Tracking the larger sentiments of Bucks fans week by week.
A marvel of modern medicine happened and Damian Lillard will be on the floor this evening for the Bucks in Game 2. It’s anyone’s guess just how much he’ll play, but I think most would agree that any Dame, any at all, can only help Milwaukee after seeing them in Game 1. While things weren’t all bad on Sunday—I think they found some answers in the second half with their reserve-laded unit and their zone, predictably—the starters were without question a major issue.
Fortunately, a lineup change will occur tonight with Dame’s insertion, but does it need to be more than that? As frustrating as it was to see Taurean Prince, who finished the season as the NBA’s third-best three-point shooter, not attempt a shot until early in the second half, he fits so well alongside both Dame and Giannis so I’m loathe to remove him. He also did a really solid job against Haliburton in Game 1, though Prince is obviously much better at guarding up the positional spectrum. I’d rather have him dealing with Siakam, perhaps moving Giannis onto Haliburton if Milwaukee isn’t going to switch the Turner-Haliburton actions (which should be a consideration).
Kyle Kuzma is the obvious choice and would be my first answer, but as many have said, this series isn’t a good matchup for Brook Lopez. I would sooner run a Lillard-Prince-Kuzma-Giannis-(Portis or Sims) lineup than I would keeping Lopez in with that group, which seems likely to happen tonight, but I still wouldn’t like it. Replacing a forward with a guard has to be the move.
In this week’s Tuesday Tracker, we ask you about the starting lineup and broader rotation decisions with the three more maligned starters. Then it’s onto updated series predictions and seeing if higher-ups should keep their jobs if things go south in the next two weeks.
As always, this poll will be open until midnight Central on Friday, and we’ll post the results later that day. Thanks for voting!