PG Lakers: ****

[paulpressey25]

Bucks need more Giannis at center lineups. The whole point of Crowder is to give us a small ball 4, and he's getting 0 minutes in this role.

Dame got cooked on the final play because it was a pick and roll, and Brook offered nothing. He shouldn't have been on the floor in that situation, we knew what was coming.

Doc is playing Brook too much. I don’t think he’s stupid though, he’s trying to get that base defense reinstilled in the guys, and see what they have. But we need that small ball 4.

[rilamann]

If the Celtics lost by 35 to the Warriors and then followed it up the very next game by losing and giving up 123 points to the Lebron-less Lakers.

The exact same people saying everything is fine would be clowning the **** out of the Celtics and telling everyone what frauds they are. Especially if it happened at this point in the season - just a tad over a month before the playoffs.

These last 2 games were a gut punch. Not because I am being reactionary over two really bad losses to 2 mediocre teams.

It's a gut punch because the Bucks reverted back to the team they have been all season, sans the 2 weeks after the all star break.

If you have been following this team for the past 5 months and you seriously believe they have any real shot at making it to the NBA Finals, you are living in a fantasy world.

I admit, the Bucks had me fooled for a minute there, but I am not falling for it again.

[GoldenAntlers]

I'm hopeful, but not expectant.

Too inconsistent.

[BigO]

The Bucks bench is bad, but so are the Celtics and Denver bench. This is going to come down to starting lineups and if Middleton is healthy, I'm pretty confident in the Bucks reaching the finals.

The Celtics and Denver have more well rounded starting lineups of shooters and defenders. Plus Denver has Jokic.

But I like Giannis to make up for the deficiencies and am hopeful Dame becomes more efficient. It makes no sense that he would be more efficient on Portland teams that have no supporting cast.

The main concern I have is getting KM back and having enough time for Doc to come up with defensive/offensive scheme options and two to three bench options to fill in the 40-45 bench minutes.

Hopefully, I've addressed all of your concerns.

[AntetokounmBros]

If the Celtics lost by 35 to the Warriors and then followed it up the very next game by losing and giving up 123 points to the Lebron-less Lakers.

The exact same people saying everything is fine would be clowning the **** out of the Celtics and telling everyone what frauds they are. Especially if it happened at this point in the season - just a tad over a month before the playoffs.

These last 2 games were a gut punch. Not because I am being reactionary over two really bad losses to 2 mediocre teams.

It's a gut punch because the Bucks reverted back to the team they have been all season, sans the 2 weeks after the all star break.

If you have been following this team for the past 5 months and you seriously believe they have any real shot at making it to the NBA Finals, you are living in a fantasy world.

I admit, the Bucks had me fooled for a minute there, but I am not falling for it again.

I understand guarding ourselves from getting hurt or disappointed, but the team is talented enough to still have a shot at it. Not saying it's likely, but they at least have a chance if everything is clicking.

That said, the last two games are a reality check for sure. It's not all figured out, and the team has weaknesses that can be exploited.

I was also thinking back to past years when the media didn't believe in us despite our record, we'd win a couple high profile games, they finally give us credit, and then we'd get one or two of those frustrating losses... opponent goes off from 3, they're getting midrange shots and floaters at will, picked apart by ball movement, and we're all questioning Bud's defensive schemes. Similar vibes recently.

Last night before the Lakers retook the lead, I almost posted that it felt like some of the 2021 playoff run (excluding the Miami sweep). It's easy to think of the great moments and the end result, but there were LOTS of times where we looked very bad. I vividly remember posting "we don't deserve to win this" multiple times throughout that run.

Somehow they worked through it and pulled it off. I don't expect that everything will come together for this team, but I'm not going to write them off as pretenders.

[Packbuckman]

The last play I just don’t understand down only one how you don’t give the ball to Giannis he was playing great.

[jakecronus8]

This Bucks team will probably advance in a 7 game dog fight round one. Then they’ll have a never a doubt clean sweep in round two. In the ECFs they’ll probably win game 6 by 25 and lose game 7 by 40. This team is just so Jekyll and Hyde it’s sickening

[msiris]

I think the path to the finals will alot harder than it was 3 years ago. We have been hot garbage on the road this year therefore my expections will be lower.

[-Jragon-]

I can't say it was a bad decision to go to Dame at the end there. Dame's huge shots and 4 point play even got us in that position and Giannis had a bad turnover late too. Getting to the post within 5 seconds for a good shot is pushing it when you have someone dangerous from anywhere. Maybe a better play then just straight 1 on 1 though.

Was Russel always that good? Geez he looked like prime Steph

[-Jragon-]

Dude snaps for 9-12 from 3 and they were off balance often and we only lose by 1... the sky isn't falling... we don't see these teams much so they can surprise you with stuff...

