Tag: Milwaukee Bucks

Pat Connaughton/Blake Wesley NBA Tracker: Nov. 11-17

A couple of solid games for the two former Irish players.

Notre Dame’s two NBA representatives turned in some fine performances during the past week. While they didn’t happen concurrently with each other, they still happened.

After six-point showings on back-to-back nights, [autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag] delivered his scoring and rebounding high for the young season with 10 points and seven boards Nov. 16 against the Charlotte Hornets. It also was his fifth consecutive game with exactly two assists.

Over three games for the past week, Connaughton averaged 7.3 points and 4.7 rebounds a game. This was despite shooting 36.4% from the field.

[autotag]Blake Wesley[/autotag] turned in a couple of scoreless performances during the week. However, he did have 10 points and two assists in a Nov. 13 win over the Washington Wizards. For his four games during the week, he achieved a scoring average to 4.0 and an assist average to 1.0.

You might be curious how about how these two players looked over the course of the week. Well, here they are:

Eight potential trade destinations for Giannis Antetokounmpo

Four years ago, the Milwaukee Bucks won their first NBA championship since 1971. Since then, they have acquired a Hall-of-Famer in Damian Lillard, had their other Hall-of-Famer Giannis Antetokounmpo enter his prime years, and yet counterintuitively …

Four years ago, the Milwaukee Bucks won their first NBA championship since 1971. Since then, they have acquired a Hall-of-Famer in Damian Lillard, had their other Hall-of-Famer Giannis Antetokounmpo enter his prime years, and yet counterintuitively fallen near the bottom of the NBA.

The Bucks are 12th by win/loss record, but they might be outright last in vibes, and that shadow has been percolating for a while.

Over the offseason, the Bucks moved around the end of their bench. Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Robin Lopez, Jae Crowder, Patrick Beverley and Danilo Gallinari were all allowed to leave, aged veterans who were struggling to play replacement-level ball who nevertheless combined for 294 minutes in six playoff games. In their stead came Delon Wright, Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr, all a slightly younger flavor of veterans intended to improve the legs of an old roster. Yet nothing has improved. The pace is down, the defense (which was last year’s Achilles heel and led to the in-season firing of Adrian Griffin) is worse, and the offense is far worse.

Moreover, the Bucks do not have many options for changing that. Precisely because of the Lillard trade – which saw them fire off their last few bullets in the trade market – the Bucks have incredibly few assets with which to try and change their roster. They are moribund, lackluster, expensive, disjointed, capped-out, asset-deprived and not very good.

There is, though, one potential massive trade asset on the table. What if they were to trade Giannis?

Moving Giannis is an unequivocal admission that the contending window is over. There is no path to getting back to the top without him in it. If the Bucks decide to finally end their partnership after 12 years together, so is any dream of contention, and given how sparse the draft capital cupboard is, it will be a very long road back.

That said, for each extra game they move under .500 after 18 months of discontent, the unthinkable becomes more thinkable. It is entirely fair to conclude that Antetokounmpo will only be traded when the day comes that he asks to be. Yet it is also entirely fair to conclude that, if the struggles continue, that day comes ever closer. Turning 30 in December, Giannis is entering the back nine of his career, and his individual greatness has probably peaked.

In regards to the question of which teams around the league would be interested in him; the answer, to varying degrees, is all of them. As for which teams could possibly put together sufficiently enticing trade packages, that list is far shorter.

There follows a look at some potential landing destinations for Antetokounmpo, should the worst keep coming to the worst.

Pat Connaughton/Blake Wesley NBA Tracker: Nov. 4-10

How did the two former Irish players do this past week?

[autotag]Blake Wesley[/autotag] didn’t play in the San Antonio Spurs’ first game this past week. He more than made up for that though with his best game of this young season Nov. 7.

In a win over the Portland Trail Blazers, Wesley made all four field-goal attempts and both free throws he attempted for 10 points, his first double-digit scoring game of the season. He also dished out a game-high eight assists. Those aided a week in which he averaged 6.7 points and 4.0 assists a game.

[autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag] had his best game so far this season in the Milwaukee Bucks’ Nov. 4 loss to the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers. He scored seven points, grabbed four rebounds, had five assists and recorded his first two steals of the season. That allowed him to average 4.8 points and 2.5 assists a game for the week.

Here are photos of Notre Dame’s two NBA representatives in action over the past week:

NBA power rankings: Thunder rule, Bucks crumble

Welcome to HoopsHype’s bi-weekly power rankings! I’ll be here every other Monday to look around the league and rank teams based on a proprietary blend of championship potential, recent performance, secret spices, and more. While these power rankings …

Welcome to HoopsHype’s bi-weekly power rankings! I’ll be here every other Monday to look around the league and rank teams based on a proprietary blend of championship potential, recent performance, secret spices, and more.

While these power rankings are heavily correlated with the actual NBA standings, they are a little more forward-looking. For example, the 76ers are off to an atrocious start, but we know they’ll be better when their stars take the court.

This is, of course, a subjective exercise. Things are bound to change dramatically in each iteration, particularly early in the season. Little conclusively separates the vast majority of teams this early in the year, so if I have your favorite team ranked eight spots too low in your mind, I won’t argue with you!

Truthfully, the actual rankings are secondary to the meat of the article (even though I know the little number next to each team’s name is the only thing people care about). I want to use this space to write something interesting about each team. To kick things off, I looked at early season X-Factors for each squad, an outsized reason for a team’s initial success and failures. The small sample caveats still apply – we’re not even 10 percent into the season yet –  but wins and losses are actualized results. If a player shot 90 percent from three and helped his team steal a victory, that obviously won’t last, but it does still matter.

Pat Connaughton/Blake Wesley NBA Tracker: Oct. 28-Nov. 3

Not the best week for the former Notre Dame players.

After winning their first game, [autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag] and the Milwaukee Bucks have lost every game since. Connaughton tried to play his part with five points and two rebounds in an Oct. 30 loss to the defending champion Boston Celtics. But he followed that by shooting 1 of 7 from the field in a three-point, three-rebound, two-assist effort against the Memphis Grizzlies on Halloween. He wound up averaging 2.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists a game over the course of the week.

[autotag]Blake Wesley[/autotag] did not fare much better over the past week with the San Antonio Spurs. He started out all right with five points and two rebounds in just under 13 minutes while losing Oct. 30 to the Oklahoma City Thunder. But he played only half that number of minutes over the next two games combined and didn’t register a single meaningful statistic. The result was a scoring average of 2.8 and a rebounding average of 0.8 over the three games.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

Pat Connaughton/Blake Wesley NBA Tracker: Oct. 22-27

Basketball season is underway.

(This story was updated to change a photo.)

The 2024-25 NBA season has gotten underway, which means it’s time to watch Notre Dame’s two representatives. Neither player has exactly had a glowing start though.

[autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag] began his 10th NBA season by scoring nine points and grabbing four rebounds in the Milwaukee Bucks’ Oct. 23 season opening-win over the Philadelphia 76ers. He followed that up by shooting a combined 2 of 10 from the field in losses to the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets. He’s averaging 5.0 points and 4.0 rebounds a game in this young season.

[autotag]Blake Wesley[/autotag] now is in his third season with the San Antonio Spurs. He tipped off his campaign with six points and two assists while losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the Oct. 24 season opener. He had a single field goal and two more assists in six minutes during an Oct. 26 victory over the Houston Rockets.

Wesley is averaging a mere 4.0 points and 0.5 rebounds a game over two contests, but he has the Spurs’ second-highest plus/minus through two games. Granted, that came entirely during the Mavericks game, but still:

Here’s to decent seasons from both Connaughton and Wesley.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

When will Khris Middleton return from his injury? Here’s what we know.

Here’s the latest.

Khris Middleton holds one of the keys to the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2024-25 season, as he has since they won their last title.

But the star forward hasn’t played more than 60 games since 2021-22, and now he’s missed the entire preseason after he underwent arthroscopic surgeries on both of his ankles in July.

He’s done a little scrimmaging but he’s had limited practices. So when will he be back while missing the season opener?

