Monday night against Portland, Doc Rivers tried something different. What if the Milwaukee Bucks started Jericho Sims in the frontcourt? That would be one way to try to restore some of Giannis Antetokounmpo's athleticism and interior defense.
The experiment ended abruptly. Sims picked up two quick fouls and played all of seven minutes the rest of the way. Rivers isn't wrong for looking to energize the team with a lineup change, but this is one for the wastebasket.
Bucks pull plug early on Sims' trial run as starter
Simply put, Sims was a disaster. After his early foul trouble, he did not re-enter the game until the third quarter. He then committed two more fouls, including one in the final seconds of the quarter, and did not appear in the final frame.
Notably, Rivers did not include Sims in his lineup to start the second half. Instead, he went small with Kyle Kuzma at the four and AJ Green plus Gary Harris in the wing spots. The Sims experiment failed, but at least the Bucks recognized it quickly. That's about the only positive to speak of.
It wasn't only the foul trouble. Sims just didn't give them anything: zero points and one rebound in 11 total minutes. Rebounding ability is one of Sims' most valuable traits for the Bucks, mitigating their vulnerability on the glass. Without Giannis, that weakness is all the more glaring. If Sims isn't going to be an active rebounder or rim protector, the Bucks have little reason to keep him on the floor.
Rather than boards or blocks, those four personals were his primary box score contribution.
The way he looked versus the Trail Blazers offered a stark contrast to his valuable play off the bench in recent games. Saturday against Detroit, Sims logged a season-high 24 minutes and, despite the Bucks' loss, played well on both ends of the court. Moving forward during Giannis' absence, Rivers should keep him in a reserve role.
Sims looking out of place as a starter isn't surprising. In 203 career games, he has started only 37, none of them in Milwaukee. He isn't even what you would call a regular rotation player, averaging 13.3 minutes per game in his career (9.3 this season). Inserting him in the starting lineup was a desperate, throw-spaghetti-at-the-wall maneuver, and it didn't work. Now the Bucks move on.
In Giannis' absence, that likely means more starter minutes for Bobby Portis. Or the Bucks could resort to some version of a small-ball lineup, like they had earlier this season before Gary Trent Jr. slumped his way out of the starting five. They have only unfavorable options to choose from - this team needs Giannis back like a wilting plant needs water - but starting Sims shouldn't be one of them.