Bad players are bad. Inconsistent players are inconsistent. There’s a big difference.
Nights like Friday night illustrate that difference.
Chris Douglas-Roberts is by no means a bad player, neither is John Salmons. But for differing reasons, neither has been able to put together much consistent basketball this season. Sometimes, they look bad and sometimes, they look good. Sometimes they look good separately, sometimes they both look good, sometimes they both look bad. It’s a crap shoot, it’s the Milwaukee Bucks.
Fortunately, with the best team in the NBA in town Friday night, they both spent large portions of the game looking good. And again showed what Milwaukee’s offense is capable of when it’s firing on all, or most, cylinders. Read more…
Arroyo struggled mightily when these teams met earlier this week, hitting just one of seven shots. That probably will have no bearing on how he’ll preform this evening, but hopefully it doesn’t mean the law of averages catches up with him and allows him to make six of seven shots tonight. Really though, Arroyo has been a lights out shooter this year, thriving while getting one open shot after the next when he shares the court with “them.” Dooling’s 3-point shooting has taken quite a hit since he’s been starting for the injured Brandon Jennings: just seven of 30 in eight games. Milwaukee could use a couple from him tonight.
It took a while, but eventually, the Miami Heat were the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks were the Milwaukee Bucks. That much was reflected in the shooting percentages, and the final score, and the fast break points and the final stats at the rim.
It was a bizarre twist on how the game ended up looking like most thought it would though.
Milwaukee led 68-67 with 1:21 remaining in the third quarter when Coach Scott Skiles stepped on to the court, apparently to argue a shot clock violation he thought existed but was not called. Carlos Arroyo happened to be moving to the same spot Skiles was standing and the two collided. A technical foul was called and instead of the Heat missing a shot and the Bucks rebounding with a one-point lead, the Heat suddenly made a free throw, reloaded and made a three.
The Heat led 71-68 and wouldn’t trail again, going on a 32-13 run before the score evened out a bit in garbage time.
Skiles gaffe obviously isn’t solely to blame for the Heat winning or going on a monster run — they are the Miami Heat after all — but it did illustrate how a team must be virtually perfect against such a talented squad if they hope to stay in the game for four quarters. The smallest of errors can ignite such a powerful team.
Prior to the 3-point shot James Jones made in the corner after that technical foul, the Heat hadn’t made one all game. After that three, they made three more. Even the best teams sometimes just need to see a ball go through the hoop before the flood gates open. And when those gates open for a team like the Heat, they are virtually impossible to close. Read more…
Role players playing well and good guard play. Monday night, in an 88-78 win for the visiting team, the Heat had it and the Bucks didn’t.
Obviously the Heat can count on Lebron James and Dwyane Wade. They certainly got things started with a bang, alternating high flying dunks and tap ins early in the game, but it wasn’t just the two of them dunking all game. While the two of them were typically impressive, the play of lesser known Carlos Arroyo was key in holding off the Bucks. As a good role player should do, Arroyo played to his strengths Monday. He moved the ball, he found open spaces and he didn’t hesitate to shoot when he had an open look. The Heat guard made all six of his shot attempts, two of which came from 3-point territory, and all of his four free throws en route to 18 points.
His play meant Miami saw most of their guards playing well and one of their important role players thriving in his role.
Milwaukee is still waiting on those two things. Once again, the Bucks looked hesitant and unsure of themselves. For a team that doesn’t shoot the 3-point shot very well, Milwaukee needs the players who are capable of hitting it to be aggressive and confident. Their role players whose role is to hit 3-pointers have to be ready and willing to fire away. But that wasn’t the case once again on Monday.
Time after time Ersan Ilyasova swung the ball away instead of shooting wide open threes. John Salmons would catch on the perimeter with a good look and pump fake defenders that weren’t there and drive to the middle where multiple defenders awaited him. Keyon Dooling always kept the ball moving crisply, but whenever Milwaukee needed him to shoot, he came up empty. Sometimes it’s hard to blame Ilyasova and Salmons them for passing up on open threes though … like when they do actually shoot them. Ilyasova short-armed his two attempts miserably and Salmons managed to air-ball one wide open look. Such are the struggles of a team that shoots 34.6% on the evening.
As has often been the case this season, things didn’t go so well for Ilyasova, Salmons and Dooling, two players who meant a great deal to the successes of last year’s team and a third replacing a player who meant as much. For those wondering how things have spun so far out of control, so fast, checking out the play of these three would be a good start. Read more…
Over his past five games, Jennings is averaging 25 points, 5.4 assists, 4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. Not too shabby a line. Best of all is his 43.7% from the field over that stretch. Over the course of his young career, shooting percentage has often been a thorn in Jennings’ side. One five game stretch doesn’t change that, and he’s still a touch under 40% shooting on the season (39.8%), but perhaps this is a sign that things are beginning to come around for Jennings. He played in four of those five games without Andrew Bogut and in Bogut’s return had one of the finer games of his entire NBA career in scoring 27 points, dishing six assists and grabbing seven rebounds. He even hit Bogut on the pick and roll a few times, something he’s been struggling with. Arroyo is really a point guard in name only at this point, as James handles the majority of the play-making duties for the Heat. He’s been a reliable shooter though, hitting on 13 of his 27 3-point attempts this season.
