Star gamers issuing on one facet, on the opposite.
Vital vets being counted on to hit the ground operating on one facet, MVPs being unreliable on the opposite.
A coach being fined for criticizing refs after they missed game-turning calls in Milwaukee, a participant placing his palms on a media member within the locker room in Philadelphia.
It’s actually troublesome to be out of the play-in match combine within the Japanese Convention, however the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers are making it look very easy within the opening month of the NBA season.
Each groups had been anticipated to problem the Boston Celtics, however as a substitute of dominating an underwhelming convention, they’re citing the rear — with a mixed 7-20 report.
The Bucks escaped Monday by the pores and skin of their chinny-chin-chin when Houston’s Alperen Şengün could not catch a cross cleanly after Giannis Antetokounmpo left him extensive open beneath the rim, and time ran out to present the Bucks a win they felt good about solely as a result of they had been so determined.
Sengun would possibly’ve been spooked as a result of Antetokounmpo blocked his high-arching floater on the earlier possession, which led to Damian Lillard splitting the protection for an acrobatic layup that gave the Bucks the lead with 3.9 seconds left.
That was alleged to be the components for Bucks wins this season — and final season, if we’re being trustworthy. Antetokounmpo making these game-saving, do-it-all performs and Lillard utilizing his veteran know-how and big-game expertise to push the Bucks excessive when it counts.
It hasn’t been the case this yr, a minimum of not but. Lillard missed time with a concussion and Monday was his return, whereas Khris Middleton remains to be recovering from double ankle surgical procedure. The Bucks can solely want for the kind of points that led to them firing Adrian Griffin after a 30-13 mark, as a result of a minimum of the firing was tied to loads of the processes and never essentially a gaudy report.
They haven’t gotten outdated in a single day, however the margins get slimmer and slimmer while you go searching. Brook Lopez, who appears to have had 4 completely different careers at this level, is 36. Lillard is 34, Taurean Prince is 30, Antetokounmpo shall be 30 in a pair weeks and Bobby Portis shall be 30 earlier than the All-Star break. Middleton, whom the Bucks are actually relying on right here, is 33 with a bunch of surgical procedures on his jacket.
Youth is being served to this point. Orlando, Cleveland and even Detroit are within the high six, largely resulting from having the horses that may make Milwaukee uncomfortable. Lillard is being hunted within the pick-and-roll on protection, and it’s not like age is catching him on the opposite finish. He’s performing higher than final season, when he couldn’t get into nice form due to his pending commerce out of Portland — and he’s at all times struggled defensively, significantly these days resulting from his dimension and age.
The Bucks don’t have the athletes to maintain up, and relying on Antetokounmpo to scrub up all of the messes defensively will solely go away him weary of thoughts and physique earlier than too lengthy. Dropping eight of 9 after a season-opening win towards Philadelphia was one thing he hadn’t skilled since his third season, when the Bucks had a 3-10 stretch to shut out the 2015-16 season. That was a yr the Bucks thought their future was within the palms of Jabari Parker, not Antetokounmpo.
Strive telling Doc Rivers he would obtain some obligatory get-back Monday towards Houston after when Antetokounmpo was known as for a foul on LaMelo Ball within the waning seconds of a loss, sending Ball to the road for decisive free throws when it was clear Ball tripped over his personal ft. You’d in all probability should duck as a result of a shoe or flying object can be headed in your path in case you dared present Rivers a replay of Antetokounmpo’s foot being out of bounds following his block on Sengun.
It’s as a result of regardless of the overwhelming narrative that 82 video games doesn’t imply something, each recreation is treasured for the Bucks and shedding extra floor appears like demise by a thousand cuts.
However that’s much better than the mess in Philadelphia, the franchise that authored, licensed and revealed the guide titled, “The Regular Season Means Nada, Just Ask Us.”
Maybe that was what Nick Nurse was discussing within the locker room along with his gamers an hour after Monday’s loss to the Miami Warmth, when normally coaches discuss to the media 10 minutes after the buzzer.
As an alternative, the night time droned on earlier than the doorways to the locker room had been opened due to a group assembly — absolutely an indication bother is behind these partitions. A 19-point, second-quarter lead became a 17-point loss in Miami, dropping Philadelphia’s report to a conference-worst 2-11 — and that was with Joel Embiid and Paul George in uniform towards a Warmth group that is removed from classic.
Their accidents this season imply the struggles aren’t sudden, however New York and Orlando are additionally coping with points for varied causes — the Knicks haven’t found out the right way to work round Karl-Anthony Cities’ defensive weak spots, and the Magic have needed to cope with Paolo Banchero’s sudden harm, however they’re adjusting whereas staying above water, profitable sufficient to forestall panic.
That’s not the case in Philadelphia.
“I mean, we can only ever find out until we play another game,” Nurse stated of whether or not the group assembly would have an effect. “We can only ever find out till we get to practice and see what the level of focus and energy is like, and then when we get to a next game. But, yeah, I think they were very attentive and very communicative.”
Jared McCain is a revelation, trying each bit like a draft steal and Rookie of the Yr candidate, however that’s the one excellent news up to now. Tyrese Maxey, who was main the league in minutes per recreation (39.7) earlier than, predictably, injuring his proper hamstring two weeks in the past — was carrying the load with Embiid sidelined since coaching camp and George struggling a hyperextended knee within the preseason.
Their offense has been horrid, and so they can’t generate simple photographs, further possessions or get out on the break. Their field-goal proportion is final, final in effectivity, second to final from the 3-point line, second to final in rebounding and despite the fact that their protection has been surprisingly respectable (seventeenth), the offense has been too anemic to maintain competitiveness.
George is taking pictures 40% in seven video games and Maxey was overtaxed, taking 23.6 photographs per recreation at simply 40.6%.
Embiid is such a giant piece to every thing Philadelphia does, it’s troublesome to fully write them off, particularly contemplating the 76ers are simply 4 video games out of the sixth spot. Nevertheless it appears arduous for a franchise to alter course midstream when their acknowledged purpose from coaching camp was to slow-walk this complete course of, with a purpose to have Embiid wholesome sufficient to be prepared for an extended playoff run.
At this level, the method they’re using has them gearing up for a run at Cooper Flagg within the lottery. Realistically, although, we received’t have the total image till Embiid begins taking part in frequently — he beforehand acknowledged he wouldn’t play each ends of back-to-back video games — and Maxey comes again.
It appears early sufficient to come back again and make good, but it surely looks like time is operating out for each franchises — and neither might’ve anticipated this two months in the past.
