Milwaukee Bucks links for your perusal on November 25th, 2024
Last week I spent the MMMR extolling the virtues of just letting Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the way. What was an obvious trend at that point has now become the Milwaukee Bucks primary driver as they inch ever closer to a date with .500 destiny.
While the centering of Giannis’s production has played a primary role in Milwaukee’s turnaround, it’d only be proper to acknowledge that others deserve credit. In this case I’m thinking of Damian Lillard.
Looking at the numbers will paint only part of the picture. His on/off sits in the negative (-1.0 with him on the floor, +2.2 with him off) with it looking slightly better if you restrict it to the last 10 games (+2.9 on, +6.5 off). The minutes are up, his scoring efficiency just barely up (.590 TS% a year ago v. .591% now), assists and AST% are up (7.4 a night at 32.0%), etc. If the three-point shot ever comes within striking distance of his career-average of 37.0%, a lot of those values will see another boost.
What has stood out most are those pesky eye-test evaluations. There is far more confidence and decisiveness when he attacks the rim compared to a year ago. His pick-and-roll connection with Brook Lopez in particular has taken a step forward (that connection has been good for 2.0 assists a night on a third fewer connections than that between Dame and Giannis). Even when Lillard isn’t getting the ball to Lopez directly the two benefit from the strength of Lopez’s screens to enable those driving opportunities I mentioned above. While he remains, to put it mildly, an unexciting defender there have been flashes of something workable when he dials it up against better competition.
Most importantly, though, he is fitting in better within an offense that clearly sees Giannis as its 1A. When the team began stuttering out of the gate it’d have been easy for Milwaukee’s two stars to dramatically increase their USG% and, ironically, get in one another’s way. Giannis has pumped his usage back near career-highs while Lillard has only boosted it about a percentage from a year ago. Instead of forcing the issue back and forth we’ve seen more ready deferral to the main star. That has helped avoid the worst-case scenario of two offenses running and competing simultaneously with one another.
So where does Lillard go from here? Depending on Khris Middleton’s return, possibly even further into the role of a leading set-up and pay-off guy. Improving his off-ball actions when Giannis is trying to create for others would be a great starting point. Continued work at the vaunted Lillard-Antetokounmpo P&R looks would be great. Maybe we’ll even get small ball lineups to add yet another fold to the entire system.
For now, I’m content in crediting Lillard with sticking at it rather than sorely sticking out. We won’t know what the Bucks really look like until all three stars are available and routinely logging minutes, but when the season hit its most dire point the two stars worked somewhat in tandem to turn things around. That’s a start.
Let’s roundup!
Milwaukee Bucks Links
Giannis Antetokounmpo dominates to get Bucks back to winning ways (NBA.com)
And people have the gall to say that Giannis doesn’t read the Monday Morning Media Roundup. Yeah, right. Wishing him a happy Monday from wherever he’s reading this this morning, and best of luck continuing turning the season around!
MVP Ladder: Giannis jumps into Top 5 (NBA.com)
This is the part that belies, slightly, that league pundits may not be watching every Bucks game in its entirety when compiling these ladders. That’s okay! The claim that Giannis has stormed into a hypothetical top-five position in any MVP poll based off both offense and defense feels flimsy to me. He has certainly stepped his game up quite a bit on the defensive end (thank you, improved perimeter defense), but it is his sheer output on offense that will keep him and the team in any relevant discussions. Don’t let that stop you from going after those blocks, though, Giannis!
NBA Kram Session: The Cavs and the Cav-Nots (The Ringer)
Given the Cavaliers’ 17-1 start to the season it is probably instructive to read a bit more about the nature of their success; this article would be self-recommending on that point alone. But Zach Kram also digs through some of the tribulations of other East teams — the Bucks included. Here, he casts a brief spotlight on Damian Lillard. Not that Lillard has been an offensive slouch, but more on his coming up a little shorter than hoped-for when compared to the latter stages of his time in Portland. To Lillard’s credit, he remains physically available, is playing slightly more minutes a night than a year ago, and has nominally improved his counting stats in a number of areas. With Giannis scoring the way he is right now the name of Lillard’s game is to fit in. He’s working at it.
NBA Champion & Entrepreneur Giannis Antetokounmpo Launches Build Your Legacy Ventures (PR Newswire)
Regular readers of the MMMR know I love this stuff. In the world of high finance Giannis might as well be a minnow, but his starting up a VC means we get to see what random companies he sees value in. The big two now are Unrivaled, a start-up women’s basketball league, and Candy Funhouse (yes). I salute Giannis’s ongoing efforts to connect entrepreneurs in fields of his personal interest with investors who have actual finance cash. MbS, YOU are a Candy Funhouse backer!
Know Your NBA Enemy
Miami Heat – Hot Hot Hoops – Joel Embiid: Jimmy Butler is ‘probably the best player’ in NBA
It is rare in sports media that headlines so eloquently speak for themselves. Embiid gave us a banger with this one. Sometimes, you just have to defer to expertise, especially from someone as well-regarded and respected as Joel.
Washington Wizards – Bullets Forever – The Wizards are now the worst team in the NBA standings
A worthy successor to the 2-8 Bucks has emerged. Unsurprisingly, it is the Wizards who have slammed their feet on the brakes after a 2-2 start to the year. They’re now, uh… 2-13. What matters from their rebuilding perspective is that their young players are soaking up minutes. Bilal Coulibaly is on 35.2, Bub Carrington at 29.3, Kyshawn George at 27.3, and Alex Sarr at 26.1. Hell, Jordan Poole may look slightly sane enough for another team to take a chance on him in the trade market! Not a bad start to the year at all in the grand scheme of things.
The Social Media Section
The guy, honest to God, designs his living room like mine. He’s Midwest to the core now.
Bobby was right a few weeks ago. Championship mentalities are forged in the fires of terrible basketball.
Quite honestly staying locked in
Khris(tmas) is back!
Thanasis has returned courtside in the Forum and thus returns to the MMMR
Love that the clip he’s posted in here is of him driving hard to the hoop and then doing a fancy layup rather than, idk, dunking it. He fits the profile of a Bucks draft pick to a T.
He’s back
Respect
Riley’s 2024-2025 Prediction Record: 10-7
Milwaukee Bucks 2024-2025 Actual Record: 8-9
Objects in your mirror are closer than they appear (and so are the Milwaukee Bucks)! Happy for them.
A slightly weird week ahead with Thanksgiving throwing a small wrench into scheduling, but it is a nice little early-season breather. (All times Central)
- NBA CUP — @ Miami Heat, Tuesday, Nov. 26th — 6:30 PM
- v. Washington Wizards, Saturday, Nov. 30th — 7:00 PM
Why not stick with the winning ways and hope for a 2-0 stretch to cap a hard-fought return to above .500 basketball? Miami sits just above Milwaukee in the standings and a road win would be gratifying, while beating the brakes off the Wizards should be a minimum expectation for a team hoping to contend. Avoid letdowns against the basement dwellers and you’ll be standing on very firm ground indeed.
Happy Monday!