In Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers, the Milwaukee Bucks found themselves down by double digits in the first quarter. In Game 2, same thing.
It's not a new trend. The Bucks have struggled to start games lately, and it's been their bench unit that has provided the energy to bring them back to life. Whether it's been Damian Lillard or Ryan Rollins as the starting point guard, fans have been begging for a change elsewhere - obviously not regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo - to give this team more life and hopefully start games better.
The combination of Kyle Kuzma, Taurean Prince and Brook Lopez is simply asking for trouble against the Pacers. Kuzma had a nice bounce-back showing in Game 2, but still looks shaky. Prince looks lost and had plenty of mind-boggling plays in Game 2. Lopez gets exploited constantly unless he's in his sweet spot right under the hoop defensively.
Just like in Game 1, every member of the starting lineup had a negative +/- once the final buzzer rang. If the Milwaukee Bucks roll out this group to begin Game 3, it could be the final nail in the coffin.
Options for the Bucks to combat the Pacers
A good option would be starting a legitimate shooting guard at the two. Prince has been playing out of his natural position for quite some time, and he may be better-suited to come off the bench as the backup small forward. Throwing a legitimate two guard, like AJ Green, Gary Trent Jr. or Ryan Rollins would make sense and give the Bucks youth, speed, athleticism and defense to combat Indiana.
The center position is also another hot topic of discussion. While Brook Lopez did have four blocks, he was also constantly dragged out to the perimeter and beaten. The Pacers salivate when they see this matchup. Bobby Portis isn't much faster, but he poured in 28 points and 12 rebounds in this one, showing he can make a much bigger impact than Lopez, who had eight points and just one rebound.
No matter who starts at center, Jericho Sims needs to receive an uptick in minutes. He's not going to stuff the stat sheet, but he moves with such fluidity due to his athletic ability that he can actually hold his own when drawn out to the perimeter. He played just eight minutes in Game 2 and was a +5, which was the highest on the team. He makes an impact when he's on the floor for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Doc Rivers himself acknowledged after Game 2 that this team needs to do something to avoid falling behind early this often, saying, “We’ve gotten off to two poor starts. We gotta make an adjustment there for sure.” Now, with his team down 0-2, let's see just what kind of adjustments are on deck in what is essentially a do-or-die Game 3 for the Milwaukee Bucks back home.
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