A dominant fourth quarter helped the Milwaukee Bucks bounce back with a win on the road against the Dallas Mavericks. Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to play at an MVP level, with the spacing around him making the Bucks a tough matchup for any team come the postseason in the wide-open Eastern Conference.
Giannis with spacing is a playoff nightmare for the East
Milwaukee's offseason target was to build a younger, more athletic roster that is versatile. Eleven games into the season, the results speak for themselves. Currently sitting fifth in the East with a 7-4 record, the Bucks have caught lots of people by surprise as to how good they have looked. Sure, there are issues to be ironed out, but the recipe for success around their two-time MVP is obvious.
Sam Vecenie of the Game Theory Podcast discussed the idea of the Bucks having the highest ceiling of any East team in the playoffs. He alluded to the offense around Giannis and how there are countless opportunities for shooters. In the Bucks' win over the Chicago Bulls, eight of Giannis' nine assists were on 3-pointers.
Offensively, the Bucks have been tremendous and have made up for defensive blips at points early in the season. The defense focuses so much on Giannis and his gravity that it has allowed Myles Turner, AJ Green, and Ryan Rollins to have space on the perimeter, and teams have found it difficult to find a solution to stopping it.
Doc Rivers deserves credit for sticking with the new-look starting five that has built this identity for the team, and the players off the bench can alter depending on the game state.
Kyle Kuzma really stands out as someone who has accepted his new role and is flourishing. In Monday night's win over the Mavs, Kuzma finished with 26 points on 10-of-17 (58.8 percent) shooting.
We are still in the opening weeks of the season, but Bryce Simon said that despite enjoying what he has seen from the Bucks, he can't buy into the roster when it comes to the playoffs just yet. Simon said, "As much as I love Ryan Rollins, he has played a grand total of 30 playoff minutes. Am I still confident in that backcourt against Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham?"
There is a long way to go in this NBA season; teams will fly up and down the standings, so playoff discussions are very loose so early in the season. Milwaukee has shown that with Giannis and the current roster, they can trouble anyone. They do still feel a piece or two away from being a serious contender, but the opportunity is there for the taking in the Eastern Conference.