Milwaukee Bucks: How Do They Compare to the New Look Nets?

On Monday, the Milwaukee Bucks got their first look at the Brooklyn Nets after the Nets acquired star guard James Harden from the Houston Rockets. Although the Bucks suffered a 123-125 loss, there were a good amount of positives that can be taken from the game. Let’s analyze how well the Bucks matchup against the now star-studded Nets.

First, let’s look at who the Nets shipped out in order to acquire Harden. In the four-team deal, Brooklyn gave away Caris LeVert to the Pacers, Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince to the Cavs, and Rodions Kurucs, as well as a large amount of draft compensation to the Rockets.

When receiving a player of Harden’s caliber, it is obvious that Brooklyn had to give up the type of package they did. The NBA is a star-driven league, and the Nets arguably have three top-15 players in the league at the moment with stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, in addition to Harden.

The Nets are banking on being able to disperse minutes between the three of them in the playoffs to make sure at least one of their stars is on the court at the same time. However, losing LeVert and Allen are significant blows to the team. Losing LeVert means that other than the three-headed monster of Durant-Irving-Harden, there are really no other reliable scoring options on Brooklyn who can effectively create his own shot.

More importantly, the Nets defense took a huge blow with the loss of Allen. The Nets’ interior defense is now porous, now needing to rely on DeAndre Jordan, who has lost a step in recent years, for all the team’s defensive presence in the paint.

So what does this all mean for the Milwaukee Bucks?

For starters, in a potential seven-game series against the Nets, the Bucks have to shoot well from 3 for a chance to win. The Nets are going to score a lot of points. There is no denying that. This means the Bucks need to be able to hit shots from behind the arc to keep up with the Nets’ offense. On Monday, the Bucks shot 11-37 (29.7%) from 3 compared to the Nets, who shot 15-31 (48.4%). In a playoff series against the Nets, the Bucks will have to be more effective from 3.

Additionally, the Bucks need to be much more aggressive getting to the hoop. Allen is one of the premier interior defenders in the league, and now he is gone. The Bucks should be able to get to the rim at will and be effective in the paint. The Bucks were outscored in the paint 50-52 on Monday. Against the Nets, the Bucks should never be outscored in the paint.

With at least average shooting from behind the arc and abusing the matchup in the paint, the Bucks should be able to keep up with the Nets.

The good news is that on paper, the Bucks are arguably the best matchup for the Nets in the East. For each of Brooklyn’s best players, the Bucks have a great defender that can guard each of them.

In a perfect world, Giannis Antetokounmpo would guard Durant, Jrue Holiday would guard James Harden, and Donte DiVincenzo would guard Kyrie Irving. Not many other teams have perimeter defenders as good as the Bucks.

The Nets are a better team than before they made the trade, yes. But the trade also opens up some potential weaknesses. If the Milwaukee Bucks can exploit those weaknesses, then they could have a chance to come out of the East.