Milwaukee Bucks: Why This Playoff Run Could Be Different

Revenge, redemption, and the opportunity to be immortalized in NBA history, the storylines surrounding the Milwaukee Bucks going into the playoffs certainly are intriguing. With the sour taste of an early exit last season, and the loss to the Raptors on the Eastern Conference Finals in 2019 still lingering in the minds of Bucks’ nation, Giannis and Co. look poised to finally finish the job.

This year’s quest for the Larry O’Brien trophy starts with a reunion between familiar foes. In what seems like a date with destiny, the Jimmy Butler-led Heat looks to end the Bucks’ title aspirations for a second straight season. However, the 2020-21 Milwaukee Bucks squad has a whole new identity than the team Miami was able to vanquish last season in the bubble.

Do not let the three seed fool you, this Bucks team is better than any we have seen in recent years. Mike Budenholzer’s team was counted out by many throughout the year as the New Jersey Nets assembled a litany of all-stars, and Philadelphia eased to the 1 seed. Yet, Bucks general manager, Jon Horst and his staff compiled a roster full of players who might just be able to crack the code to the NBA Finals and win it.

Let’s look at a few reasons why this year’s playoff run will be more successful than previous campaigns.

Jrue Holiday, A Perfect Fit

The Milwaukee Bucks’ core of Giannis and Khris Middleton is one of the longest-tenured star duos in the league, and they finally got the right point guard in the 414 to bring the team to another level. Acquiring Jrue Holiday and moving on from Eric Bledsoe was a major step for the Bucks in going “all-in” and putting themselves in a prime position to compete for the NBA Championship.

Holiday was always a productive offensive player and a phenomenal defender, but this season he took his game to a whole new level. Finally playing around elite talent, Jrue was able to facilitate and score more efficiently than ever. This season, he shot over 50 percent from the field for the first time and posted career highs in many other categories.

What Jrue Holiday brings to the table offensively adds a whole other dimension to the Bucks offensive attack. His style of play and ability to complement Giannis and Khris Middleton is something that helped ignite the Bucks’ league-leading offense this season and will continue to pave the way for success on that end of the floor into the playoffs.

As good of a defender as former Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe was, his inefficient offensive play proved detrimental all too frequently. Holiday brings all Bledsoe did on the defensive end and more. As displayed throughout the season, the 6 foot 3-inch guard often guarded the opposing team’s best scorer and shut them down. Holiday will likely match up with Jimmy Butler in the first round, and if given the opportunity, will gladly square off with the nearly 7-foot offensive weapon of Kevin Durant in the second round.

Jrue Holiday in Milwaukee has been a perfect match so far, and all signs point towards this success continuing well into the playoffs. His ability to consistently knock down outside shots prevents teams from collapsing on Giannis like in years prior. Pair this with his ability to defend on an All-NBA level, and the Milwaukee Bucks will be in a position to contend for the coveted Larry O’Brien trophy.

Improved Depth and Shooting Ability

The recipe for beating the Bucks in a seven game series has been to build a wall and essentially double or triple-team the Greek Freak while forcing other members of the team to knock down shots consistently. As every Bucks fan knows, the aforementioned Jrue Holiday is a much better shooter than his predecessor, Eric Bledsoe, which will certainly help on the difficult road through the Eastern Conference this postseason, but the shooting improvements do not end there. The roster as a whole has been more productive and efficient from beyond the arc. Putting aside the eye test and individual comparisons, the team-wide percentages alone portray this shooting improvement This year, the team 3 point percentage ranked tied for fourth in the league at 38.9%, which is an improvement over last season’s 35.5% which ranked 17th.

The offseason additions and bolstering of the bench unit throughout the offseason have a very direct impact on the success of the team. In what is one of the best free-agent signings in the league, Bobby Portis bringing his talents to the Cream City has added a new weapon to Mike Budenholzer’s arsenal. Portis has exceeded just about every expectation he had going into this season and became one of the NBA’s most efficient 3 point shooters hitting 47.1 percent of those shots. His game will translate well as the postseason progresses. To say he is only a small improvement over Robin Lopez would be borderline criminal.

Another addition that has gone somewhat under the national radar was the trade for PJ Tucker from the Rockets. The seasoned veteran comes with plenty of experience and a win-at-all-costs attitude that will greatly benefit the Milwaukee Bucks down the stretch. I really love what he adds defensively. Although slightly undersized, Tucker is capable of guarding just about any position on the court. In late, close games, look for Budenholzer to play a lineup of Holiday, DiVincenzo, Middleton, Giannis, and Tucker. This lineup should be the go-to late-game unit for Milwaukee because they have the ability to switch virtually any screen or screening action which allows for the sort of defensive pressure that few teams throughout the league can handle. On top of this, Tucker is also one of the best corner 3-point shooters in the league, which only makes me like his game even more.

A key to unlocking the virtually limitless potential of Giannis Antetekounmpo is to make opposing defenses respect the shooting and playmaking of the other four Bucks on the court. This year’s team is poised to do just that. The additions mentioned earlier, as well as Brynn Forbes, one of the game’s most lethal 3 point shooters, makes this Bucks team better offensively than any other Giannis-led squad.

The Bucks team is better than in previous seasons, but the road to the Finals is not easy. However, the team seems cool, calm, and collected as we approach playoff time. Being the three seed in the Eastern Conference, and having one of the best rosters in the entire NBA, the pressure is definitely on, but the Milwaukee Bucks will be ready to answer the call.