Having had their collective backs up against the wall for most of the second half of the season, the Bucks have nightly been faced with two choices: come out fighting or find a way to move that wall back just a bit further.  Unfortunately for Bucks fans, the second option has often been exercised.  Tuesday night was different though.   A height, experience and scoring deficient Bucks team responded to the circumstances challenges and defeated the Detroit Pistons at home, 92-90.

Without Andrew Bogut, Ersan Ilyasova and Luc Mbah a Moute, Milwaukee was forced to rely on the inexperienced starting combination of Larry Sanders and Jon Brockman. Both played to their strengths in contributing to the win.  Sanders, the prolific shot-blocker, rejected three shots while grabbing eight rebounds (seven defensive).  While Sanders manned the defensive glass and patrolled the paint, Brockman was more active on offense than usual.  The 6-7 power forward grabbed seven offensive rebounds and scored eight points around the hoop, including one soaring dunk that demonstrated some of the athleticism we haven’t often seen from him.

Matching Brockman’s rarely seen hops, was Milwaukee’s rarely seen fight.  While the Pistons and their famously grouchy veterans largely remained nailed to the bench or slow to get up to embrace teammates or life in general, Milwaukee appeared to be a team that still has a little hop in their step, losing season or not.  The difference in veterans was evident.

While Tracy McGrady watched the game with a disinterested smirk on his face and no worries about having to play, Keyon Dooling was, as he always is, the first guy out on the court during timeouts to high-five his teammates and quick to be up off the bench after big shots to celebrate.  For all the talk about whether or not Coach Scott Skiles has lost his guys once again, they certainly didn’t seem like a group that had been lost, especially when contrasted to a group that certainly has.

Maybe that was the difference Tuesday night, maybe it wasn’t.  Maybe Milwaukee just finally made some shots and everyone felt good about it.  It could have been playing without so many key figures once again that kept the group together and gave them some energy.  Whatever the case may be, Milwaukee picked up a win and, at least for one night, appeared to pick up their spirits.

Offensive

It wasn’t hard to tell Milwaukee was missing some of its primary finishers at the rim on Tuesday evening.  The Bucks made just 14 of 36 shots in the paint against the Pistons, good for 28 points.  Meanwhile, Detroit tallied 52 paint points, easily winning that battle.  Milwaukee can be credited for their ability to keep misses alive at the rim though.  One possession in particular stood out.  After an Earl Boykins missed layup in the second quarter, Brockman and Earl Barron combined to go one for four with four offensive rebounds on one possession.  The effort was there, if not the execution.  Only twice this season has Milwaukee scored fewer points in the paint in a victory.

• Brandon Jennings’s biggest play of the night came on the defensive end, but he also led the team with 21 points on eight of 19 shooting.  The young guard mentioned after the game that if he was going to publicly ask for the ball, he’d have to deliver, and while the jury is still out on whether or not 21 points on 19 shots is delivering, he did more good than bad in a win.  That’s all the Bucks can ask for at this point.

• Inconsistent three-point shooting has been a problem for Milwaukee, but inconsistency means there will be some better effort.  Tuesday was a better effort from deep for Milwaukee.  The Bucks made nine of 23 three-pointers, while Detroit connected on just four of 16.

Defensive

Maybe if Will Bynum had pump-faked from the corner with 16 seconds left, we wouldn’t be talking about a Bucks victory.  But Bynum loaded up from deep on an offensive rebound and tried to give the Pistons a lead, without hesitation.  Jennings ran him down, leaped and rejected his shot into the stands.  Given the speed Jennings was going on, there’s little doubt he would have flown by on a pump-fake, but that never appeared to be an option for Bynum.  The Pistons would miss again and Jennings would seal the the game at the free throw line.

• Bogut’s absence meant there would be rebounds to be had.  Brockman and Sanders each grabbed eight and Carlos Delfino chipped in with 10 of his own.  Newcomer Barron made the most of his minutes as a rebounder, grabbing nine rebounds (five offensive) in 16 minutes off the bench.

Final Thoughts

A loss to the Pistons in early February seemed to signal the end of any serious playoff hopes the Bucks would have this season.  This win, while satisfying as any other win, does little to change things in regard to the playoffs.  It’s fun to see the Bucks win again, but the most substantial impact this game honestly has, is that it separates Milwaukee from Detroit with regard to the lottery picture.  That’s the honest truth.  Maybe it doesn’t matter all that much if a team is drafting 7, 8, 9 or 10, but chances got a little better, wherever the Bucks are drafting, it will be after the Pistons.

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(Probable) Inactives: Michael Redd, Joe Alexander and Francisco Elson

at

Detroit Pistons (Jon Kuester) 6-12

(Probable) Inactives: Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton

Date: 12/4/09

Time: 7:00 (CST)

TV: FS Wisconsin

Match-ups

Point Guard

Brandon Jennings vs. Chucky Atkins (!?)

These are like the grandfathers to the 2000 Pistons.  Chucky Atkins?  Ben Wallace?  Atkins has been bumped into the lineup over the last couple games as a way to get Rodney Stuckey some time at the two, apparently as a method of sustaining his energy.  Atkins is more a pure point guard than Stuckey or backup Will Bynum.  He’s mainly in that crappy starter who gives you less than 20 minutes of non-terrible defense role.  The Royal Ivey Memorial Starter if you will.  At any rate, Jennings may be able to get some good looks early if he chooses.  Jennings typically looks to get Bogut involved early in games though, so that may not really pay off.  By the time BJ usually starts to look to get off, Atkins will be on the bench.  Atkins isn’t any kind of threat on offense though, so at least BJ won’t get burned while he’s in.

