The Milwaukee Bucks are 13-5 after a 131-124 victory over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night. After the Heat embarrassingly eliminated the top-seeded Bucks in the NBA Playoffs last season, Milwaukee is now 2-0 against them so far this year. The Bucks previously defeated the Heat in Milwaukee 122-114 back on October 30.
Of course, a great deal has changed between the Bucks’ terrible playoff choke and the present day. Milwaukee fired head coach Mike Budenholzer despite his bringing of a NBA Championship to the city 50 years after it got its first one. The organization also traded away fan-favorite and community staple Jrue Holiday in exchange for seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard.
The decision to fire Budenholzer was a necessary one as it had become painfully obvious to even casual fans that a new voice was needed if the Bucks were to ever again reach the standard that Budenholzer himself put in place. Trading away Holiday for Lillard was a no-brainer because of the possibilities that Lillard playing with Giannis Antetokounmpo bring.
The Milwaukee Bucks Hiring of Adrian Griffin Has Been Called Into Question
As mentioned, the Bucks currently stand at 13-5. They are currently second in the Eastern Conference and just won their pool of the NBA In-Season Tournament with a perfect 4-0 record.
Despite their success, Adrian Griffin, who was hired to replace Budenholzer, has come under fire by some fans. In their opinion, his defensive scheme is not working well enough. It would appear that they expected a team with a new star and a new coach to be rolling on all cylinders right away.
The prime example of these criticisms came from this article published by Brew Hoop when the team sat at 6-4. In the article, it is argued:
“The league is too talented for the Bucks to be operating at a major deficit at the head coaching position. Instead of taking what the Bucks already had and making minor tweaks to improve upon it, Adrian Griffin has completely blown up what was already working. His top assistant, and the only one on staff with any experience constructing good high-pick-and-roll-based offenses is gone, at least in part due to him.
“The change to a slightly more conservative defense was demanded by the players, and Griffin conceded rather than being able to recognize what was so obvious to everyone: his desired style of basketball does not fit this personnel, and may not fit anywhere in the league anymore as a workable defensive system.”
Since this article was published, Milwaukee has gone 7-1 and has climbed the standings.
However, Both Moves the Milwaukee Bucks Made Have Improved the Team’s 4th Quarter Performance
The most important thing that anyone who follows the Bucks, or basketball in general, needs to realize is that change does not always happen over night. There are plenty of examples where it does. After all, Budenholzer himself took a team that finished 44-38 the year before to a league-best 60 wins in his first year. But that is far from the norm. If it were, every team with a new head coach would immediately improve.
For this year’s team, Milwaukee has had to learn a new style of play, on offense and defense. So far, it is hard to argue with the results at 13-5. But in any game, the change and effectiveness of the new style of play is most apparent in the fourth quarter.
Damian Lillard Has Changed How the Milwaukee Bucks Play Offensively in the 4th Quarter
Before coming to Milwaukee, Damian Lillard had already established himself as one of the best clutch players in the NBA. He has continued that trend in Milwaukee and leads all Bucks players, including Giannis, in points scored in the clutch:
Damian Lillard has outscored all of his Bucks teammates combined in the clutch this season
(via @espn_macmahon / Hoop Collective) pic.twitter.com/SU5bDXy0Sx
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) . November 27, 2023
As one can see from the graphic, it is not even that close. Now, this graphic does not include the Bucks’ most recent victory on Tuesday night. The point, however, remains. Lillard is the Bucks’ best offensive player in the clutch.
In previous seasons, Milwaukee always put the ball in Giannis’ hands in clutch, whether they were winning or trailing. Of course, teams would foul him and, many times, he would miss clutch free throws, allowing teams the possibility to claw their way back or extend their lead.
Giannis is obviously one of the greatest basketball players of all time and is, arguably, the best player in franchise history. But he has his limitations. His midrange and outside shooting have never made him a favorable clutch player. Many times he has come through, but other times he has not.
With Lillard, though, things are different. Giannis, knowing his own limitations, has turned over being the go-to player in the clutch to Lillard, who shoots over 90% from the line and is a dynamic three-point shooter.
Bucks fans must admit that Lillard having the ball in the fourth quarter makes them feel much more confident than any other Milwaukee player having it in years past. That’s the Dame Time Effect.
Adrian Griffin Has Improved the Milwaukee Bucks’ Clutch Defense
Now, the improvement of Milwaukee’s offense in the clutch is not that surprising due to the addition of Lillard. What is surprising, at least in a sense, is the improvement of the Bucks’ fourth quarter defense.
Much has been said (see above) of the Bucks’ average-to-below-average overall defensive rating. However, when it comes to the fourth quarter, when games are won or lost, there are few better teams than Milwaukee:
Updated Bucks clutch time numbers:
42 clutch minutes
135.4 offensive rating (1st)
95.8 defensive rating (3rd)
+39.6 net rating (1st)— Nathan Marzion (@nathanmarzion) November 29, 2023
This achievement, if credit is going to be given where it is due, is a direct result of Coach Griffin. The trade-off of having Lillard instead of Holiday is that the team has a superstar offensive player instead of an elite defender.
What fans must remember is that, despite hiring a defensive minded coach, they do not have as good of defensive players as they did last year. In addition to losing Holiday, Milwaukee lost Jevon Carter and Grayson Allen. While neither were elite defenders, per say, they were feisty. Additionally, Jae Crowder is currently out with an adductor injury.
Instead, Milwaukee’s closeout defenders are typically Lillard, Giannis, Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton, and Malik Beasley. While Lopez and Giannis are elite defenders, the other three are not. Cameron Payne and Pat Connaughton often find minutes late in games as well, but, again, they are not elite defenders.
Since the high-level of clutch defense cannot necessarily be attributed to a single player or players, the only conclusion is that it is a result of Coach Griffin’s scheme.
Admittedly, he has taken some requests and comments from his players determine what that looks like. While some criticize him for “needing” the input of his players, the reality of the matter is that he is displaying what a good leader does.
The Milwaukee Bucks Are Becoming a Finished Product Together
Coach Griffin has his own defensive system, and it is true that sometimes the Bucks’ players have not fit that system well. However, one must remember that it has only been two months since the team started training camp. That means the players have only had two months to learn the system, and Griffin has only had two months to learn his players.
The fact that there is a direct and open line of communication between players and coach is indicative of a positive working environment. Good leaders and coaches listen to their players/followers and are open to their input.
We often think of a basketball team as a collection of players, but it is more than that. It is both players and coaches. Both groups of people are equally invested in the success of the team.
Griffin has not put himself above the players in an authoritarian manner, nor have the players attempted to make him nothing more than a puppet. They are working together.
And nowhere is that more evident than in the fourth quarter of games. As seen above, they are the best offensive team in the clutch this season, and much of that credit should go to Lillard, one of the greatest clutch players of all time.
But they are also the third-best defensive team in clutch minutes this season, and the credit for that accomplishment belongs to Coach Griffin.
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