In baseball every year some AAA pitcher comes up and gets shutouts for a couple weeks until the league figures him out. It's not indicative of bad coaching to lose to a team we barely play against or scout in the same way it would be if we lose to a rival or at least conference foe. Russell probably idolizes Dame and go up to show out vs him and get some flowers. When we sucked we'd have big games against random West playoff teams and sneak wins out. It would have been nice to win it but the sky isn't falling until Boston, Miami, Clev, and Indy start beating our a$$

[Milbucks96]

Dame really struggles to create separation on drives and pull ups. His decline is almost as worrying as Khris’s injury history. Dame actually had a good game by his 23/24 standards but it didn’t feel like he really added anything positive other than the few exciting moments, but that’s just from my unreliable eye test.

[GHOSTofSIKMA]

If the Celtics lost by 35 to the Warriors and then followed it up the very next game by losing and giving up 123 points to the Lebron-less Lakers.

The exact same people saying everything is fine would be clowning the **** out of the Celtics and telling everyone what frauds they are. Especially if it happened at this point in the season - just a tad over a month before the playoffs.

These last 2 games were a gut punch. Not because I am being reactionary over two really bad losses to 2 mediocre teams.

It's a gut punch because the Bucks reverted back to the team they have been all season, sans the 2 weeks after the all star break.

If you have been following this team for the past 5 months and you seriously believe they have any real shot at making it to the NBA Finals, you are living in a fantasy world.

I admit, the Bucks had me fooled for a minute there, but I am not falling for it again.

I've taken a lot of **** for being the most consistent guy on the board for the outlook on this team from day 1 but you nailed it with this post.

Nobody fears the deer and nobody has feared the deer. We are not scary. We are the hunted version of deer

I'm keeping my fingers crossed a miracle happens but the the character of the team and the mojo is just ick

Honestly i just wish we had a fun team to watch. The last couple gave me some hope but then I remember we won because everybody was tricked out about Bobby Bobby we were wrong about bobby.... and that kind of calmed me down how silly that was...and made me realize that no question the talent we have that good games can happen...were a 50 win team.... but championships are a whole another story. that remains just a silly notion. there is literally nothing whatsoever no sign no nothing pointing to a championship

[smauss]

Personally, I would have run the last shot thru Giannis so if Dame doesn't screen free, Giannis can take the shot or draw a foul. But that's just me............

[fan230]

The last play I just don’t understand down only one how you don’t give the ball to Giannis he was playing great.

There has been a lot of writeup about putting the ball in Dame’s hands every time especially in the context of bringing the ball up and also at end of game situations.

I would have liked Giannis to get the ball at the end yesterday. Oh well…

[trwi7]

I would have given the ball to a fan in the front row to end the game yesterday. Tell the Lakers good luck defending that.

[Baddy Chuck]

I would have given the ball to a fan in the front row to end the game yesterday. Tell the Lakers good luck defending that.

Technically that is where it ended up.

[Plossum]

Jesus Christ, 80% of the posters on this board have the emotional stability of a 5-year old and only see this team through the lens of extreme recency bias.

I mean, when have we been good recently though? We’ve had some good wins vs Clips and Wolves but we’ve been the same up and down Jekyll and Hyde team all year. Hardly a team you can see putting it together for four playoff rounds.

Is this a serious question? Before the road trip we literally won 5-straight out of the ASB, and in the last several weeks beat the Clippers, Wolves, and Nuggets. You know, like, 3 of the best 4-teams in the West….

In the six game streak we beat the Hornets twice, sub 500 bulls, 76ers without Embiid. Wolves and Clips wins were great wins but then we then lay an egg against the warriors and lose to a Lebron-less lakers.

After we beat Denver we got smacked at home to a Heat team without Jimmy then played our worst game of the year in the Grizzlies loss.

This is my whole point, it’s 1 step forward 1 step back with this team. There’s no consistency that suggests we can sustain a deep playoff run.

It’s not worth much beating the good teams if you constantly follow it up with the rubbish we’ve seen.

I just don’t see it with this team. I hope I’m wrong.

[Daver]

I know this has been a pretty much the blame dame we lost thread but you know and i know most of you will say they dont need him to score garbage.But fu.. christ how bout we get something anything on O from our 30 plus minute anight SF.I mean wtf jae yoi score anything on that side of the ball the bucks win.Its like 4 on 5 would rather see DG start there then give 30 mins a night to that clown

[-Jragon-]

I know this has been a pretty much the blame dame we lost thread but you know and i know most of you will say they dont need him to score garbage.But fu.. christ how bout we get something anything on O from our 30 plus minute anight SF.I mean wtf jae yoi score anything on that side of the ball the bucks win.Its like 4 on 5 would rather see DG start there then give 30 mins a night to that clown

Yep, Daver is right. AJJ isn't getting burn either.. now, on this trip, would have been a good time to work him in as these guys are missing or not covering anyways.

Dame made some amazing plays last night.. we'd have creamed ourselves if TJ Ford or Brandon Jennings were 25% as good. We haven't had a guard this dynamic, even as his current age, since the man aka Jesus Shuttlesworth. That being said, we still have a ways to go here to find our consistency.

[RiotPunch]

You just cannot roll with Brook closing if there is a guard on the other team white hot.

Conceding midrange floaters is fine until crunch time. Brook just cannot be out there to close games. It is a layup if the guard is feeling it, as DLo most definitely was. We all knew it was coming. Bud was guilty of this as well.