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Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks are in a sneaky-strange position after relinquishing their place as defending NBA champions.
They still have a core in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday that figures to keep Milwaukee in contention for several years. There's no major drama surrounding the team and no marquee free agent hitting the scene this summer. The Bucks have more stability than most of the recent ousted champions. In fact, I'd argue that you'd have to go back to the Kobe Bryant-era Los Angeles Lakers, Big Three Boston Celtics or early-dynasty San Antonio Spurs to find teams who gave up the title but still had promising outlooks.&nbsp;
Yet, the Bucks also seemed like they were playing from behind in most of the second round despite leading the series against the Boston Celtics multiple times. Their half-court offense was horrendous; Milwaukee averaged a putrid 81.9 points per 100 possessions on half-court plays, per Cleaning the Glass. Their defense was solid but solvable, as shown by the Grant Williams Game 7 extravaganza and Al Horford's explosion in Game 4.
How much failure can be atrributed to the loss of Middleton? How much can the Bucks stand pat as other Eastern Conference powers continue to make moves? How much will they weigh postseason failure against regular-season success and injuries?
These are the questions leadership will ask itself as Milwaukee approaches a murky offseason.
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The Bucks have their star trio locked down for the next two years (though Middleton holds a player option in 2023-24). However, they will have several smaller free agents to manage. Bobby Portis holds a $4.5 million player option, per Spotrac, and should command over twice that amount if he decides to hit the open market. Pat Connaughton ($5.3 million) and Thanasis Antetokounmpo ($1.8 million) also hold player options.&nbsp;
Wes Matthews, despite his low scoring numbers, was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wes-matthews-twoway-play-deserves-your-attention" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the most impactful Bucks in their playoff run</a>. His defense on Jayson Tatum in particular made the second round a slog for the Celtics' star, helping keep Milwaukee in contention. Matthews will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. At 35 years old, and with a limited offensive ceiling, he'll be an interesting player to watch this summer. I'm all for Milwaukee doing what they must to return Matthews, but will his age and injury history make them hesitant? If so, does another team pounce?
Serge Ibaka will also hit unrestricted free agency, and was not much of a factor in Milwaukee this season after being acquired at the 2022 trade deadline. Jevon Carter joins him and Matthews as an unrestricted free agent; his case might be more intriguing after he emerged as a rotation-caliber guard and shot the ball better than he ever has in his short career. Jordan Nwora and Lindell Wigginton will both be restricted free agents.
This free agency period ultimately forces Milwaukee to evaluate its supporting cast around the three stars. Giannis is the rudder for every decision the franchise makes for at least the next four years. Milwaukee has to reflect on which players best fit his strengths and needs, particularly on offense.
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Unfortunately, they won't have much free agent flexibility. The Bucks only have the $6.3 million taxpayer mid-level exception to go out and sign a complementary piece. They also hold a $1.5 million trade exception that has almost no functional value. So if they want to chase a player with more stature, they'll have to get creative with trades.
However, unlike many past champions, Milwaukee does still hold its first-round pick outright at No. 24 overall. The NBA Draft could be an easy way for them to add a rotation piece either by selection or with a trade. The franchise forfeited its second-round pick, however, in the fallout from the Bogdan Bogdanovic fiasco of the 2020 offseason.&nbsp;
Our Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babock currently projects the Bucks to select Blake Wesley in his most recent <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Mock Draft.</a>&nbsp;A 6-foot-5 freshman guard from Notre Dame, Wesley brings an enticing mix of length, slashing, scoring potential and defensive upside.
Does a seven-game sample dictate how the Bucks approach this offseason? It feels unfair to the larger roster and the shooters who ultimately went cold in a pivotal Game 7. But Milwaukee's expectations are now to win in these seven-game series, and when the offense looked as bad as it did in Round 2, running it back seems illogical.
It's not a call for Mike Budenholzer's ousting or saying that any particular player is holding the team back. The Bucks instead have to take a long, hard look at what team they want to be and what current players fit into that mold. They're still very much title contenders, but this season was a reminder that contention doesn't get you very far in the NBA.
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The Bucks have a stable foundation, but does a second-round exit force a change with the franchise?

