The Milwaukee Bucks have improved in many areas since head coach Adrian Griffin was fired on January 23.
The bench play has stepped up, as players like Patrick Beverley, Bobby Portis, and Pat Connaughton elevated their game, which was among the catalysts for Milwaukee going on a six-game win streak coming out of the All-Star Break.
Enough cannot be said for how Milwaukee has looked defensively. Since the team acquired Beverley at the NBA Trade Deadline, he's helped turn the defense around to where Milwaukee no longer has five traffic cones out there.
Milwaukee's team defense has gone from being one of the worst-league wide to one of the better, which is indicative of the work Doc Rivers and his staff have put in by staunchly improving the team's defensive effort game-by-game.
Milwaukee's bench players need to continue their exceptional play, and these are three players should rely on heading down the stretch.
1- Patrick Beverley
The one player who has helped change the culture of the team.
Since Patrick Beverley was acquired on Feb 8 for Cameron Payne and a second-round pick, the team has had a seismic shift from all-offense and no defense to all-defense and more efficient offense.
Cameron Payne was a score-first guard who didn't look to set other guys up. Patrick Beverley is a pass-first guard who has helped Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, AJ Green and Jae Crowder flourish in their roles on the team.
Beverley isn't known as an instant offense player, but his tenacity on defense and leadership help bring a winning culture to every team he's on.
The Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, and Philadelphia 76ers added Beverley because those teams knew they would get 110 percent effort every night from him, and those teams took on a winning mentality every night because of him.
Early in the season, Milwaukee didn't have that coach or player to help them collectively play as a team; the team was hunting high-offensive numbers and winning games by talent. With the addition of Beverley, the team is more together, and outside of the recent two-game losing streak, they were playing its best basketball of the season thanks to culture shifter Patrick Beverley.
For Beverley to continue to be an X-factor, he has to add that extra tenacity on the defensive end. Offensively, he has to become somewhat of a threat down the stretch because teams will key in on Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. Everyone coming off the bench will need to step up so that the scoring load can be taken off those three guys.
2- Danilo Gallinari
Gallinari hasn't provided much for Milwaukee yet, but his scoring should improve as he's on the team longer.
This was an under-the-radar signing for the team, as Milwaukee needed more scoring coming off the bench, and Gallinari has spent time under Doc Rivers during his time in LA, so it was a good fit for both sides.
Unfortunately, Gallinari hasn't found his role yet, as he's shooting a little over 20 percent and didn't score a point in the team's two-game losing streak.
Connaughton, Portis, and Green have exceeded expectations with their play of late, but Gallinari is the only player who hasn't contributed much.
Down the stretch of the season, Gallinari has to become a better shooter because that would be his only value to Milwaukee. Matchups in the postseason are player-based, and if you're not shooting the ball well or not hitting your shots, the rotations become smaller.
Gallinari hasn't been known as a good defender in his career. According to Stat Muse, his defensive rating this season is 121.6, meaning he's in the lower half of the NBA in defense.
Gallinari being a poor defender and not a good shooter isn't a recipe for him being a part of Doc Rivers' rotation heading into the postseason.
For Gallinari to be an X-factor, he has to start hitting shots at a consistent clip. He had seven points Tuesday against the Kings, and if he can continue that, he'll have a role heading into the postseason.
3- AJ Green
This has been one of the biggest X-factors for the Milwaukee Bucks this season.
Known as the 13th guy off the bench last season, Green has flourished since Doc Rivers took over as coach.
Milwaukee saw Green's potential last season, and they rewarded him with a standard contract over the summer.
Green is a guy with a lightning-quick release, but he has shown more willingness to play defense this season. While he's not a lockdown defender, he's looked better since Doc Rivers took over.
The scoring averages might not be there - he's averaging a little over four points per game - but Green can make timely shots, as he hit a massive three against the Clippers to put Milwaukee up 101-96.
The aspect of Green's game that is enjoyable to watch is he's never afraid to shoot when he's open. With players in the past, like Thon Maker or Nikola Mirotic, that was their biggest knock. They deferred too often to Giannis Antetokounmpo or Khris Middleton, but now, the team has a guy who feels comfortable taking those shots in pressure-filled situations. That will help Milwaukee heading down the stretch.
For Green to continue to be an X-factor, he has to make shots more consistently. In his last 10 games, Green is shooting 38 percent from the field and 35 percent from three. While his defense is improved from last season, teams will look to attack him defensively, and being a fringe rotation guy, he will have a short leash come playoffs if he's not playing well.
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