The Bucks still looking for the right balance

Milwaukee was cooled by Chicago in the Lake Michigan derby, a match always special for the two franchises separated by less than 150 kilometers. After doing well in Philadelphia, the Bucks were taken by surprise by the intensity, rigor and sense of collectiveness of these Bulls that no one expected.

Upon arrival, this setback must serve as a lesson to Doc Rivers' men and as a basis for work for the future. Because paradoxically, even after scoring 122 points, it is (once again) the offensive balance of the Bucks which is singled out.

“We didn’t follow the game plan and we didn’t completely believe in what we’re doing so far. I think we did it at times but we strayed too far from it in this last match. It's the start of the season and you just have to continue building good habits, even when things don't work out in your favor. We have to continue to believe that it will work and generate good shots. Also, everyone is involved this way, and it makes the game feel more natural.”, admitted Damian Lillard.

Involve all the forces present

Damian Lillard put his finger on what will undoubtedly be the challenge for the Bucks this season, the balance between the influence of the Lillard-Antetokounmpo pair in the attacking game, and the need to involve all the rest of the team. 'team. Last night, the two leaders combined for 66 points, but struggled when it came to finding relays.

Giannis Antetokounmpo took as an example the good passage of AJ Green, author of two 3-point baskets at the start of the fourth quarter, which remained without follow-up. In the process, the “Greek Freak” missed two free throws and lost a precious ball, due to lack of lucidity, causing the fall of his team.

“We should have looked more towards AJ,” he admitted. “In this sequence, when he made two baskets, we moved away from it. We should have used him more often, whether he's coming out of the hand-to-hand to rush to the rim or shooting behind the pick-and-roll. Otherwise, we have to use him more as a decoy because they let him shoot twice, and now they have to respect him and therefore we have to play on him more. I don't think we've done it enough. We have to continue to play smarter. The next time we're in this situation, we need to take advantage of whoever has the hot hand, try to create some attention, and maybe we can create something around our offense.”

Taking care of the ball on offense

In the end, the Bucks' attacking game became too formulaic, with threats too easily identified, the opposite of what Chicago offered.

The result is then often the same, the number of assists stagnates and the number of lost balls increases. Last night, Milwaukee lost 14. It's not catastrophic, but it's obviously a point to correct.

“Every time you lose the ball, you take away an opportunity to score, and you give the opponent an opportunity to attack against a defense that is not in place,” recalled Damian Lillard, who lost five alone. “We lost too many balls, and above all, they made their shots. Our offensive rhythm was not constant throughout the match. It starts with me, when I have this level of responsibility and I have the ball in my hands, I can’t lose the ball five times.”

The expected return of Khris Middleton should help to make Milwaukee's offensive play a little more fluid, which will now make three trips to Brooklyn, Boston and then Memphis.