It’s now been a couple of weeks since the Milwaukee Bucks jettisoned former prized free agent and last year’s 6th man of the year candidate Greg Monroe along with a pair of draft picks to the Phoenix Suns for speedy point guard Eric Bledsoe. Since then, the Deer have gone on to go 5-2, starting with a four-game win streak followed by a two rough performances, and capped off with an extremely battle tested short-handed overtime win in Phoenix Wednesday night.
It’s clear that Bledsoe’s imprint in Milwaukee’s lineup has made a world of difference in more ways than one. Nevermind that Bledsoe has shot just 37.8% from the field including a rough 6-for-30 from distance (20%) since being with Milwaukee, it’s his presence on both ends of the floor along with the pace at which he plays that makes everything easier for the rest of his teammates.
Going Streaking
Speaking of defense, it’s no secret that their intensity improved since the trade especially during the first four games by giving up just 93.8 points per game compared to 116.3 during the four game losing streak prior to the trade. Yes, Bledsoe has been key to that spark, but his teammates are feeding off his energy every night. The Bucks pressure was evident at 9.3 steals and eight blocks per game during the four wins over the Spurs, Lakers, Grizzlies and red-hot Pistons. Not to mention they were plus in the turnover department each game by forcing a total of 74 while committing just 56 of their own. Having a guy like Bledsoe show the willingness to be a pest of the defensive end has others following suit, and in turn has allowed the Bucks to get out in transition and get easy buckets on the offensive end with 12.3 fast break points per game during the streak.
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Two-Game Letdown
In what can only be described as the nightmare in Dallas because what unfolded was so uncharacteristic from the start, the Bucks, who had just had two days off, overmatched a Mavericks team that was just 2-14 coming in and playing the second game of a back-to-back. Once the game started though, the Mavs took control of the game and totally sucked the energy from right under Milwaukee, who shot a drudging 38% from the field including just 24% from three.
It was a long night from the beginning as the Deer would get outscored in every quarter. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton combined for 47 points on 16-32 shooting while no one else scored more than eight points. It was a letdown for sure as the Bucks had to be feeling the hangover from their four-game streak. There are no excuses in this league however. It’s a forgetful night indeed and luckily for the Bucks, it comes early in the season and they can certainly learn from this.
Despite a better effort Monday night, the Deer surrendered their second-consecutive loss coming at the hands of a highly respectable Wizards team who shot 53% from the field and finished with six players in double figures. Playing without their head coach Jason Kidd, who missed the game due to his wife Porschla giving birth to their daughter Cooper, the Deer did all they could to stay in the game by getting steals that turned into easy buckets in the second quarter, and would trail by just two at the half. They couldn’t get out of their shooting funk however as they finished just 4-22 from downtown allowing Washington to pull away comfortably in the fourth quarter.
Redemption in Phoenix
Just when all signs pointed to another disaster waiting to happen with four players out due to injury including Giannis, who sat out due to knee soreness, the Deer found a way to overcome all of that and steal a win in overtime after in incredible game-tying three point buzzer beater from the Suns’ Devin Booker in regulation.
Having the pleasure of being in attendance, it was an incredible effort to say the least from the short-handed Bucks, who rallied behind Eric Bledsoe in his first return to the valley of the sun. Bledsoe, who was overwhelmed with an understanding amount of boos from the Suns faithful, had his best game as a Buck to date with 30 points, seven assists and six rebounds. While there was no doubt he was extra motivated for obvious reasons, it was a much-needed effort as he set the tone early against his old squad. Khris Middleton backed him up by pouring in a game-high 40 points including a clutch go-ahead three in the final minute of regulation.
Bledsoe wasn’t the only one out for revenge as Greg Monroe suited up and finished with his best output in a Suns uniform to date with 22 points and 15 rebounds. With Henson sitting out for Milwaukee, Moose took advantage and controlled the paint all night against the likes of Maker and two-way call up Joel Bolomboy. To their credit, the Deer were able to limit Monroe’s touches late and even switched Middleton on him a couple times to give him a different look.