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Milwaukee Bucks?

Fresh off their first title in 50 years, the Milwaukee Bucks entered the season with a few questions.&nbsp;
There were big-picture unknowns surrounding the main cast. What would Giannis Antetokounmpo look like after getting the proverbial monkey off his back? Was it time to stop questioning Mike Budenholzer, who eventually finally found enough schematic answers en route to a title?
(If the latest episode of <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dunker Spot</a> is any indication, the answer to the Budenholzer question is a resounding "No.")
And then, there was one bubbling underneath the surface: How would the Bucks replace PJ Tucker?
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Tucker was an integral part to the Bucks' title run. He brought value offensively as a screener, and, while his percentages were below his norm, he still made timely shots from the corners. He hummed around the dunker spot and gave Milwaukee extra possessions on the glass &mdash; ask the Atlanta Hawks how the "Hide Trae Young on Tucker" strategy worked for them.
More importantly, Tucker brought the goods defensively. His value was two-fold. Even at his age, he was able to slither over screens, slide with stars in space and hold his own when bigger players attempted to post him up. The star assignments were almost exclusively his to take. And because he took on those assignments, guys like Giannis and Middleton didn't have to.
Tucker wasn't and isn't as important as those two, but his departure to the Miami Heat &mdash; what a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pj-tucker-the-ultimate-roll-player-miami-heat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">season he's had</a> &mdash; left a bit of a void.
The Bucks added Semi Ojeleye over the summer in hopes he could provide similar impact. Maybe Thanasis Antetokounmpo, as the endless ball of energy he is, could be enough of an irritant in spurts.
Neither thing happened.
They eventually went back to the veteran well on Dec. 3, signing the well-traveled Wes Matthews to a deal. The thinking was clear: We need a guy who can defend tough matchups and hit enough shots on the other end to keep teams honest.
Fast forward to the postseason, and Matthews has done just that.&nbsp;
He's knocked down 44.1% of his threes on nearly 4 attempts this postseason. He's been a help-off-him point for defenses much like Tucker, but the two differ in their shot profiles. Over 80% of Tucker's threes came from the corners last postseason; only 41.2% of Matthews' triples have come in those pockets.
You can still stash him in the strong-side corner and dare teams to help off of him there. You can still space him in the weak-side corner, and have another player cut or set a pin-in screen to free him.
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But because Matthews is better at &mdash; and more willing to take &mdash; above-the-break threes, he's a little easier to move around the chessboard. He can also chill above the break, acting as the one-pass-away outlet on Giannis post-ups or isolations.
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Defensively, it's hard not to marvel at the job Matthews has done. This is a 35-year-old, who's suffered a torn Achilles in his career, graciously taking on assignments like DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Despite being at a size disadvantage and athleticism disadvantage, Matthews has been able to hold his own. He's proven to be a high-level screen navigator at his big age, able to fight through picks and reattach to a star's hip to bother him. Even when he's hung up on a screen, he doesn't die. He finishes possessions with rearview contests, or at the very least funnels his man into Milwaukee's forest in the paint.&nbsp;
A drop-coverage scheme doesn't work without someone like Matthews. Asking any big man, no matter how good he is, to deal with elite scorers in space is typically unfair. Matthews is able to make life easier for his bigs, much like their size acts as a buffer in the event that Matthews gets beat.
It's been fun watching Matthews have to problem-solve in the first two rounds. He got the DeRozan match-up in Round 1, which meant dealing with the All-Star's superb footwork and herky-jerky style. Nikola Vucevic is one of the NBA's best screeners, so dealing with them in tandem is tough work.
Matthews had to fight over screens and duck under screens when Chicago went to its Double Drag looks. He had to ICE screens &mdash; attempting to keep the action on the sideline &mdash; while also worrying about DeRozan snaking picks and getting into the mid-range area. He's built the whole boat on mid-range buckets, so slowing him down is a lot easier said than done.
Yet, Matthews did a darn good job. He faced 104 picks while defending DeRozan in pick-and-roll, per Second Spectrum. The Bulls generated 0.66 points per posssession (PPP) on those trips &mdash; well&nbsp;below their regular-season mark (1.04 PPP).
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The expectation has changed a bit during the second round. He's gone from the guile and patience of DeRozan, to the more sudden and explosive natures of Tatum and Brown. It's been mostly Tatum, whose lack of comfort in the mid-range is countered by his willingness to pull from deep, as well as his downhill aggression.
But again, Matthews has mostly held his own. Possessions featuring Matthews defending a Tatum-led ball-screen have only generated 0.77 PPP. This may shock you, but that number is also below Boston's regular-season norms (1.00 PPP).
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Overall, Matthews has defended 195 on-ball picks &mdash; the fifth-highest mark of the postseason. He's one of 21 players to defend at least 100 of them. Of those 21 players, only two &mdash; Marcus Smart (119, 0.72 PPP) and Jae Crowder (115, 0.75 PPP) have allowed fewer points per possession on direct plays than Matthews (0.85 PPP).&nbsp;
Matthews is knocking down open shots from all over the floor. He's taking on star wing assignments so Giannis doesn't have to. He's also holding his own with said assignments.
Naturally, the Bucks are having a good time with Matthews on the floor.
In 259 minutes with Matthews on the floor, the Bucks have <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612749&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Playoffs&amp;PlayerIds=202083" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outscored opponents</a> by 8.4 points per 100 possessions. The defense is 2 points stingier with Matthews on the floor; the offense is almost 4 points better, thanks to pretty big gap in three-point shooting (37.6% with Matthews on, 30.7% with Matthews off).
In summation: Matthews deserves his flowers.&nbsp;
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Nekias Duncan breaks down the two-way impact of Wes Matthews for the Bucks this postseason.