Here’s what Doc Rivers said via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “No Khris today so probably no Khris (Wednesday). It’s pretty 100%. Ninety-nine (percent). I would say this week it became more expected (that he wouldn’t play). I thought before this week there was a pretty good chance he may make it. Because he’s moving great. But we just haven’t had enough live activity for him. There’s no setbacks. I would say if this was a playoff game he’d probably be playing. Or close to it.”

So maybe he’s close?

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2024-25 Milwaukee Bucks: A quick preview

The Milwaukee Bucks are undoubtedly contenders, primarily due to the superstar duo of Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, there are significant concerns that could hinder their path to a deep playoff run. While Lillard and Giannis …

The Milwaukee Bucks are undoubtedly contenders, primarily due to the superstar duo of Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, there are significant concerns that could hinder their path to a deep playoff run. While Lillard and Giannis give the Bucks two of the league’s top talents, questions about injury risks, age, and the competency of head coach Doc Rivers loom large.

Lillard, now 34, has missed 77 games over the past two seasons and sat out Games 5 and 6 in last year’s playoffs. Khris Middleton, another key piece, has also struggled with injuries, missing 76 games in the last two seasons and undergoing surgery on both ankles. Even Giannis, who is typically more durable, dealt with a calf injury that kept him out of the postseason. While they might be able to stay relatively healthy through the regular season, relying on this trio to be at full strength throughout the playoffs is a gamble.

Then there’s the matter of Rivers. Though he has a reputation as a solid regular-season coach, his history of playoff disappointments raises concerns. After taking over midseason last year and posting a 17-19 record, he faced criticism for struggling to implement his system without a full offseason or his preferred coaching staff. Now, with a full training camp and his chosen staff in place, Rivers has no excuses. But the bigger question remains: Has he adapted his coaching style to the modern game? Can he craft a system that balances offense and defense, especially in the playoffs, where the Bucks faltered last year?

Milwaukee’s offseason was relatively quiet compared to other Eastern Conference contenders. They added athleticism through the draft with AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith and found value in Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr. on a veteran minimum contracts. But these moves don’t scream “contender.” With a core built around aging stars and a coach with a mixed playoff history, the Bucks may need more than just talent to reclaim their status as one of the East’s elite. Even if they stay healthy and defy Father Time, will Rivers’ system be enough to push them past the second round of the playoffs? That’s the big question hanging over Milwaukee this season.

Milwaukee Bucks sign player at center of officiating disaster in Wisconsin’s 2015 title loss to Duke

Milwaukee Bucks sign player at center of officiating disaster in Wisconsin’s 2015 national championship loss

The memories of the 2015 NCAA Tournament national title game never seem to disappear.

The Wisconsin lost to Duke, 68-63. The game was a crushing end to the most successful era of Badger basketball and likely the best individual team in program history.

Related: Big Ten basketball power rankings entering 2024-25 season: A first look at the expanded conference

We’ve relived the game enough over the last nine years. How Wisconsin lost after leading 48-39 with 13:20 remaining in the second half. How Grayson Allen came out of nowhere to steal the win. How Wisconsin, the lowest-foul-committing team in the country, went from being called for just two fouls in the first half to 13 in the second half — leading to 16 Duke free throws.

Now thanks to the Milwaukee Bucks, it’s time to relive one of those moments yet again.

The Bucks signed Justice Winslow to an exhibit 10 contract on Thursday. Winslow is a nine-year NBA veteran with time in Miami (2015-20), Memphis (2020-21), Los Angeles (Clippers, 2021-22), Portland (2022-23) and the G League (2023-24). He joins the Bucks organization before their season begins in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

https://twitter.com/JamalCollier/status/1846979550506635650

Winslow is most commonly known in the state of Wisconsin as the player who touched the ball as it went out of bounds late in Duke’s national title win over the Badgers.