Advantage: Bucks

Shooting Guard

Charlie Bell vs. Rodney Stuckey

Stuckey had a wonderful debut at shooting guard against the Hawks on Sunday, but not so much against the Bulls Wednesday.  From 10-23 to 4-16.  Handing the keys over to Stuckey hasn’t gone so smoothly this year.  Despite nearly six more minutes a game, Stuckey’s assists have fallen from 4.7 to 4.1 a night.  His shooting percentage has dropped under 40, which is notable for a guy who doesn’t shoot three’s.  Stuckey’s game is one built on power and getting in the paint, but this year he’s hitting just 34 percent of his shots within 10 feet, down from 56 percent last year.  Sounds like Brandon Jennings, only without the vision or three-point shooting.

Advantage: Pistons

Small Forward

Carlos Delfino vs. Jonas Jerebko

International flair in all it’s glory at the small forward position.  Jerebko is supposedly so valuable that even when the Pistons starters return he won’t be glued to the end of the bench according to Pistons coach Jon Kuester.  I guess I have a lot to learn about Jerebko, because his numbers say he absolutely should be on the bench, the far end of it.  Some players play better than their numbers though, Charlie Bell has been known for one, so I won’t rule out Jerebko not sucking, but his 8.9 PER and 54 percent free throw shooting suggest otherwise.

Advantage: Bucks

Power Forward

Ersan Ilyasova vs. Charlie Villanueva

Via Chuck V’s Facebook:

The antibiotics are kicking in, its helping me clear the congestion in my nasal paths. Its kinda nasty but its mainly clogged up with dry blood. I’m glad the surgery went well. Its a matter of healing now & getting use to the mask. Part of it is mental I think too.

You’re right Charlie, that is nasty.  A broken nose will have Charlie V. busting out a mask for the first time Friday night.  I don’t have much data to back this up, but I’d imagine first mask games aren’t easy.  It must take a least a game or two to get used to those awful things.  Ersan started erupting as soon as he was able to shake his.  I liked this one for the Bucks before I knew Chuck was going to be rocking the mask and I like it even more now.  Ersan’s relentless hustle, annoying defense and off-ball movement should give the antibiotic’d out Villanueva all kinds of issues Friday.  Ersan could have a huge night on the offensive glass.  Oh, and remember when Chuck turned into a money three-point shooter over his last few months in Milwaukee?  Well he’s back down to 32.8 percent and is shooting more than ever.  The Bucks dodged a bullet.

Advantage: Bucks

Center

Andrew Bogut vs. Ben Wallace

I’m having early season flashbacks.  Bogut opens the year with a poor performance against Sam Dalembert and then faces the born again Ben Wallace on the second night of the Bucks season.  The results were not pretty, six points and eight rebounds on 2-7 shooting.  Wallace, while not very big, is strong as hell and a smart defender to boot.  The surprising athleticism and quickness he has for a man of his advanced age serves him well against Bogut.  He knows how to play every center in the league and can still have success against a lot of them.  Look for Wallace to attack Bogut’s left hand and try to get him out of his comfort zones on offense.  I’d love to see Bogut respond to a poor game last game with a good game here.  Exercising his Ben Wallace demons would be a positive step towards further establishing himself as one of the better centers in the league.  At the absolute least, Bogut will need to work his hardest to keep Wallace off the offensive glass, he’s the league’s leader in offensive rebound percentage.

Advantage: Bucks

Bench

Luke Ridnour, Hakim Warrick, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Kurt Thomas and Jodie Meeks

vs.

Ben Gordon, Will Bynum, Jason Maxiell and Kwame Brown

Gordon is the one who may decide how this game turns out.  If he gets hot, all bets are off.  And he can get hot.  Fortunately he’s a little nicked up and struggled in his last game against Chicago.  Bynum is probably the best point guard the Pistons have, even if he can be a little greedy at times.  He’s built like Maurice Jones-Drew and is getting four attempts AT THE RIM a game.  That’s incredible for someone his size.  He could give Jennings problems in the fourth quarter.  Maxiell is no longer on the table, he’s fallen off of it and Brown still sucks.  The rare bench that can match the scoring prowess of Ridnour and Warrick, though Mbah a Moute’s return should help limit the Pistons effectiveness.  If he returns that is.

Advantage: Bucks

Prediction: Bucks 96 – Pistons 88

It’s rare the Bucks have played a team with more important injuries than their own this year, but that’s the opportunity the Pistons are offering Friday night.  With no Rip Hamilton or Tayshaun Prince, the Pistons have been unable to establish the defensive mindset that they’ve long used to win games.  You’d think that would allow new players like Gordon and Villanueva to establish themselves and turn the Pistons into a more potent offensive squad, right?  Well the Pistons rank 21st in defensive rating and 21st in offensive rating.  So they aren’t getting a lot of stops and they aren’t getting much offensive either.  They’re just not a very good team.  Coming into the season I’m sure a lot of people thought one of these teams would be  in last and one might be in second, but I’m thinking no one would have been able to play the match game and win.

The Pistons don’t have the big talented shooting guard that has been hurting the Bucks lately.  If Bell is able to contain Gordon throughout this one, the Bucks should be able to limit what the Pistons do on offense and come out ahead.  But limiting Ben Gordon is easier said than done.

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