ESPN MAG: Are The Bucks Ready To Win The NBA Championship?

[Tugg Speedman]

Great read about the Bucks, their strategy, the Greek Freak being the next NBA transcendent superstar and how the Bucks could be the next championship team in a few years.  The only issue is if the uber ego hedge fund zillionaire owners of Lasry, Eden and Dinan don’t F it up.

Playing The Longer Game

http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/enterpriseBucks/how-giannis-antetokounmpo-bucks-plan-take-warriors

Five years ago, the Bucks bet their future on building the NBA's longest roster. Now, behind an aggressive defense and young core -- led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and his 7-foot-3 wingspan -- is Milwaukee ready to cash in?
by Kevin Arnovitz
10/20/17

In a cramped Uber ride on a frigid Saturday night this past March in Boston, a parlor game took shape. Sitting alongside an NBA wise man with a depth of front office experience, FiveThirtyEight editor Nate Silver asked, "If you had one chip to place on the NBA championship in 2025, who would you bet on?"

The former executive paused, then began enumerating how to prognosticate eight years into the future. He considered market appeal, naming Los Angeles and Miami for their palm trees. The stability of ownership to bolster franchise health is also important (Miami, San Antonio), he noted, as is the allure of championship mystique (Celtics, Lakers, Bulls).

Yet for all these yardsticks, the one irrefutable reality is that championship teams have transcendent superstars. And if you're banking on one singular talent to reign over the league in 2025, the exec told Silver, it's clearly Giannis Antetokounmpo. As long as the league's most intriguing talent stays with his current team, the smart money on that championship bet lands squarely in one unlikely spot: Milwaukee.

[Tugg Speedman]

From the article above... the next superstar recruit for Wojo?

Antetokounmpo heads over to the gym for weights and cardio, then heads home to check on his family. This is all part of a juggling act for Antetokounmpo, who balances his devotion to basketball with a caretaker's role for his parents and two younger brothers, who've lived with him since he arrived from Greece four years ago. Kostas, 19, was an all-state basketball player at Dominican High in Milwaukee and is now a redshirt freshman at Dayton. Alex, 15, is now a sophomore at Dominican (and is already rumored to become the biggest basketball talent in the Antetokounmpo family). As Giannis' pro career has exploded, he's one part breadwinner and one part guidance counselor.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2695855-with-unlimited-potential-alex-antetokounmpo-hype-growing-to-freakish-levels

[TinyTimsLittleBrother]

The Bucks aren't there yet.  They need one more legit player.  I also think Kidd is not going to be the coach to take them to that next step.

[wadesworld]

The Bucks aren't there yet.  They need one more legit player.  I also think Kidd is not going to be the coach to take them to that next step.

One more legit player and about 6 more shooters. And yeah, Kidd not on the bench or in the front office, which isn’t going to happen.

[Tugg Speedman]

One more legit player and about 6 more shooters. And yeah, Kidd not on the bench or in the front office, which isn’t going to happen.

The article details how the Bucks are going with length and defensive while everyone else is going with switchables and shooters.  It applauded the Bucks for their different approach and was highly complementary and detailed how and why it works.  It also suggested that Kidd is key to this working.

So you think the Bucks scrap this and copy the other 29 teams in the league and go for shooters in order to score 130 points before the other team to win (as opposed to playing D)?

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I much prefer the Bucks and Pelicans style of play than the rest of the NBA. Not a fan of the dramatic switch to the 3 ball.

[jsglow]

The article details how the Bucks are going with length and defensive while everyone else is going with switchables and shooters.  It applauded the Bucks for their different approach and was highly complementary and detailed how and why it works.  It also suggested that Kidd is key to this working.

So you think the Bucks scrap this and copy the other 29 teams in the league and go for shooters in order to score 130 points before the other team to win (as opposed to playing D)?

I agree with this analysis.  Now whether the Bucks can get ALL the way there in the next few years is an open question.  No doubt Cleveland only has a couple years.  But there are other higher hurdles.

[forgetful]

The article details how the Bucks are going with length and defensive while everyone else is going with switchables and shooters.  It applauded the Bucks for their different approach and was highly complementary and detailed how and why it works.  It also suggested that Kidd is key to this working.

So you think the Bucks scrap this and copy the other 29 teams in the league and go for shooters in order to score 130 points before the other team to win (as opposed to playing D)?

I agree with this assessment.

[TinyTimsLittleBrother]

I don't think the Bucks should scrap what they are doing.  I just think they need to add a shooter.  And I still am unsure about Kidd no matter what the article said.

[GB Warrior]

The bucks have a good model and have made good decisions outside of their bigs  (ie Plumlee).

My sense is they will eventually need to be able to recruit another star to join the party. Parker developing into a star would mitigate that need, but I don't see it.

[MU82]

I much prefer the Bucks and Pelicans style of play than the rest of the NBA. Not a fan of the dramatic switch to the 3 ball.

Interesting. I much prefer the style the Warriors use to win championships.

[Tugg Speedman]

The bucks have a good model and have made good decisions outside of their bigs  (ie Plumlee).

My sense is they will eventually need to be able to recruit another star to join the party. Parker developing into a star would mitigate that need, but I don't see it.

First Parker has to stay healthy before we can assess his upside.

[Tugg Speedman]

10 things I like and don't like

1. I, for one, welcome our new Giannis overlord

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/21172847/zach-lowe-10-things-like-featuring-giannis-antetokounmpo-nba


He's getting better at everything. His passing advanced last season. So did his rim protection. He has a soft little floater now, and a Dirk-ish slide-back jumper for post-ups late in the shot clock.

...

LeBron's place as the league's best player should remain unquestioned until he can't reach peak levels in May and June. But Giannis is coming.

[4everwarriors]

His girlfriend will be glad ta here, hey?