The situation: 1:51 remaining in the game, Duke leading Wisconsin 63-58. The ball deflected out of bounds on a rebound and was called out on Wisconsin. After review, the referees stuck with the call. Badgers fans, however, forever have the screenshot of the ball apparently grazing Winslow’s finger.

https://twitter.com/KHoffenbecker/status/1762916601580380194

That call mostly ended Wisconsin’s hopes for a national title. Duke guard Tyus Jones hit a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to stretch the lead to 66-58 with 1:24 remaining in the game.

Winslow is a member of the Bucks organization, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a short drive from the Madison area. A straw poll of Madison residents would assuredly agree that Winslow touched the ball.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

The Lakers and Bucks have a beef brewing that you should definitely be paying attention to

Because what else do we have to talk about this preseason?

Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Mike Sykes

Happy Friday, folks! Welcome back to Layup Lines. Thanks so much for joining me today. I hope you’ve had a fantastic week.

I don’t know if they know it quite yet, but the Lakers and Bucks have a problem with each other.

It’s not that serious yet. It’s only just simmering for now. But, man, you can feel the spice levels rising by the day.

So let me paint the picture. It all starts with J.J. Redick, who is, obviously, the new Lakers’ head coach. But before he was the Lakers coach, he’d turned himself into a media mogul. He worked at ESPN, obviously, and frequented First Take. 

One of his most egregious takes was about Doc Rivers, who he lambasted on national television. After Rivers took over when the Bucks fired Adrian Griffin, Redick called him out for “making excuses” and always throwing his teams “under the bus.”

“Doc, we get it. Taking over a team in the middle of a season is hard … but it’s always an excuse,” He said. “There’s never accountability with that guy.”

Well, now, Redick is a head coach. Specifically, he’s the head coach of the team that fired Darvin Ham last season. And here’s where another layer gets added to this deliciously spicy beef lasagna.

Ham is now an assistant coach for Doc Rivers’ Bucks. Before the Bucks’ preseason game against the Lakers on Thursday, Rivers was asked about Ham being fired by LA and now being on his staff. He proceeded to take that moment to tear into the Lakers.

“I’m not going to get into the whole thing that happened there, but he took a team to a Western Finals and, then the following year, he won the in-season tournament, which they say we should have a lot of value on, and then they release him.” Rivers said. “It literally makes no sense, but it happens.”

Rivers clearly believes Ham should still be coaching the team that the guy who had a lot of not-so-nice things to say about him last year is currently in charge of. The Lakers players seem to disagree, so there’s that. But, hey, man. Doc is entitled to his opinion.

Meanwhile, as far as things between Rivers and Redick go, the Lakers’ current head coach hasn’t apologized but said he’d probably have worded things differently if he could do it again. Overall, Redick says Rivers is “fine” in his book.

I wonder if the feeling is mutual.

Anthony Edwards is the coolest

 

I haven’t started watching Netflix’s Starting 5 series quite yet, but I’m definitely about to dive into it this weekend. You should, too.

If you weren’t interested before, I guarantee you will be after watching the series introduce Anthony Edwards as the next big thing in the NBA.

https://twitter.com/Kgformvp211/status/1844103011397927388

LeBron says if he thought there was someone on the floor who he thought was in better condition than him, he’d be willing to “sit down a little longer.” And then, flawlessly, we cut to Edwards, who says he’s itching to bust James’ you-know-what on the basketball court.

This is brilliantly sequenced. I haven’t seen the full thing, but James seems to be referring to the whole minutes restriction thing that Darvin Ham (lol) introduced last season.

Using that specific line to cut to Anthony Edwards and turning it into a “next generation” thing is excellent television. I can’t wait to dive deeper into this.

MORE ON STARTING 5: Domantas Sabonis opens up about getting vulnerable on the new Netflix show

Shootaround

— Check out today’s Morning Win on why the WNBA Finals aren’t over for the Liberty yet after their embarrassing Game 1 loss.

— Here’s Charles Curtis with 8 sleepers for your Fantasy Basketball team this season.

— Speaking of, here are 8 fantasy team names that we could actually print. You’re welcome.

— Here’s Meg Hall on Courtney Williams completely shifting the WNBA Finals with her heroics. 

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading. We’ll see you on Monday. Until then — peace.

-Sykes ✌️