Your beloved Milwaukee Bucks stand a respectable 32-25 going into the All-Star break. Compare that record to last season when they stood 5 games under .500 going into the yearly, week-long break. Of course, many things have changed since this time last season. John Hammond was the general manager, the team was playing through injuries to Jabari and Middleton, there were a number of roster differences, and perhaps the biggest difference maker: Jason Kidd was the head coach. With that being said, here are my 7 reasons why the Bucks are sitting 7 games over .500 going into the break.
1. Firing Jason Kidd
Yes, I’m taking a subtle shot at Jason Kidd here. I mean no disrespect by it. Jason Kidd is one of my favorite players I’ve ever been able to watch. He did a great job developing these players to the talent they are today. Giannis went from a player averaging 12 point per game to an All-Star and MVP Candidate averaging nearly 28 points per game. He took the Bucks to two playoff appearances as well. However, with a player like Giannis leading the team on the court and the Bucks being just one game over .500, it was time for him to go. The Bucks went on to go 8-3 after firing Kidd and promoting head assistant coach, Joe Prunty. This may not seem like enough games to really tell the way the rest of their season is going to go, but there’s just something about the energy they play with every night that shows fans the power they are capable of.
2. Eric Bledsoe
Eric Bledsoe decided in October that he did not want to play in Phoenix anymore, and he didn’t care who knew it. Luckily for Milwaukee, all it would take is an inconsistent Greg Monroe and a 2nd round draft pick to bring him into town. Bledsoe immediately made an impact. He got thrown into the starting lineup in his first game with the Bucks and helped take down the San Antonio Spurs; a powerhouse of the Western Conference over the last 20 years. Bledsoe also climbed his way up to second on the league leaderboard for steals per game with 2.1 and contributes a solid 17.3 points per game to add to Giannis’s 27 and Middleton’s 20. It is easy to tell by the athleticism and energy what Eric Bledsoe brings to the table for this young Bucks team, and I sure hope we can hang on to him.
3. The Second Round of the NBA Draft
Malcom Brogdon is an obvious steal at this point. Selected 36th overall in 2016, Brogdon went on the win Rookie of the Year (!!) as a second round draft pick. The Bucks had taken Thon Maker 10th overall in the same draft, and we still have a couple years until we see what he can really be. However, on draft night, when I saw Brogdon’s highlight tape and heard the announcers say that he was an All-American, I knew right away that we got ourselves the steal of the draft. Brogdon posterized some pretty big names throughout his rookie season as the Bucks backup point guard: Dwayne Wade, Nerlens Noel, Kyrie Irving, and LEBRON JAMES. I couldn’t believe what I saw when it happened. Not only had he already dunked on Kyrie Irving earlier that game, but then he goes on to dunk on the best basketball player in the world.
Sterling Brown was drafted 46th overall by the Bucks in the 2017 NBA Draft, and was drafted out of SMU. Now Sterling Brown may not be in the running for Rookie of the Year this year, but he has certainly had a huge impact on the court. Brown brings a lot of energy on defense, and is always liable for a couple big shots throughout the game as well. He plays with such confidence and intensity through out every game, and is never afraid of anyone else on the court. The Bucks have certainly gotten lucky with a couple late-draft picks these past two years, and hopefully their luck can continue.
Conclusion
This is certainly the best Bucks team we have seen in any recent year. It’s all downhill from here, let’s get ourselves a good playoff seed. Fear the Deer!