In late January, the Milwaukee Bucks were 22nd overall in overall defense. Since the beginning of the season, it was obvious that Milwaukee’s defense had regressed at an alarming rate.
At the Feb 8 trade deadline, General Manager Jon Horst sought a player who could defend at a high level.
Enter Patrick Beverley, who the team acquired for Cameron Payne. Beverley brought tenacity, toughness, and a guard who could set up the offense.
Since that trade, Beverley’s leadership and defense have catapulted Milwaukee into a top-defensive team.
With his defensive prowess, Milwaukee Bucks PG Patrick Beverley has helped lead the team on a five-game winning streak.
Since the All-Star Break, the Bucks are first in every defensive category and have jumped up to fifth overall in team defense. (Via NBA)
This is due to the effort Beverley puts on the defensive end. Having a veteran leader like Beverley who’s known for his ball-hawking defense, has carried over to where everybody on the team is defending at a high level.
Friday’s 113-98 victory over the Chicago Bulls was the fourth straight game in which the Bucks held their opponent to under 100 points.
When he took the Bucks job, Doc Rivers sought to improve the defense by not only hiring two high-level assistant coaches, Dave Joerger, and Rex Kalamian, but he also wanted the team to improve one area defensively: communication.
Earlier in the season, Milwaukee was giving up points in the paint at will, but since Rivers took over, those easy baskets have decreased game by game.
Beverley has energized this team and helped turn them into a team to be reckoned with come playoffs. The Milwaukee Bucks have been a dominant defensive team since the All-Star Break, and it’s because of Doc Rivers, Beverley, and the veteran leaders of the Milwaukee Bucks.
For More Wisconsin Sports Content
Follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more content. To check out more top-tier Wisconsin Sports Articles, click here!