Tag: Mike Budenholzer

Frank Madden: Bucks Should “Use Their Size” in NBA Finals

July 11, 2021 / Loren Chen / 0 Comments

Despite suffering a knee injury in the Eastern Conference Finals, Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered a historic performance, albeit in a losing effort in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. (Keith Allison/Wikimedia Commons)

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS

Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Greek Freak, led his Milwaukee Bucks to the franchise’s first NBA Finals in 47 years. Along the way, he received critical help from talented teammates Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez, among others. But through the first two Finals games, the supporting cast hasn’t done enough. With the Bucks trailing the Phoenix Suns 2-0 and the series shifting to Milwaukee, Frank Madden of Locked on Bucks explores what must change as the team hopes to win four of its next five in pursuit of the 2020-21 title.

7:05-8:03: “You’re tied in the Eastern Conference finals, you have the more talented team, you really should be advancing to the Finals, and then to see your superstar, two-time MVP, a guy who’s been remarkably durable, just suffer this horrible-looking injury. You know, I kind of half-jokingly referred to it as like from a fan perspective, it was like a near-death experience. Basically, those 24 hours thinking that ‘Geez, I have to be prepared that he’s blown out everything in his knee and next year is gone too’ to then, the next day hearing no structural damage and we’ll see what happens here over the next couple weeks. … To win those two games the way they did to close out the Hawks series was incredible to know that Giannis still had a chance to come back at some point in the playoffs. It just felt like a new lease on life, I think for Bucks fans, just that we had a chance at that. And then for him to come back and actually play at a high level has just been incredible.”

15:27-16:07: “Now you’ve got to win four out of five, so they [Middleton and Holiday] can’t afford to have three off games out of five. They’ve gotta pretty much be good to great more or less every game from here on out. Certainly, they can’t both be bad, as we saw in Game 2, shooting the ball. It’s just really tough. And again, I mean, I think we’ve seen those guys when they have their game, they’re really valuable two-way guys. They can both create for others as well as themselves. But you know, that’s the difference between a top 5-10 player and a top 30-35 player. I think those two guys are both in that latter category, and they’re just not going to be able to give you 25-30 points every night in the playoffs.”

Pratik Patel: “This Is the Loosest the Bucks Have Been”

June 7, 2021 / Aaron Fischman / 0 Comments

Defensive specialist P.J. Tucker’s ability to contain Kevin Durant, to the extent that he can, will be something to look for in the Bucks-Nets second-round series (@Bucks/Instagram).

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS

Despite a dominant performance by reigning, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nets star James Harden going down with a hamstring injury in the first minute of Game 1, the Milwaukee Bucks were not able to take advantage and secure the first victory in this highly anticipated second-round series. Pratik Patel of ESPN Wisconsin helps us digest that first game, the implications of the injury and what adjustments need to be made for the Bucks to advance. Specifically, he delves into how the Bucks can hope to slow down the supremely gifted Brooklyn offense, the leadership new addition Jrue Holiday provides and how Milwaukee’s supporting cast must step up to support its stars. Finally, we discuss the possible consequences of another disappointing Bucks postseason, coming on the heels of early playoff exits in the prior two seasons as well.

6:04-6:27: “If that truly is a re-aggravation of that hamstring injury, I’d be shocked if he even played in this series, let alone in Game 2. And if that’s the case, obviously it makes things a little bit easier for the Bucks defensively to hone in on two stars rather than three. But if the others for the Nets are going to play as well as they did in Game 1, then it might not matter.”

8:30-8:52: “This is also kinda the loosest the Bucks have been the last couple postseasons. The last two years, they were really pressed. There was a lot looming, a lot of talk about championship window. There was all of the conversation surrounding Giannis’ future and this year just felt different. The entire attitude of the team, the aura around them, the feeling in the locker room, was just different this year.”

Eric Nehm: With Bucks, “Is There Anything That Really Needs Fixing?”

June 4, 2019 / Aaron Fischman / 0 Comments

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is primed to handily win the 2018-19 MVP race, according to guest Eric Nehm (Keith Allison/Creative Commons).

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS

On the heels of a disappointing Eastern Conference finals exit at the hands of the Raptors, The Athletic’s Eric Nehm is here to talk all things Milwaukee Bucks, including Giannis Antetokounmpo’s MVP campaign, the Bucks’ spectacular season, Mike Budenholzer’s inaugural year at the helm and the significant offseason looming ahead.