Wes Matthews' two-way play deserves your attention

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Karl-Anthony Towns gave big men everywhere something to shoot for.
Minnesota's 7-footer became the first center to win the 3-Point Shooting Contest, defeating seven guards during the NBA's All-Star Saturday and providing a memorable moment on a night the dunk contest barely got off the ground.
Towns, who has spent his entire career proving doubters wrong about his range, posted a 29 &mdash; the highest total in the competition &mdash; during the final round to defeat Atlanta's Trae Young and Luke Kennard of the Los Angeles Clippers, who tied for second with 26 each.
New York's Obi Toppin won the four-person dunk contest, scoring a 47 out of 50 in the final round by putting the ball between his legs in the air, touching it off the backboard and re-directing it through the rim.
Golden State's Juan Toscano-Anderson was second as the dunk contest, once a marquee event that at times trumped the All-Star Game, fell flat.
A trio of Cleveland Cavaliers, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, won the Skills Challenge.
After his surprising 3-point win, Towns accepted his trophy at mid-court and immediately turned toward Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal sitting courtside in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
&ldquo;I told you Shaq,&rdquo; Towns said. &ldquo;Vegas got the odds wrong.&rdquo;
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Towns was considered, well, a long shot among a field of shot makers that included Young, Kennard, New Orleans' CJ McCollum, Brooklyn&rsquo;s Patty Mills, Toronto&rsquo;s Fred VanVleet, Chicago&rsquo;s Zach LaVine and Memphis&rsquo; Desmond Bane.
&ldquo;I wanted to prove I was the best shooting big man in the world, and now I got the trophy to prove it,&rdquo; Towns said.
There have been other big men crowned 3-point champions, but Kevin Love (2012) and Dirk Nowitzki (2006) are considered power forwards.
&ldquo;I think this is a nice little thing to put on that r&eacute;sum&eacute;,&rdquo; Towns said. &ldquo;Big man hasn&rsquo;t won in 10 years, and, of course, 10 years ago, a decade ago, who won it? The Wolves. It&rsquo;s coming back home where it belongs.&rdquo;
The dunk contest started with some promise and fizzled fast.
Orlando's Cole Anthony caused a stir when he swapped his sneakers for a pair of Timberland boots and then dunked in them with an assist from his father, former NBA guard Greg Anthony.
Toppin said all the participants are great dunkers who wanted to put on a show, and they all were encouraging each other.
&ldquo;When Cole missed those two first ones with the Timbs on, I was like no those Timbs are heavy," Toppin said. &ldquo;I was like, we got to boost his energy up. I was trying to get everybody on their feet.&rdquo;
It worked, momentarily.
But Anthony couldn't complete his second dunk in three tries and he was eliminated along with Houston's Jalen Green, who also struggled while trying to impress a panel of Hall of Fame judges &mdash; Julius Erving, Isiah Thomas, David Robinson, Clyde Drexler and Dominique Wilkins.
The hometown Cavs added another moment to their impressive season by winning the re-formatted Skills Challenge, which pitted teams and not individual players.
Garland, Mobley and Allen teamed up to outperform Team Antetokounmpo &mdash; MVP Giannis and his brothers Thanasis and Alex &mdash; and a rookie trio of Detroit's Cade Cunningham, Toronto's Scottie Barnes and Oklahoma City's Josh Giddey.
Mobley, a leading candidate for rookie of the year honors, sealed the win by making a half-court shot on his first attempt, allowing the Cavs to close the segment of the contest in 5.5 seconds and defeat Team Rooks.
The Cavs started the shooting competition off target as Allen, hardly known for his outside touch, made just two shots in 30 seconds. However, Garland brought Cleveland back &mdash; and brought their crowd to life &mdash; scoring 21 points.
However, the Cavs came out of the relay portion tied with Team Antetokounmpo for second place and needed Garland to win a shoot-off with Thanasis to place Cleveland in the final.
After Cunningham drained his 47-footer in 9.9 seconds, Mobley calmly stepped into his winning shot.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of a kind,&rdquo; Allen said of his 20-year-old teammate. &ldquo;Defense, offense and now half court. The whole league knows Evan by now. If they&rsquo;ve ever driven to the paint, they definitely know him, so the NBA should know him by now.&rdquo;

