MKE Bucks Thread | Griffin ousted as HC after 43 games; Glenn takes over...no, not that one.

[beekay414]

16 minutes ago, vegas492 said:

No Jrue.  No Giannis.  No problem.

It's crazy to me how this team wins without it's big 3 playing together.

That has to bode well for the playoffs.  

@beekay414 How deep were the Bucks, really, in 2021?

And how deep are they now?

They are significantly deeper now than they were in 2021. I don't think we would've been able to sustain the Giannis injury in the ECF had we not been playing the Hawks. If that were the Nets or Sixers, I think we lose. Let's look at the 2021 Finals roster vs this current one...

Obviously there are 6 core players still around from that team so we'll be looking outside them (Giannis, Khris, Jrue, Brook, Bobby, Pat)

Jae Crowder vs PJ Tucker
Grayson Allen vs an injured Donte DiVincenzo
Jevon Carter vs Jeff Teague
Joe Ingles vs Jordan Nwora
Goran Dragic vs Elijah Bryant
Wes Matthews vs Bryn Forbes
Meyers Leonard vs Mamadi Diakite
MarJon Beauchamp vs Sam Merrill
AJ Green vs Axel Toupane
Thanasis vs Thanasis
TBD vs Justin Jackson

I mean, it's really not even comparable how much better/more talented this team is.

[vegas492]

I know Ingles is going to get his minutes in the playoffs, but I just gotta vent about how slow he is on defense.  Those feet just can't keep up at all!

For all that I've thought Crowder was...from a defensive point of view...I haven't seen much of it yet.  He was regularly blown by last night...and that could have been by design, force guys into Brooke versus letting them get off 3 point looks.  Still, I hope Crowder gets some quicks back on the defensive end.

I'd take PJ over Crowder, but that is it on that list.  And they don't make many like PJ.  

[beekay414]

2 minutes ago, vegas492 said:

I'd take PJ over Crowder, but that is it on that list.  And they don't make many like PJ.  

Nah. Crowder isn't a complete no show like PJ was on offense. And, like you said in your post, the reason why they were getting by him last night was by design. Force them to your DPOY candidate C rather than get off 3s in hopes they pull up in the mid-range or outside the restricted area. Jae's ability to switch in unison with Jrue is almost flawless already. I'll always love PJ for how he embraced the fanbase and what directly lead to a title but Jae's a significantly better basketball player than PJ Tucker.

[vegas492]

46 minutes ago, beekay414 said:

Nah. Crowder isn't a complete no show like PJ was on offense. And, like you said in your post, the reason why they were getting by him last night was by design. Force them to your DPOY candidate C rather than get off 3s in hopes they pull up in the mid-range or outside the restricted area. Jae's ability to switch in unison with Jrue is almost flawless already. I'll always love PJ for how he embraced the fanbase and what directly lead to a title but Jae's a significantly better basketball player than PJ Tucker.

I really, really admire PJ for his relentless, physical work on the defensive end.  He embraced something that very few can and/or do.

I like Crowder, don't get me wrong.  But PJ was kind of an enforcer on the court, just because of that physical style of defense.

[beekay414]

5 minutes ago, vegas492 said:

I really, really admire PJ for his relentless, physical work on the defensive end.  He embraced something that very few can and/or do.

I like Crowder, don't get me wrong.  But PJ was kind of an enforcer on the court, just because of that physical style of defense.

Sure. They play a different style defensively but Jae adds so much more on the other end. Last night was a prime example when he went for 15 in a larger role with Giannis and Jrue out. 

I just personally feel Jae's a significantly better basketball player than PJ Tucker. PJ is a niche player while you can plug and play Jae on pretty much any team in the NBA. 

[squire12]

6 hours ago, beekay414 said:

They are significantly deeper now than they were in 2021. I don't think we would've been able to sustain the Giannis injury in the ECF had we not been playing the Hawks. If that were the Nets or Sixers, I think we lose. Let's look at the 2021 Finals roster vs this current one...

Obviously there are 6 core players still around from that team so we'll be looking outside them (Giannis, Khris, Jrue, Brook, Bobby, Pat)

Jae Crowder vs PJ Tucker
Grayson Allen vs an injured Donte DiVincenzo
Jevon Carter vs Jeff Teague
Joe Ingles vs Jordan Nwora
Goran Dragic vs Elijah Bryant
Wes Matthews vs Bryn Forbes
Meyers Leonard vs Mamadi Diakite
MarJon Beauchamp vs Sam Merrill
AJ Green vs Axel Toupane
Thanasis vs Thanasis
TBD vs Justin Jackson

I mean, it's really not even comparable how much better/more talented this team is.

dang... that is a big difference.  Not sure I have a lean for the 2021 roster over the 2023 