Some noteworthy clips (Particular time stamps may vary due to dynamic advertising.):

9:02-9:15: “I guess a less mature 24-year-old would just be angry and not really thinking about exactly how he gets better, but here’s Giannis, two days later, saying, ‘You know, I gotta find a way to be more comfortable in the midrange.’”

14:58-17:04: “I think Khris [Middleton] just really understands Giannis, and Giannis really appreciates guys that play hard, show up every night and can go out and actually take care of business … Giannis can help out with some of the rim protection, Khris can switch a bunch of different things; he also can defend other team’s No. 1s. And because he can defend the league’s best wings, guys like Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Giannis can stay on the back side and just be the free safety and attempt to just wreak havoc essentially. So it all just kind of works, and then on top of it, there’s just no frills. Khris doesn’t really have an ego. He doesn’t really go out there and demand more shots or anything like that.” Continue reading

Tom Westerholm: Giannis Will “Have to Work for Every Bucket” (Celtics-Bucks)

May 2, 2019 / Aaron Fischman / 0 Comments

OTNB guest Tom Westerholm chats with Jayson Tatum prior to Boston’s Game 4 in Indiana (Keith Sliney/Boston Celtics).

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS

The Boston Celtics stole Game 1 in Milwaukee before the mighty Bucks answered Tuesday with a comfortable victory of their own. With the series all squared up and storylines aplenty, Tom Westerholm of MassLive delves into this fun matchup, which pits Milwaukee and Boston against each other for the second straight postseason. Only, this time, Milwaukee is coming off a 60-win season and the Celtics are able to suit up Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. The Celtics severely limited MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo in Game 1, but he responded with a strong performance in Game 2. How can Boston hope to corral the Greek Freak, and so many more questions answered inside.

Some noteworthy excerpts (*Particular time stamps may vary due to dynamic advertising):
3:54-4:57: “This is a strategy that they’ve employed against Giannis, basically all through last year’s playoffs – let Al Horford guard him one-on-one and then everybody else can get out to shooters. It really hammers home how good Horford is at defending that he was able to do that and that he is able to do that, because every once in a while in this series you see Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown, guys who are not small necessarily, get switched onto Giannis and he just blows by them and gets a dunk. It’s replicable just because the Celtics have a guy like Horford, who is as good at defending as he is and who is strong and able to move his feet and able to stay in front…Giannis is going to have a difficult series. He’s gonna have to work for every bucket, every free throw he gets. As much as the Celtics can hope for a win in this series, that’s gonna be what it rests on.”

11:43-12:26: “One of the things to keep in mind with this Celtics team is they do sort of have these stretches, and then sometimes during the regular season that would lead toward finger-pointing, that would lead to guys kind of getting upset with one another, and then that would really snowball, and then you’re talking about a few losses in a row and things can go badly at that point for them. I will say, though, in the locker room everybody was pretty accountable. There wasn’t a lot of, ‘Oh, the young guys needed to do this,’…It was more like Marcus Morris said they need to be setting better screens for Kyrie, and Kyrie said, ‘I need to be better at X, Y and Z.’” Continue reading

Howard Beck: Small-Market GMs With a Star Are “Always on the Clock”

February 12, 2019 / Aaron Fischman / 0 Comments

Anthony Davis’ trade demand is the latest example of a changing paradigm involving NBA superstars, argues guest Howard Beck (Keith Allison/Creative Commons).

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS

Bleacher Report‘s Howard Beck has been covering the NBA full-time for the past couple decades, and he detects an unmistakable change in the way the league’s superstars are increasingly dictating where they play. He discusses this phenomenon with regard to Anthony Davis’ recent trade demand, Milwaukee’s ongoing efforts to retain franchise cornerstone Giannis Antetokounmpo for the long haul and how the trend impacted this season’s awfully busy and entertaining trade deadline. Plus, the All-Star weekend is nearly upon us, providing an opportunity to touch on those festivities in Charlotte. Beck bites below:

