Backs Against the Wall: Bucks Repeat Chances Hinge on Game 7

We’ve got been right here earlier than.

The Milwaukee Bucks are combating for his or her lives on the highway within the seventh recreation of a 7-game sequence, similar to final yr. The Bucks try to greatest their opponent regardless of harm and chilly capturing, similar to final yr.

However regardless of the acquainted territory, Milwaukee is in a a lot totally different place going into tomorrow’s winner-take-all showdown towards the Boston Celtics. And whereas it is perhaps robust to confess, these variations make all of the distinction.

An important problem affecting the Bucks on this 3-3 sequence is well being. Within the 2021 playoffs, Milwaukee misplaced Giannis Antetokounmpo for a really brief period of time after the sequence was already underway, and the Bucks solely needed to win twice in three makes an attempt to greatest the Atlanta Hawks. Within the 2022 postseason, although, Khris Middleton has been lacking for your complete convention semifinals, which means the Bucks have been taking part in with out their beginning wing all alongside.

To be clear, this was at all times the expectation. The report concerning Middleton’s availability occurred earlier than the primary spherical was even over, and the verbiage leaves little or no to the creativeness; Khris was by no means going to play within the second spherical, and if Milwaukee by some means survives Boston tomorrow he nonetheless may not play within the Convention Finals. There have been different experiences that contradict the unique information, however these experiences felt overly optimistic and by no means appeared possible…and that has been confirmed to be the case. It’s tempting to query why these different claims had been made…however what’s completed is completed, and questioning it adjustments nothing proper now (although hopefully the supply of those experiences is handled in accordance with the standard of their info going ahead).

So Khris Middleton is out, and that void has utterly undermined Milwaukee’s techniques. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been transcendent…as a result of he’s needed to be. Jrue Vacation’s play has vacillated between excellent and onerous…as a result of he’s at all times been inconsistent. And the remaining gamers within the Bucks rotation have answered the decision to fill in for Middleton’s absence…and largely have fallen brief, as a result of they only aren’t in a position to do all that wants doing for the Bucks with out Khris.

So what can the Bucks do in another way? They will make their threes, hopefully; Milwaukee is capturing 34.6% from deep for the playoffs, and an exceptionally-bad 31.0% towards Boston. Past that…what else is there to do? The listing of changes to make is brief and determined; the preferred suggestion on social media is swapping out George Hill for Jevon Carter. Proponents of the transfer cite Carter’s wonderful playoff on-off numbers in comparison with Hill’s figures for this sequence…ignoring that almost all of Carter’s taking part in time got here within the Bulls sequence. To reiterate a point I made on Twitter: if anybody thinks Carter taking Hill’s minutes goes to make a significant distinction towards Boston, they’re not targeted on the Bucks’ precise structural issues.

The Milwaukee Bucks merely can’t produce factors proper now. They will defend with each ounce of power and energy they’ll muster, however their offense has devolved into repeated cases of “Giannis Iso,” “Jrue Iso,” and “Go to an open function participant and hope they really hit a 3.” This isn’t borne of a scarcity of creativeness, however a scarcity of choices. Boston has struggled with Milwaukee’s protection, however in the end (and decidedly “later” within the case of Jayson Tatum) they had been going to start out producing extra factors as a result of they’ve extra choices to work with. The Bucks haven’t been in a position to hold tempo; Jevon Carter doesn’t repair that downside, regardless of how dogged his protection is.

So is that it? Are the Bucks doomed? Unusually, the reply is “no” as a result of they nonetheless have Giannis, who’s able to keen the staff to victory. Antetokounmpo has completed every little thing in his energy for Milwaukee to have the ability to keep their presence within the playoffs and defend their title…now it’s time for the remainder of his supporting forged to push only a little bit tougher to get the staff previous a tricky and motivated opponent on their residence court docket.

Right here’s hoping the Bucks have something left within the tank.