• Crowder > Tucker
• Allen = DVV (if healthy I'd probably lean DVV, but he wasn't, so going to say push)
• Carter > Teague
• Joe Ingles >> Jordan Nwora
• Goran Dragic > Elijah Bryant (though I am not expecting Dragic to see much for minutes.  Injury insurance for Carter/Holiday)
• Wes Matthews > Bryn Forbes (Matthews better on D)
• Meyers Leonard = Mamadi Diakite
• MarJon Beauchamp > Sam Merrill (more athletic wing)
• AJ Green > Axel Toupane (Green is the better shooter)
• Thanasis vs Thanasis
• TBD vs Justin Jackson

[squire12]

5 hours ago, beekay414 said:

Sure. They play a different style defensively but Jae adds so much more on the other end. Last night was a prime example when he went for 15 in a larger role with Giannis and Jrue out. 

I just personally feel Jae's a significantly better basketball player than PJ Tucker. PJ is a niche player while you can plug and play Jae on pretty much any team in the NBA. 

Tucker could knock down the corner 3, but was really limited outside of that offensively.   Crowder can knock down 3's from the full arc which expands the offense.  

[vegas492]

11 hours ago, squire12 said:

Tucker could knock down the corner 3, but was really limited outside of that offensively.   Crowder can knock down 3's from the full arc which expands the offense.  

I love the length on Crowder.  And obviously, the shooting.  He seems to have fit in nicely and easily to the team, too.

[Spartacus]

On 3/8/2023 at 3:31 PM, vegas492 said:

I really, really admire PJ for his relentless, physical work on the defensive end.  He embraced something that very few can and/or do.

I like Crowder, don't get me wrong.  But PJ was kind of an enforcer on the court, just because of that physical style of defense.

I LOVED PJ Tucker when he was with the Bucks but due to that title run he has been completely overrated by Bucks fans. I agree that Jae Crowder even now is a better player than PJ was during that run. PJ averaged 3 ppg 4 RB and less than 1 assist throughout that year. His PER was a lousy lousy 5.5. In the meantime Jae Crowder coming off the bench this year is averaging 6 ppg 4 rb and 1.5 assists. His PER is 14.4 which is almost starter quality all that while playing decent defense. 

[vegas492]

2 hours ago, Spartacus said:

I LOVED PJ Tucker when he was with the Bucks but due to that title run he has been completely overrated by Bucks fans. I agree that Jae Crowder even now is a better player than PJ was during that run. PJ averaged 3 ppg 4 RB and less than 1 assist throughout that year. His PER was a lousy lousy 5.5. In the meantime Jae Crowder coming off the bench this year is averaging 6 ppg 4 rb and 1.5 assists. His PER is 14.4 which is almost starter quality all that while playing decent defense. 

Crowder has fit in seamlessly with the team, too.

Still, I'll always admire PJ Tucker for embracing his role as an enforcer on defense.  

And...anyone else watch Brook last night?  One block short of a triple double.  He was erasing a lot of stuff.

Had a big lead, watched it really disappear.

Play of the game...I think we were up 2, maybe 3 or 4.  They came down with under a minute left.  Dude drove into the lane and tried a left handed lay up...Brook ate it up.  Ball went to Middleton, he covered up, didn't get fouled, but then launched a pass downcourt to Carter for a pretty easy lay up.  Amazing play all around.

All that without Giannis.

It is crazy just how deep this team is.

[Pugger]

What a disappointment last night.  They got sloppy at the end of regulation and lost in OT.  Let's hope they rebound tomorrow night.

[packerstk7]

On 3/12/2023 at 10:59 AM, Pugger said:

What a disappointment last night.  They got sloppy at the end of regulation and lost in OT.  Let's hope they rebound tomorrow night.

That’s what frustrates me more than anything is when they lose that way. It’s one thing if we just lacked the firepower with Giannis out, but we blew an 8 point lead with 1.5 min left through sloppiness.

Overall it’s tough to complain too much about anything right now. If we can stay healthy we have as good a shot or better than any team to win it all.

[beekay414]

50-19, 3 games up for the #1 overall seed with 13 to go. Can't ask for a better position right now. 

[beekay414]

I think it's ******* absurd that we're playing a 5 game in 7 night stretch in crunch time for seeding. NBA scheduling is by far the worst of any sport. Celtics are in the same exact stretch. NBA scheduling is dumb.

We're 3 in the L column clear of the C's with 9 to go (8 for them). 

Edited March 25, 2023 by beekay414

[beekay414]

Sixers lost to the Warriors tonight. Home court and the 1 seed is down to us and Boston league-wide. We go 5-4 over these last 9, Boston must go 7-1 over their last 8 and one of those wins has to be over the Bucks on Thursday to claim the tiebreaker and the 1 seed.

We're sitting pretty folks.