A Lot of Points and A lot to Like: Bucks 115 – Hornets 95
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010I’m in the process of finishing John Devaney’s book on a season with the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks, Alcindor And The Big O: A Season’s Diary. It’s a diary about the whole team, but much of it centers on the two most important pieces of that season’s NBA Champion Bucks squad. He discusses how Lew Alcindor (more famously known as Kareem Abdul-Jabar) and Oscar Robertson were able to feed off each other and help lead the Bucks to their title.
At one point, Devaney remarks that he’d once heard someone mention that the two stars formed a symbiosis. A symbiosis is the intimate living together of two dissimilar organisms in a mutually beneficial relationship.
Kind of like Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut?
Now before you put your fist through your keyboard typing out an angry e-mail or comment, I assure your, I’m not comparing either Jennings or Bogut to Robertson or Kareem. Again I’M NOT COMPARING JENNINGS TO ROBERTSON AND BOGUT TO KAREEM. But that doesn’t mean they cannot operate in a similar fashion. The Bucks strategy with Kareem and Oscar was simple: get it to Kareem and if he’s getting doubled let Oscar create until he’s doubled and can kick it out to the shooters. They played off each other and were able to blow away the competition and take each other to the next level.
In a similar fashion, the Bucks try to run everything they do through Bogut first. He’s option 1 and 1A if you will. Teams have gotten wise to this and have been quick to double team him lately. When he’s getting doubled, Jennings frequently is in charge of probing the defense and getting the Bucks another shot, even if it’s frequently his own (errant) shot. Often Jennings will resort to an unsuccessful drive just to open things up for Bogut by drawing his man. Make no mistake, this offense runs through Bogut and Jennings.
And they work well together while running it. The Bogut-Jennings pick and roll has been a season long staple of the Bucks offense and when Jennings is finding Bogut he’s often left with some of his easiest shots. Bogut’s career year has certainly been the result of his own hard work, but don’t downplay Jennings role in it. (more…)
A Look At Scheduling and the Competition
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010Four teams will be battling for three playoff spots in the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
| Teams | Games Left (Home/Away) | Win % of OPNTS March | Win % of OPNTS April | Tiebreakers | Games left against competition | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Bucks | 27 (15/12) | .516 (434-407) | .503 (225-222) | 2-1 (Bulls) 1 to play 2-1 (Charlotte) 1 to play 2-0 (Miami) 2 to play | 4 | 19-14 |
| Miami Heat | 24 (14/10) | .483 (404-432) | .308 (122-273) | 0-2 (Milwaukee) 2 to play 1-1 (Chicago) 2 to play 0-2 (Charlotte) 2 to play | 6 | 18-15 |
| Chicago Bulls | 26 (15/11) | .529 (450-400) | .489 (217-227) | 1-2 (Milwaukee) 1 to play 1-1 (Miami) 2 to play 1-1 (Charlotte) 2 to play | 5 | 18-16 |
| Charlotte Bobcats | 27 (14/13) | .489 (466-487) | .454 (202-243) | 1-2 (Milwaukee) 1 to play 2-0 (Miami) 2 to play 1-1 (Chicago) 2 to play | 5 | 17-18 |
Looking at the remaining schedules, it appears if Miami can keep it together long enough, they have a good chance to make some noise come April. With as soft a schedule as a team could ever ask for in the final month of the season, Miami will have ample room for upward mobility. Of course, they lost to Minnesota last night, so take nothing for granted. Their success largely depends on the health of Dwyane Wade. Wade missed Tuesday’s game in Minnesota, but will likely be back on Saturday for an important game with the Bucks.
Miami also has the most games remaining against the other three teams, with three games each. The Bucks only have four such games left, but hold the series lead against all three teams and the Bucks currently have the best division record too. Those records may factor into whether or not the Bucks get in, so they have some meaning.
If two of the teams tie, the tiebreakers go as such:
1. Head to head records. Whoever has won the series between the two teams gets to keep playing.
2. If they have tied the season series AND are in the same division, then division record takes precedence. This applies to only the Bucks and Bulls.
3. After division it comes down to whichever team has a better record against teams in conference.
For more info about multiple team ties, head over to this playoff tiebreaker explanation.
Game 56 Preview: Bucks vs. Hornets
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010Milwaukee Bucks (Scott Skiles) 27-28
vs.
New Orleans Hornets (Jeff Bower) 30-27
Date: 2/24/2010
Time: 7:00 (CST)
TV: FSN WI (No Magic Bullet tonight)
Matchups
Point Guard
Brandon Jennings vs. Darren Collison
Another rookie from the West who has closed the gap between Jennings and the rest of this rookie class is the Hornets fill-in starting point guard Collison. Collison got lost in the shuffle a little at UCLA with big time prospects like Jrue Holiday and Rusell Westbrook around him, but he’s found his way in the league quite nicely. Chris Paul has gone down with injuries for two extended stretches this year, but give Collison his fair share of the credit for keeping the Hornets on track in Paul’s absence. Collison has scored in double figures just twice off the bench this year, but in the 19 games he’s started for Paul, Collison has hit double digits every time but once while leading the Hornets to a 9-10 record. When you look at what’s been around him in those games that record looks much better. Collison had his first career triple double two games ago against Indiana and earlier this month recorded 18 assists in a game. He turns it over a bit and isn’t much of a three-point shooter, but he’s going to be a handful.
Advantage: Hornets (more…)
