Last season gave the feeling that the Milwaukee Bucks they were missing something. Defeat to Playoffs at the hands of the Boston Celtics was then associated with his loss Chris Middleton, key man in Mike Budenholzer’s offensive system. However, something perhaps even more important was overlooked at the time: Brooke Lopez. The interior had barely been played all the way through and its physical condition was anything but ideal. As a result, he could barely contribute where he stood out the most, such as defense. In the 2022-2023 the tables have turnedNow Middleton is the great absentee and Lopez the pillar on which everything rests. And that last one is it he can make the Bucks NBA champions again.
The first team to reach this season 50 wins and the team that has mathematically ensured its presence among the fastest Playoffs. Milwaukee runs like a game-winning machine, capable of outplaying almost any opponent with little effort. With and without John. At home and at home. After days of rest or the second night of a back to back. Mike Budenholzer’s men head into the postseason as the strongest franchise and the opponent to beat.
A good description of this can be given by Phoenix Suns, who fell to the Bucks 116-104; marking his third straight loss.
A duel in which the Bucks worked like an electric motor: steady, with high speed from the start and without any drop in performance. Which was made possible by his excellent defensive work, which left Phoenix in a 34.8% on triples and 23 assists, one of his worst records of the year. The combination of Brook Lopez, Jae Crowder, Jrue Holiday and Giannis Antetokounmpo put up an insurmountable wall for the Suns, leaving them at the mercy of both their outside success and their opponents on the other side of the court.
Did you know that John is also a member of the swat team?! pic.twitter.com/PNdqQwYUwk
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 15, 2023
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Work in this sense Lopez, a leading Defender of the Year candidate, and Jrue Holiday was flawless. This explains why the facilities could only produce 36 points in the paint throughout the match. This translated to very low 41.8% success rate in the restricted area. Projecting that performance into the Playoffs could mean a new ring on Giannis’ hands.
Defense is the big flag flying for the Milwaukee Bucks this season. And it’s not for less. Its core core has been together for a long time, they complement each other perfectly and know exactly what they need to do to win.
According cleaning the glasstool that eliminates garbage minutes, Wisconsin has the third-best half-court defense in the NBA, allowing 95.1 points per 100 possessions on his opponents. Last year around this time they were the 9th worst team in the same division. The only thing that has changed is the presence of a Lopez who doesn’t let a single ball pass by him.
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All of this data is used to achieve the most important thing in the NBA: winning games.
Since January 16th the Bucks have lost only 3 games: against the Cavs, against the 76ers and at the hands of the Warriors in overtime. In those 3 appointments, Giannis was not present, so we could compose. A dynamic in terms of competition that has seen them amass a balance of 26 wins for 7 losses in this 2023.
Without making much noise or displaying an attractive style of play, the Bucks are on their way to the Playoffs at their best and feeling like they’re undefeated on a field.
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