- Messages
- 670
- Reaction score
- 622
Did he not give the ok to the trade with Milwaukee? I think Miami was his #1, but then he added a couple more to the list including MKE.
2023-24 Milwaukee Bucks Season Thread
- Thread starter Mark87
- Start date
Did he not give the ok to the trade with Milwaukee? I think Miami was his #1, but then he added a couple more to the list including MKE.
- Messages
- 6,981
- Reaction score
- 5,781
Maybe what you should consider is that the defensive play of Holiday made it possible for Lopez to be an even better defender around the bucket, because he wasn't trying to cover for mistakes made at the point of attack. Defense is a complementary thing, where what one player does directly and indirectly has a bearing on how well the next guy is able to play defense.
Point guards are the creators on teams. They create offense. They often do it by forcing opponents to play against them at what I call the point of attack. That is primarily a point straight out from the bucket and in an arc, roughly 45% in both directions off that center line. They use penetration, and various maneuvers intended to draw defenders away from the other players on their team to get them open looks. On defense, the point defender is usually the point guard, and his job is to disrupt what the offensive player at point is trying to do. If he does it successfully, the other four players on the team can play defense without having to worry about covering up for mistakes made by the defender at the point.
The way Holiday played out at the point allowed Lopez to concentrate on his objectives inside, and not worry about the point penetration. In the case of Lillard, he's so bad at it that Lopez and the other 3 guys out there need to cover up for his failures to defend against those drives. Watch closely, and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. He don't even fight off screens. He just drifts around out there.
- Messages
- 6,981
- Reaction score
- 5,781
Lopez, in my opinion, deserved the honor, but I don't believe any player can win it unless the others on the floor with him are doing the job. As the guy playing around the rim, he has to be able to count on the point stopping the drives. If they don't, it forces Lopez to leave his designated location, to try to stop the guy from a clear run to the net. With Holiday, he could count on him doing it, and concentrate on his base responsibilities. With Lillard, they're driving on Dame, getting past him, and Lopez has to leave his man, and cover for the the lack of Lillard's defense. When he does, the driver is often in position where he can get the shot himself, or when Lopez is drawn to him, dish off to guys on the perimeter, or even the guy that Lopez was guarding, for easy shots. That's why we see the other 4 players on the floor with Lillard scrambling all the time, to cover guys who have been left unguarded because someone had to slip off their man to cover Lillard's not doing his job.
I marvel at people saying that Lopez isn't doing a good job on defense. Maybe he's too old. Pure bull! He's doing just fine. Lillard is blowing their defense up. Anyhow, that's what I see. But, what's happening is exactly what I warned about the day they traded Holiday, and got Lillard. They are dead meat when they play against teams who have slashing guards, who can beat Lillard on the dribble.
As long as he's with the team, their identity is going to be as an "also-ran," nothing more. They'll look good against teams with weak guards, and like dog meat against those who have slashers.
The Bucks simply aren't built to be a record breaking scoring machine, and it's obvious when you see how few guys off the bench end up in double figures. They're supposed to be built for defense.
- Messages
- 903
- Reaction score
- 791
So, it'll be interesting to see what the TNT guys say tonight during the pregame show.
I'm not quite so down on the Bucks' prospects as some are, but I do get to ruminating on how they can look like they're pulling it together pretty well one game only to look discombobulated the next. I always knew it would take a good while to mesh Lillard's game with everyone else's, let alone adding in Rivers and Pat Bev. I have seen improvement in his D game.
I have a friend in VA who still seems to be in deep mourning about Jrue, and frankly I'm so tired of hearing about it. It just seems to me that those things happen constantly in professional sports, and in the NBA sometimes it seems like it's daily. I tend to think that the players handle that a lot better than the fans, and am hoping that the majority of the Bucks' players don't start off their day by genuflecting towards a Holiday statue with a tear or two trickling down their cheeks.
Now that the season will be heating up, it's going to be a fun ride, one way or another. I haven't missed a game yet, although I'll admit to turning it off 3 or 4 times in the 4th in order to readjust my attitude. lol!
Go Bucks!
I'm not quite so down on the Bucks' prospects as some are, but I do get to ruminating on how they can look like they're pulling it together pretty well one game only to look discombobulated the next. I always knew it would take a good while to mesh Lillard's game with everyone else's, let alone adding in Rivers and Pat Bev. I have seen improvement in his D game.
I have a friend in VA who still seems to be in deep mourning about Jrue, and frankly I'm so tired of hearing about it. It just seems to me that those things happen constantly in professional sports, and in the NBA sometimes it seems like it's daily. I tend to think that the players handle that a lot better than the fans, and am hoping that the majority of the Bucks' players don't start off their day by genuflecting towards a Holiday statue with a tear or two trickling down their cheeks.
Now that the season will be heating up, it's going to be a fun ride, one way or another. I haven't missed a game yet, although I'll admit to turning it off 3 or 4 times in the 4th in order to readjust my attitude. lol!
Go Bucks!
- Messages
- 6,981
- Reaction score
- 5,781
Rose, Morant, and Smart, the 3 top players on the Memphis roster weren't playing last night, so the two starting guards, nothing more than short minute back ups, combined for 38 points against the Bucks. Adding to it, SF Jackson racked up nearly 30.
Their top play makers, all of who play guard, and small forward, weren't even dressed. Embarrassing.
Their top play makers, all of who play guard, and small forward, weren't even dressed. Embarrassing.
- Messages
- 16,919
- Reaction score
- 5,240
Bucks since Doc Rivers became coach:1-5 record (27th)113.0 Offensive Rating (24th)119.8 Defensive Rating (21st)-6.8 Net Rating (23rd)
This was a hiring pushed by the owners who I think got sold a bag of lies sold by Rivers to get the job. Bucks are going to get screwed by this hiring. Oh well maybe by 203? something the Bucks will be good again when they have draft picks to spend again and Rivers is long gone.
This was a hiring pushed by the owners who I think got sold a bag of lies sold by Rivers to get the job. Bucks are going to get screwed by this hiring. Oh well maybe by 203? something the Bucks will be good again when they have draft picks to spend again and Rivers is long gone.
- Messages
- 16,919
- Reaction score
- 5,240
Report Milwaukee is bidding to get the 2027 or 2028 NBA all star game. I don't think NBA will give it to them. NBA told Milwaukee build a new stadium or we take your team away. By 2027 or 2029 MKE stadium is going to be about 10 years old by then and still only trying to get a all star game then? I don't think NBA wants much to do with Milwaukee and won't be surprised if they don't get either date.