Packer-less football weekend gives way to the Bucks
The 27-16 Milwaukee Bucks take on the 23-21 Indiana Pacers on MLK day at home in downtown Milwaukee at the Fiserv Forum. The Bucks were swept in a quick two game jaunt in Miami by the Heat and deserve a rest day in the worst way after they play tomorrow against Toronto. That game, tomorrow, will conclude 8 games in 13 days.
The NBA All-star game is still a month away (Feb. 19th) Milwaukee has eight days between games then which will also be a break they need. Milwaukee only has 22 games after the All-Star break.
If it feels like the Bucks are kinda muddling along here that is because they are. Milwaukee is 2-3 in their last five games and 5-5 in their last ten.
Related: Bucks vs Heat Game 2 preview
Bucks keys
Avoid injury
This still has to be the most important one. We may see another “load management game” here for some guys. Milwaukee is a little banged up but Indiana is really banged up. (More on that in the opponent preview section.) There is a lot of frustration out there amongst Bucks fans that Giannis missed a national TV game Saturday or that Middleton’s injury seems never-ending. But still, 27-16 is pretty good. At this point last season Milwaukee was 27-19.
There is even frustration on the roster itself with Serge Ibaka appearing to be done with Milwaukee.
Related: Disgruntled Bucks Veteran Will Not Return to the team
Yet no one is going to remember these games. After the all-star break Milwaukee will have made a roster move or two, gotten an idea of where Middleton is at, and will start to make their “approach run” into the postseason. Milwaukee needs to continue to avoid a major injury.
Keep shooting (and defending) the three
Nathan Marzion who we have highlighted in our “Bucks Tweets of the week” column asked a pretty interesting question on Twitter the other day about the Bucks. Here is the exchange below.
Pop quiz: The Bucks are currently allowing the ___ ___________ three-point percentage in the league this season.
— Nathan Marzion (@nathanmarzion) January 13, 2023
Because Milwaukee allows the 4th worst three point shooting percentage, it allows them to take some risks on offense. Eventually these threes are going to start to fall. Milwaukee is only 19th in the NBA in 3 point percentage makes (34.8%). Last season the Bucks shot (36.6%) “But that’s only, barely, two percentage points?’ you might ask. Well over a 100 possession NBA game that can easily be a 6-18 point difference.
Coach Bud has a plan- shoot and defend the three.
Keep Rebounding
The Bucks have slipped back in their race to be the best team in terms of team rebounding (Memphis 49.1, Milwaukee 48.7). Why does that number even matter? The top eight defensive rebounding teams would all make the playoffs tomorrow. When you rebound, especially as a team, you control and limit possessions. While the Bucks continue to be the best defensive rebounding team in the NBA, they have slipped a little on the offensive boards.
The Opponent: The Indiana Pacers
Indiana has been a surprise team in the NBA so far this season. At 23-21 they have exceeded many of the pre-season predictions. Tyrese Haliburton, acquired with Buddy Hield for Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings, has started to become an NBA superstar. Lucky for the Bucks he won’t play due to injury.
Haliburton, who was born in Oshkosh and attended Oshkosh North High school, was drafted 12th by the Kings in the 2020 draft. He leads the Pacers in scoring with 20.2 points per game. He also leads the team in assists (10.2 per game) and steals (1.8).
Myles Turner is an NBA cheat code when it comes to blocked shots per game. Right now he is only averaging 2.3, slightly below his career average. Turner also may not play with a back injury.
Rookie Bennedict Mathurin (6th overall pick Arizona) is in the conversation for rookie of the year. He is averaging 17 points per game and has yet to seem to have hit that dreaded “NBA rookie wall”.
Rookie Andrew Nembhard, the Pacers second round pick in this year’s draft, has been called into action because of the injury to Haliburton. He plays a ton and shoots a ton. (16 attempts two games ago vs Atlanta). He is an excellent free throw shooter (90%+).
Things to tell your buddies as you are watching the game
- According to some quick internet research, the Pacers are a team named after the state of Indiana’s history with the Indianapolis 500’s pace cars. Makes sense to me.
- Larry Bird had played a pretty active role in the Pacers organization. He now is no longer involved with the team. Larry Bird is retired, splitting his time between business ventures in Terre Haute Indiana and Florida.
- This is the first time Milwaukee and Indiana will play. They have three more games left on their 2022-2023 schedule.
- Milwaukee leads the all-time series 111-91.
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