12:54-14:52: “Tobias Harris, as a guy who’s in his prime who is a borderline All-Star, that’s, on its face, the flashiest acquisition of those contenders in the East. But it’s also the one that I think came with the most caveats and potential concerns. Because you already had a team with three stars, Embiid, Simmons, Jimmy Butler, where there are some tensions…there’s just some underlying tensions there about power dynamics and role and all this even though they [Simmons and Embiid] seem like they should fit together perfectly. And then you throw Jimmy Butler and all the volatility that can come with him on top of that…and now you throw [in] Tobias Harris who’s a high-usage guy…So, yes, the Sixers, their starting five might be the best starting five in the East now and may be the best starting five outside of Golden State, but that’s on paper, and the chemistry part of it I think has to be at least a little bit of a concern.” Continue reading

“It’s a Terrible (Eastern) Conference” With Kelly Dwyer

October 15, 2018 / Aaron Fischman / 0 Comments

Kelly Dwyer of The Second Arrangement does not shy away from offering his honest opinion about the Eastern Conference this season.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS

In the wake of LeBron James’ departure, Kelly Dwyer discusses his Eastern favorites and why the conference is overall so bad. The online basketball writing pioneer who wrote for Yahoo!‘s Ball Don’t Lie blog for nearly a decade, among multiple notable gigs, is currently shining for The Second Arrangement, a project to which you can subscribe for as low as $5 per month.

Timing will vary due to dynamic advertising, but here are the approximate time stamps of some of our favorite clips (so many good ones to choose from):

7:29-7:39 on the Boston Celtics’ immense depth: “There’s so many arms on this monster that this could be something that lasts for a while, that really eases Kyrie [Irving] into his drop-off years.” Continue reading

Sekou Smith (Eastern Conference Preview): Giannis’ Next Challenge? Being Great Every Game

October 17, 2017 / Aaron Fischman / 0 Comments

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t turn 23 until early December, but that hasn’t stopped some from mentioning him as a fringe MVP candidate. Guest Sekou Smith thinks it could happen (Erik Drost/Creative Commons).

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS

A number of stars, including Paul George, Jimmy Butler and Paul Millsap, no longer play in the East, potentially leaving the conference with ample playoff spots available for the taking. In addition, the reigning Eastern Conference finalists recently swapped star point guards, adding a special flavor to their existing rivalry. Meanwhile, teams like the Raptors, Bucks and Wizards hope their various brands of continuity can vault them to an elite class. To help us sort through it all, Sekou Smith, NBA.com writer and host of the Hang Time podcast, appears for a can’t-miss episode. By all means…sample some Sekou snippets:

4:59-5:35: “[Dwyane Wade]’s been a starter basically his entire career. I think in his career, he’s maybe come off the bench 10, 11 times. To ask him to come in and play a role as a bench guy right now, [considering] the fact that he’s not a great 3-point shooter, that would have been asking a lot for him to come in cold and be effective and make an impact on that team. I think, as a starter, you give him a chance to not only do what he’s always done as a scorer… but you give him an opportunity to get in a rhythm… and to play off of LeBron at a high level, which you know he can do.”

10:00-10:14: “The team that I like, that’s kind of my wild-card team in the East, is Milwaukee. I think they do have a depth of talent that could put them in a position to challenge for one of those top two or three spots if a bunch of things go right for them.” Continue reading

KL Chouinard: Hawks “Have a Shot Against Cleveland”

January 27, 2017 / Loren Chen / 0 Comments

KL Chouinard (right) interviewing Hawks SF Thabo Sefolosha.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS

The Hawks’ season thus far can reasonably be separated into three segments: (1) a hot start, (2) a brutal 11-game stretch, and, finally, (3) the successful period Atlanta is currently enjoying. Kevin “KL” Chouinard, digital writer for the Atlanta Hawks and host of the new ATL and 29 podcast, graces the show with his presence, discussing how Atlanta bounced back from its miserable late-November, early-December slump, the process of integrating free-agent addition Dwight Howard, Dennis Schröder’s excellent first season as a starting NBA point guard and how Paul Millsap serves as the glue that keeps the team together. Of course, many other opinions are rendered, including why this season’s Hawks actually stand a chance against the defending champion Cavaliers who swept them one postseason ago in the Eastern Conference semifinals (not to mention the sweep in the 2015 Eastern Conference finals). Below, sample some exhilarating episode excerpts:

5:15-6:06: Kevin details the keys to Atlanta’s strong recent defense:

“What’s changed recently, compared to the 1-10 stretch, is they put Thabo Sefolosha in the starting lineup, and he’s really one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA…Millsap (is) playing more minutes with the starters and so that’s a much better defensive unit they’re using to start games. And it’s not perfect, because in opting for more defense, they’ve got less offense.”
Continue reading

The Hawks’ Tall Task Against the Cavaliers Featuring Lang Whitaker, Jacob Rosen

May 4, 2016 / Loren Chen / 0 Comments

Jeff Teague, a possible x-factor for the Hawks in this series, struggled with his shooting in Game 1 against the Cavaliers. (Keith Allison/Wikimedia Commons)

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS

Although the Hawks put a mighty scare into the Cavaliers after storming all the way back from 18 down, Cleveland ultimately hung on to take the series opener. In a tantalizing rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, our crack guests lead us through this iteration’s nuances. Checking in for the Hawks is Atlanta sports expert and NBA.com writer and podcaster Lang Whitaker. And out of Akron, Ohio, we have Jacob Rosen, who’s an MBA student at the University of Oregon’s Warsaw Sports Marketing Center. Rosen’s also a longtime sports analytics writer for Hardwood Paroxysm, Nylon Calculus and Waiting for Next Year. Excerpts below:

Lang Whitaker (5:07-5:23): “[Kent] Bazemore’s a little bit more dynamic offensively than DeMarre [Carroll] was last year. There’s that saying ‘The best defense is a good offense.’ I think if you make LeBron work a little bit harder on that end, maybe that helps you in the long run as well.”

LW (5:25-5:45): “[Coach Mike] Budenholzer was trying a lot of different things. He had one lineup where Paul Millsap was playing center, where he went really small. I think he has a little more versatility with [Thabo] Sefolosha being healthy. He can go to these lineups where there’s two or three small forwards in there at the same time.”

Lang Whitaker: Schroder’s “Got a Lot of Swag”

November 18, 2015 / Loren Chen / 0 Comments

Lang Whitaker, left, repping the “A” with fellow hoops writer Rembert Browne (@rembert/Instagram)

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS

After Jeff Teague’s ankle injury, the Atlanta Hawks have been on a bit of a slide, dropping three straight to the Nets, Jazz and Timberwolves. However, they did begin the season winning eight of 10. This week, devout ATLien Lang Whitaker, who writes and podcasts at NBA.com, joins us on our show to talk about the Hawks, who are seeking an encore performance to their memorable 60-win season from a year ago despite being overlooked coming into the season.

Notable sections include:

6:30-8:15: On Millsap’s sometimes understated impact on the team: “I thought last year, he was the most important player on the Hawks’ team. That shoulder injury he had right at the end of the regular season, he just never looked right to me in the postseason, and I thought that had as much of an effect as anything else did with the Hawks not doing well against Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals.”

9:25-10:30: Lang waxes poetic about Dennis Schroder’s potential and how he’s evolving: “He does a lot of stuff that I think he doesn’t know he’s not supposed to be able to do. He has a confidence that makes him a problem for other teams. Athletically there’s nothing he can’t do… He’s too young to know any better, and that’s what makes it fun to watch ‘cuz you never know what he’s gonna do. He’s got a lot of swag. He’s only 22. He’s going to be really good for a really long time in the NBA.”

Tag: Mike Budenholzer

Frank Madden: Bucks Should “Use Their Size” in NBA Finals

Pratik Patel: “This Is the Loosest the Bucks Have Been”

Eric Nehm: With Bucks, “Is There Anything That Really Needs Fixing?”

Tom Westerholm: Giannis Will “Have to Work for Every Bucket” (Celtics-Bucks)

Howard Beck: Small-Market GMs With a Star Are “Always on the Clock”

“It’s a Terrible (Eastern) Conference” With Kelly Dwyer

Sekou Smith (Eastern Conference Preview): Giannis’ Next Challenge? Being Great Every Game

KL Chouinard: Hawks “Have a Shot Against Cleveland”

The Hawks’ Tall Task Against the Cavaliers Featuring Lang Whitaker, Jacob Rosen

Lang Whitaker: Schroder’s “Got a Lot of Swag”

On The NBA Beat

Recent Posts

Archives

Categories