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The unsung heroes of the game no doubt have to start with Thon Maker, who despite fouling out late in regulation, finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in 33 minutes. After getting a visit from Kevin Garnett in practice last week, it was clear what lessons he took from the future Hall of Famer, who also guarantees the 20-year-old will be a future MVP one day in an interview with Bleacher Report saying:
“Thon Maker reminds me a lot of myself. He loves the game. He's a young, exuberant athlete who has a lot of tools—he has touch; he has agility; he has really, good feet. He has a really good shot from three-point all the way up to 19 to 21 feet. He has very good bones, as we say. Thon is going to be the MVP of the league one day. Mark it down. He has the bones. He has the appetite to be able to chase something like that.”
Understanding he had struggled shooting from distance this season, Garnett worked with Thon on finding his spots inside the three-point line and it paid dividends as he knocked down 6-11 shots while taking no threes. He shot the ball with confidence at key times down the stretch in the fourth quarter.
Another guy’s effort that can’t go unnoticed was DeAndre Liggins, who scored just two points in 41 minutes with those two points coming on the go-ahead jumper in the final minute of overtime. It was worth the wait as his defense was the story of the game like it’s been all season long. Liggins finished with a game-high five steals while pestering the sharp-shooting Devin Booker, who shot just 8-24 in 40 minutes. The 29-year-old has been quite the journeyman throughout his four years of NBA experience. Before signing with Milwaukee just days before the regular season started, he had spent time with the Cavaliers last season while bouncing back and forth from the G-League. The 6’6” guard is the former college teammate of Bledsoe at Kentucky and has always been known as a defensive workhorse, which has allowed him to find an important role within Jason Kidd’s rotation. If he knocks down the occasional jumper then so be it but nonetheless, Liggins has seemed to find a solid home on Milwaukee’s roster.
Finding Consistency
While no one was expecting the Bucks to be perfect with Bledsoe let alone go undefeated, there’s no excuse for coming out and playing the way they did against the Mavericks and Wizards over the weekend. They may have made up for it by rising up over adversity in the win over Phoenix, but the Bucks have to be better about their all-around team effort. Giannis will seemingly get his from night to night but they need to have everyone step up and be ready to fill their role on a nightly basis. When everyone is clicking on all cylinders, this Bucks team has the talent to beat anyone on any given night. Getting healthy will have a lot to do with it but inconsistency on both ends of the floor has always been this teams Achilles heel the past couple seasons.
Patience Moving Forward
Despite Bledsoe not scoring at the clip he was last season at over 21 points per game, he’s definitely picking his spots and has come up in clutch situations. That was evident in his first game in San Antonio as he hit a dagger jumper to help seal the win over the Spurs. He followed that by making some key plays down the stretch on both ends against the Grizzlies while scoring seven straight points in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter in their last meeting against the Pistons. With his most recent 30-point outburst against his former team, Bledsoe will hopefully carry that momentum moving forward.
While the early return from the Bledsoe trade has surpassed expectations on the defensive end, it’s still taking some time for them to get into rhythm offensively. The Bucks simply need more time to gel with their young point guard and get used to the pace he likes to play but that should come with more practice time and game flow as the season progresses. The Bucks haven’t had the pleasure of playing with a guard like Bledsoe who gets up and down the floor much quicker than they are used to.
His speed reminds me of former Bucks 2003 first round pick T.J. Ford, who’s career was short lived due to a heartbreaking neck injury. If you watch a guy like Bledsoe’s college teammate John Wall of the Washington Wizards, that’s the kind of explosiveness that compares to what Bledsoe brings to the table. His shot and scoring as a whole should improve in time with confidence, so there’s no reason to panic as they are still winning games. Obviously, there’s still a lot more room to grow with this team but the important thing is they remain over .500 in the process. They will surely have their ups and downs, but Bledsoe makes them a fun team to watch and it’s only just beginning.
