Milwaukee Bucks Playoffs: Michael Beasley Missing in Action

Jason Kidd significantly hurt the Milwaukee Bucks in their Game 2 loss to the Raptors, especially with one glaring “Did Not Play” in the box score.

The challenge of a playoff series lies in reading the balance of current performance to season-long and career results. With that in mind, Milwaukee Bucks‘ head coach Jason Kidd didn’t seem to have a good handle on his players’ minutes Tuesday.

Michael Beasley‘s complete absence from the game is where it all starts. He played sparingly (5:36) in the opening game and then saw no action in Game 2. It’s something that needs questioning.

Prior to Beasley’s injury, he stepped up his game with solid defense, offensive outbursts, and a presence the Bucks needed. His energy and versatility are huge assets for Milwaukee, and could be an x-factor in beating the Toronto Raptors.

Over a 10-game stretch before getting hurt, he averaged 20.7 minutes and 13.1 points per contest. Sure, they brought him back slowly upon his return; however, he logged over 12 minutes in Milwaukee’s 2nd-to-last game and 35 in the regular season finale.

If you’re wondering where Beasley would get the minutes from, that’s simple. He definitely should be seeing more action than Mirza Teletovic and Spencer Hawes. Those two combined for over 18 minutes in Game 2. Both played poorly on the defensive end, and Teletovic added nothing on offense (0-for-2, 0 assists).

What was Kidd thinking? There’s nothing about this season that would tell anyone to play Teletovic so much (12:33) and Beasley none. During the regular season, Beasley outperformed him in every way possible. The word is that Kidd has a soft spot for Teletovic. That can’t fly in the postseason.

But there’s another veteran that was given the benefit of many doubts on Tuesday night: Matthew Dellavedova.

Beasley has generally been a better option than Dellavedova. Yet, Delly logged more than 22 minutes in Game 2 and had his fair share of struggles. Here’s where Kidd has fallen into the trap of running with a guy whose playoff reputation and experience is greater than his actual output.

Sure, Delly plays the role of pest on defense; however, the results still matter. The veteran had no steals and a defensive rating (DRtg) of 120 in Game 2. That is an estimate of the amount of points he’d allow over 100 possessions. Only Hawes and Tony Snell had a worse night from that perspective.

The difference for Snell was his offensive contribution. He was 4-for-6 from downtown en route to 14 points and a 191 offensive rating (ORtg). Dellavedova tallied 7 points and 1 assist for an 81 ORtg, second-lowest for the Bucks ahead of Malcolm Brogdon.

Beasley could have taken away some time from Delly. Once again, if you’re looking at season stats, Beasley outgunned him as well.

Statistical Category: Beasley vs. Dellavedova

Offensive Win Shares: 0.8 vs. 0.3
Defensive Win Shares: 1.0 vs. 0.9
Win Shares per 48 Minutes: 0.94 vs. 0.29
Value Over Replacement Player: -0.2 vs. -1.3 (worst on Bucks)
Offensive Rating: 106 vs. 102
Defensive Rating: 108 vs. 114 (lower number = better)

Kidd can always claim “matchups,” but this looks like a clear case of decision-making based on past playoff results. It was apparent that Delly was having some issues in Game 2, but Kidd stuck with him anyway.

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No matter how you slice it, there’s no excuse for Beasley to not see the floor at all. Would he have made the difference in such a tight game? It’s hard to say, but it would have been worth seeing.

There have been plenty of questions surrounding Kidd’s rotations and playing time distribution. The Game 2 calls felt even more strange, especially when the Milwaukee Bucks had a chance to put a stranglehold on the series.

Here’s hoping Beasley gets his chance to make an impact when they return to Milwaukee.

Next: Brewers Week in Review: Taking the Road by Storm

It’s a quick turnaround for the Milwaukee Bucks, but they still have time to make the proper adjustments. Whether or not that includes Beasley – at least for a few minutes – remains to be seen. Either way, the Bucks should feel good about their chances.

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