Karl-Anthony Towns posted a 29 during the final round to defeat Atlanta's Trae Young and Luke Kennard of the Clippers.

Center of attention: Towns wins All-Star 3-Point Contest

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; The latest from All-Star Saturday:
Obi Toppin won the slam dunk contest, earning a 47 on his final dunk when he needed to do little more than put the ball in the basket after Juan Toscano-Anderson couldn't on his previous try.
In a disappointing finish to All-Star Saturday, the four dunkers occasionally left the judging panel of Hall of Famers with expressionless looks on their faces.
Toppin, the New York Knicks forward, beat Golden State's Toscano-Anderson in the final round to win the event after finishing second as a rookie.
Houston rookie Jalen Green and Orlando guard Cole Anthony failed to advance. Anthony couldn't make his second dunk and appeared to hurt his thumb banging it against the rim.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Obi Toppin had some creative dunks to become the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATTSlamDunk?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATTSlamDunk</a> Champion! 🏆 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StateFarmSaturday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StateFarmSaturday</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAAllStar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAAllStar</a> <a href="https://t.co/Mt0DJqgjbc">pic.twitter.com/Mt0DJqgjbc</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1495254668313874433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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___
The big man was the big winner in the 3-point contest.
Minnesota All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns showed off his long-range shooting skills and was a surprising winner of the event, scoring 29 points in his final round.
Towns beat Luke Kennard of the Clippers and Atlanta's Trae Young in the final round.
Towns has long considered himself the best-shooting big man in the game and vowed he was going to back up his boasts with a victory.
"I needed this trophy to prove it," Towns said.
Brooklyn's Patty Mills, Toronto's Fred VanVleet, Chicago's Zach LaVine, Memphis' Desmond Bane, and New Orleans' CJ McCollum failed to advance.
___
The host Cleveland Cavaliers were the first winners of the revamped Skills Challenge.
Rookie Evan Mobley gave his team a victory by nailing a halfcourt shot on his first attempt, allowing the Cavs to close out the final portion of the contest in 5.5 seconds.
All-Stars Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland were the other members of the winning team to kick off All-Star Saturday.
The rookie squad of No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham of Detroit, Scottie Barnes of Toronto and Josh Giddey of Oklahoma City was the runner-up in the contest combining shooting, passing and dribbling.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers Thanasis and Alex finished third.
The Antetokounmpo brothers clearly enjoyed competing together as a team. There were engaged and all smiles from the outset of the challenge. They were asking the referees for a video review of the end of the passing portion of the event.
Still to come is the 3-point shooting and dunk competitions.

