For the second consecutive year, the Milwaukee Bucks are gearing up to face the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
Also, for the second straight season, the Bucks are dealing with some major injury question marks as their title chase gets underway. Last year, it was Giannis Antetokounmpo, who missed out on the entire first-round series. This year, the big question mark is Damian Lillard, who has been out of the lineup with a blood clot, and reports continue to suggest he is trending in the right direction to play.
While getting Lillard back would undoubtedly be huge, the return of Jericho Sims, out since March 16, could also give this team a lift in the frontcourt that it desperately needs.
Jericho Sims' return could be useful as Milwaukee Bucks take on Pacers
It was obvious why Jericho Sims fit in so well in Milwaukee after coming over in a trade deadline deal. This team desperately needed some athletic ability in the frontcourt next to Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Sims, with his shot-blocking, switching capabilities and ability to catch lob passes, provided that. That's why it hurt so much when he underwent thumb surgery in March, sidelining him.
Initial reports have suggested from the beginning that Sims would be back in the lineup in time for the NBA Playoffs. Recent comments from Doc Rivers suggest that remains the case. If Sims makes his return against the Pacers, it comes at the perfect time, as the Milwaukee Bucks could use the type of spark he brings whenever he checks into the game.
The Indiana Pacers played with the seventh-fastest pace in the NBA this season. They are young, fast, agile and athletic. Throughout the season, teams with that description gave the Bucks trouble, and an undeniable factor in that was their two centers. Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis can still help, but they aren't exactly quick on their feet, leading to issues in transition and on the perimeter defensively.
Enter Sims, the 26-year-old who gave the Milwaukee Bucks a different look defensively whenever he checked into the game prior to the injury. Even if Sims doesn't provide the shooting of Brook Lopez or the scoring of Bobby Portis, he can still make an impact due to his defensive capabilities, which will be a vital factor against this uber-athletic Pacers team.
In 32 minutes, the two-man Antetokounmpo-Sims pairing boasts an impressive defensive rating of 83.6. Taking it a step further, the five-man lineup of Antetokounmpo, Taurean Prince, Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr. and Sims has a defensive rating of 63.6, the second-best on the team among lineups to log at least 10 minutes. Lineups with these two clamp down defensively.
None of this is to say that Sims should take all of the minutes from Lopez and Portis. Those two can still help the Milwaukee Bucks, but that doesn't mean Doc Rivers should shelve Sims. There must be minutes for the big man, especially if the Bucks are struggling defensively. Fresh off surgery, he may be rusty, but if in a groove, Jericho Sims can undeniably help this Milwaukee Bucks team.
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