous spot in their quest to bring a championship back to Milwaukee.
There is work to do, and execution is the only option for Milwaukee now.