Looking through Milwaukee Bucks’ potential situational lineup combinations
Looking through Milwaukee Bucks’ potential situational lineup combinations
The Milwaukee Bucks clearly wanted Jae Crowder; the team was looking for a veteran defensive-minded wing and got their first choice in Crowder. Crowder’s positional versatility, experience level, and dog mentality will (spoiler alert) earn him a spot in both the defensive and closing rotations.
Milwaukee Bucks situational lineups: Defense
The Milwaukee Bucks’ roster is loaded with good defenders, with good cause, as the saying goes, “defense wins championships”. Again, this lineup starts with, guess who? Jrue Holiday. Holiday is widely respected by his peers and regarded as one of the toughest players in the NBA on defense. Several players have said that they believe Jrue Holiday should be a Defensive Player of the Year winner multiple times by now. To his credit, Jrue has been an All-NBA Defense player four times.
Alongside Jrue Holiday, for lineups needing defense, the Bucks have two other DPOY candidates in the frontcourt in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez, both of whom have sub-107.0 defensive ratings. To round out the defensive lineup, the Bucks could use Jevon Carter and Jae Crowder. Crowder gives the Bucks the ability to switch a lot more offensive action and make it harder for their opponent to get an exploitable matchup.
Milwaukee Bucks situational lineups: Closing Time
Not the song by Semisonic, but closing time will be important for the Milwaukee Bucks. The Celtics are nipping at their heels for the number one seed in the East, and the opportunity to host a Game 7, should the two meet in a playoff series akin to the one they played last year, will be pivotal.
For closing, the situational lineup isn’t a far cry different; Jrue Holiday makes the cut again. Closers are players who can hit shots from just about anywhere and have some positional versatility while also holding their own on defense. Next to Holiday is Khris Middleton. Middleton offers length, shot-creating and making ability, playmaking for teammates, and making free throws.
To round out the closing lineup, Jae Crowder will be used due to his defensive prowess and knack for hitting big threes. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a no-brainer. Lastly, Brook Lopez will be involved. For a guy his size, Lopez can knock down shots from just about anywhere, including the free throw line and is a frontrunner for DPOY.
Next. Milwaukee Bucks’ updated depth chart and rotation post All-Star break. dark
Stay tuned to see what other situational combos Mike Budenholzer comes up with.