Recap/Box Score

I haven’t heard, but can already hear Bucks fans lamenting the Bucks lack of energy in Sunday’s loss to Cleveland.  After all, isn’t that typically what gets the blame when a team gets smoked?  Effort and energy get cited in big losses more than alcohol in DUI’s.  But I can’t help but think it’s even more simple a problem than lack of effort in this one.

The Bucks are just a little below average, whereas the Cavs are significantly above.  So that’s pretty much that.  Cleveland is full of keepers and the Bucks are in the beginning stages of figuring out who figures into their future.

Coming into the game the Bucks biggest strength was their three-point shooting.  Well, the Cavs do it even better.  Among the Bucks biggest weaknesses was allowing significantly more free throws than they shoot.  Well, the Cavs shoot roughly as many free throws as they allow.  So how did those things play out in the game?

Bucks: 4-20 on three’s and 12-16 from the line.

Cavs: 6-10 on three’s and 25-27 from the line.

So much for the Bucks making up the points they allow on free throw’s through their three-point shooting.  Against some teams, they’ll get by with that mentality.  Not everyone defends the three-point line very well.  But the Cavs do.  And so do other good teams.  On top of that, the Cavs now have more capable offensive players than ever and still get in your face on defense.  They’re pretty good.  Against them, it’s not going to matter if the Bucks are going balls out from start to finish, because they are more talented virtually across the board than the Bucks.

The Bucks came out with a furious punch to the proverbial face of the Cavs in this one too.  An 11-0 start had no one questioning the Bucks effort in the first three minutes.  Funny how those things work out, isn’t it?  But in the end the Bucks lose by 15 so it looks like they were lifeless.  I didn’t see that though.  I just saw one team that looked like a contender for the NBA title and another that looked like most of their guys won’t be around in two or three years.  Effort shmeffort, this one was about talent. Read more…