Milwaukee Bucks (Scott Skiles) 6-11
Inactive: Andrew Bogut, Carlos Delfino, Michael Redd
at
Denver Nuggets (George Karl) 10-6
Inactive: Kenyon Martin
Date: 12/01/2010
Time: 8:00 PM (CST)
TV: FS Wisconsin
Enemy: Roundball Mining Company
Point Guard
Brandon Jennings vs. Chauncey Billups
Before playing the actual best point guards in the league last season, Jennings said Billups was actually the best point guard in the league. Then he put 30 on Billups and hasn’t said such nonsense since. No, Billups isn’t the best point guard and actually, the 34-year-old Billups may no longer be better than Jennings. Everyone assumes Jennings is the least reliable shot making point guard in the league (and by everyone, of course I mean me), but Billups is giving Jennings a run for his money. Chauncey has hit just 36.6% of his shots this season and only 34.9% of his threes, both worse numbers than Jennings has produced. And, despite playing in the up-tempo Nuggets offense (third in the league in pace), Billups is averaging just 4.9 assists per game against 2.7 turnovers. Perhaps Billups is no longer the best fit for an offense that seems to thrive with a quick point guard like his backup Ty Lawson. Oddly enough, he may be a better fit for a slower team like the Bucks while Jennings could thrive in a more open court game like the one the Nuggets play. Oh well.
Advantage: Milwaukee Read more…
Recap/Box Score
After intensity lagged considerably against the Clippers and Kings, one could only assume things had to get better against the Nuggets for the Bucks Saturday. Unfortunately, they were coming off a double overtime game Friday night, got to their hotel around four in the morning Milwaukee time and were facing a team with the third best home record in the league. So this one was over before it started.
I mean, you just can’t expect to write the Bucks off so easily and then not have them win. That’s just not how they roll.
Forgive me for sounding like a broken record lately, but once again, the Bucks have another win that can be placed on the pedestal as “their best win of the year”. That’s becoming a recurring theme, no? Beat the Cavs, (still a good win even if they were without Lebron James) best win of the year. A full strength Celtics team drops one to the Bucks: Milwaukee’s best win of the year. The scorching hot Jazz can’t topple the Bucks either? That was the best win of the year. Regardless of which win was your personal favorite or which one should stand out as the signature on what’s becoming a thrill ride of a Bucks season, they all count for one and they’re all sending the same message: these Milwaukee Bucks are for real.
I will say I enjoy the road wins a little more, especially the ones against upper-echelon teams. For so long the Bucks have been automatic losses when heading into opponents territory, even as recently as earlier this season. Now the Bucks have a fighting chance wherever they go. Scott Skiles said earlier this year that he thought it’d take 15 road wins for this team to make it to the playoffs. As he was saying that he was pining for a signature road win too. He wanted to beat a real legit team on their court, probably for the sake of his own guys’ mentality. If they want to win in the playoffs, they’re going to have to beat some playoff teams on the road. As recently as Saturday morning, the Bucks still hadn’t proven to themselves that they could do that.
Well, they finally did it Saturday night. Even sweeter? They did it in their 15th road win. Playoffs … playoffs … playoffs … Read more…
Denver Nuggets (George Karl) 5-2
(Likely) Inactives: Johan Petro
At
Milwaukee Bucks (Scott Skiles) 3-2
(Likely) Inactives: Michael Redd, Joe Alexander and Francisco Elson
Game Time: 7:00
TV: Fox Sports Wisconsin
Match-ups
Point Guard
Brandon Jennings vs. Chauncey Billups
Billups is the ideal result of any combo point guard in the league. He bounced around, people weren’t sure if he was a scorer or a passer, but he figured things out about six years into his career. The idea of Chauncey Billups is probably as intimidating as any match-up for point guards in the league. Billups is the go-to-guy whenever someone is describing a veteran, muscley, big, winning point guard. Upon arriving in Denver last year, Billups changed the culture and held players accountable as defenders and teammates. At 33, Billups is still going strong thanks to a game that relies on strength and smarts rather than speed. Jennings will learn a lot by watching the tape of this one when it’s done.
Advantage: Nuggets Read more…
