How good is Milwaukee?

[Who]

I've been wondering for a while now how good Milwaukee is.

I like the top of the top of their roster but I am not sold on the rest of their rotation. I believe that lack of quality depth is the main reason they have done relatively poorly (51 win team) in the regular season this year.

I am a big admirer of Giannis. He has been a phenomenon. I am a big fan of Middleton and Jrue Holiday ... but ... after those three, how good is the rest of their team?


C: Portis, Ibaka
F: Giannis
F: Middleton
G: Grayson Allen, Connaughton
G: Jrue, George Hill


I see Brook Lopez as a big loss for this Milwaukee team. He gave MIL a three player big man rotation of Giannis, Brook and Portis in the playoffs last year that gave them good strength & depth as well as versatility. They now have big bodied big man to matchup against bigger centers. Luckily for MIL, Philly and Embiid look the only troublesome matchup in this area for MIL in the East.

Still, the loss of Brook Lopez as a shot-blocker and physical intimidator at the basket is a big loss for their team D. Milwaukee has not been able to lock down opponents as they have in the past. Once they go past Portis and Giannis as their big man duo, their other big man combinations look vulnerable.

I am not sure how much stock to put into Ibaka. He looks older and older with every passing season and I'm not sure he is even a positive contributor anymore.

Then you look at George Hill at backup PG. He is 35 years old now and he looks it. He no longer can drive. He provides no playmaking. He is still a quality outside shooter. He is a solid but no longer high quality defender. I'm not sure he is much of a bench player anymore. He looks marginal, a marginal contributor, to me.

Then you go to SG where you play Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton. They are probably their strongest players after their Big 3 and Portis. Is that something MIL should feel good about?

I mean, I like those two guys but ... I don't like how much responsibility is being put on their shoulders.


Milwaukee have 1 MVP and two quasi-stars in Jrue and Middleton. They have a solid two way role player big man in Portis and two solid SGs in G.Allen and Connaughton. Plus two old men in George Hill and Ibaka ...and pretty much nothing else on the team behind them if they are faltering.



Should Boston be favoured in a series against Milwaukee? Does Boston's strength 4 through 8 give them enough of an edge over MIL's 4-8 to give BOS the advantage?

MIL as a flawed high level team, how much better are they than the other flawed high ranking Eastern teams like Miami or Philly?

[colincb]

Brook Lopez was a big loss for the team.

They're the team to beat in the East.

[Donoghus]

Is Lopez hurt again?

What am I missing here?

[nebist]

Milwaukee is legit and probably the favorite in the East, which is one of the reasons I like that we secured homecourt advantage against them in round 2 if we can make it past the Nets.

They have it all.
1. Absolute top 5 player in the league and superstar in Giannis.
2. All-NBA level defenders in Jrue and Giannis that can guard a variety of top offensive players.
3. A second scorer in Middleton that can get hot and win a game if Giannis is off.
4. A variety of strong 3 point shooters around Giannis.
5. Good team size with Giannis, Lopez, Portis inside.

To win it all they obviously need Giannis to be a do-everything engine for them as he was last year. If he has a bad series or gets hurt or banged up, they wouldn't be able to overcome that, but that likely goes for any contender and their best player.

[86MaxwellSmart]

All I know is that Brook Lopez was bothered a lot by Kornet the last time we played them.

[Csfan1984]

Still the best team in the East. Think their age and experience had them coasting the regular season and they still tied the C's record. They are the defending champs and have the best two way player in the world. Nets have potential as do C's, while Bucks are proven. That makes Bucks the team to fear out of all the teams in the East.

[mef730]

I'm really hoping that Milwaukee gets knocked out (preferably by us or Chicago) because if they win the title, it's only going to exacerbate the end of the year machinations of the teams tanking or playing hard to get their preferred matchup. I know that this year is highly unusual because of Brooklyn, but I just don't like the precedent.

Mike

[jpotter33]

I think they’re slightly overrated, especially on here, and it’s a coin toss series between Boston and Milwaukee, especially with us having HCA.

We’ve traditionally played Milwaukee well, and we also matchup very well with them.

I’d take us in 7 against them in the second round if Timelord comes back healthy, and assuming Milwaukee is healthy, too.

[Vermont Green]

I am confused.  Lopez came back on 14 Mar 2022 and has played 12 games, starting 11, averaging about 23 min per game.  In April (5 games) he averaged 18.5 pts, even managing 43.8% from 3.  Unless there is something new, I believe he is very much in their rotation as a starter.

With that said, yes, MIL is going to be a tough out for anyone but so isn't PHI, MIA, BKN, and of course Boston.  Matching top 3, Giannis-Tatum, Middleton-Brown, Holiday-Smart, we probably only win one of those match up.  Our depth is a little better but not really a whole lot better.  Horford and Lopez are probably a wash and from there, they have Portis and Hill who are both pretty good bench veterans.  MIL is a really good team right now.

We probably match up the worst against teams with size but I really have no idea which of the teams we are likely going to need to beat (BKN. MIL, MIA/PHI) are going to be the toughest for us to beat.  It may be in descending order meaning BKN toughest, MIL next toughest, MIA/PHI "easiest".

[Moranis]

Milwaukee is the best team in the sport and has been all year.  They are the clear favorites to win the title in my mind.

[Phantom255x]

I hear Milwaukee's a pretty nice city. Gets cold in the winters. Has some stars as well (Rodgers, Giannis, etc.)

 

[Quetzalcoatl]

They should be unstoppable with both Jrue and Giannis demanding double teams and Middleton & Lopez/Matthews being wide open as a result.  If you can single man cover them their offense turns to a sludge and they get frustrated though.  I saw maybe 8 of their games this year and that's my general feeling of them anyway.  They could absolutely beat us but we have the recipe to knock them out

[Donoghus]

I hear Milwaukee's a pretty nice city. Gets cold in the winters. Has some stars as well (Rodgers, Giannis, etc.)

 

It's a fun town.  Area around the arena is nice.  Great lakefront. 

It's a mini-Chicago.

[Who]

My bad. I didn't realize Brook was back. How is playing? Is he playing well?

[bdm860]

I hear Milwaukee's a pretty nice city. Gets cold in the winters. Has some stars as well (Rodgers, Giannis, etc.)

 

It's a fun town.  Area around the arena is nice.  Great lakefront. 

It's a mini-Chicago.

Milwaukee has certainly had its share of visitors.  The French missionaries and explorers were coming here as early as the late 1600's to trade with the Native Americans.