New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin won the slam dunk contest on NBA All-Star Saturday night.

NBA All-Star Saturday: Obi Toppin wins dunk contest as others struggle

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; The latest from All-Star Saturday:
The host Cleveland Cavaliers were the first winners of the revamped Skills Challenge.
Rookie Evan Mobley gave his team a victory by nailing a halfcourt shot on his first attempt, allowing the Cavs to close out the final portion of the contest in 5.5 seconds.
All-Stars Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland were the other members of the winning team to kick off All-Star Saturday.
The rookie squad of No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham of Detroit, Scottie Barnes of Toronto and Josh Giddey of Oklahoma City was the runner-up in the contest combining shooting, passing and dribbling.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers Thanasis and Alex finished third.
&nbsp;
The Antetokounmpo brothers clearly enjoyed competing together as a team. There were engaged and all smiles from the outset of the challenge. They were asking the referees for a video review of the end of the passing portion of the event.
Still to come is the 3-point shooting and dunk competitions.

Mobley gave his team a win by nailing a halfcourt shot on his first attempt, allowing the Cavs to close out the final portion of the contest.

Cavaliers trio wins Skills Challenge at All-Star Saturday

The following is a press release from the NBA:
CLEVELAND&nbsp;&ndash; Fifteen international players from 12 countries, including six international All-Stars and a record-tying four international All-Star Game starters, will participate in NBA All-Star 2022 in Cleveland from Friday, Feb. 18 &ndash; Sunday, Feb. 20.&nbsp; NBA All-Star 2022 will reach fans in 215 countries and territories in a record 60 languages on their televisions, computers, mobile phones and tablets.
Below are international highlights of this year&rsquo;s global celebration of basketball:
INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS
<ul>
<li>The 71st NBA All-Star Game, which tips off on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, will feature six international All-Stars and a record-tying four international starters.&nbsp; Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria) and Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets; Serbia) will start for Team LeBron, while Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon) and Andrew Wiggins (Golden State Warriors; Canada) will start for Team Durant.&nbsp; They are joined by Team LeBron reserve Luka Dončić (Dallas Mavericks; Slovenia) and Team Durant reserve Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz; France).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Clorox Rising Stars, which will take place on Friday, Feb. 18 at 9 p.m. ET on TNT, will feature a new format of four seven-player teams competing in a three-game mini-tournament, with each game played to a Final Target Score.&nbsp; The pool of 28 players includes six international players: Precious Achiuwa (Toronto Raptors; Nigeria), Chris Duarte (Indiana Pacers; Dominican Republic), Josh Giddey (Oklahoma City Thunder; Australia), Alperen Şeng&uuml;n (Houston Rockets; Turkey), Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic; Germany) and Dyson Daniels (NBA G League Ignite; Australia).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>With their participation in Clorox Rising Stars, Giddey and Daniels, who were teammates at NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, from 2019-2020, become the first NBA Academy alumni to participate in NBA All-Star.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The Taco Bell&reg; Skills Challenge, which is part of State Farm All-Star Saturday night on Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, will also feature a new format in which three teams of three players will participate in a four-round competition that tests shooting, passing and dribbling ability.&nbsp; One of the teams is composed of three Antetokounmpo brothers: Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria) and Alex Antetokounmpo (NBA G League&rsquo;s Raptors 905; Greece; ties to Nigeria).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Eight players competing at NBA All-Star 2022 are from or have ties to Africa: Achiuwa, the three Antetokounmpo brothers, Desmond Bane (Memphis Grizzlies; ties to Nigeria), Ayo Dosunmu (Chicago Bulls; ties to Nigeria), Embiid and Isaac Okoro (Cleveland Cavaliers; ties to Nigeria).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>New this year, the NBA G League&rsquo;s top young players, including G League Ignite&rsquo;s Daniels and Fanbo Zeng (China), will be on display in the inaugural NBA G League Next Gem Game, which will feature G League Ignite taking on the Cleveland Charge on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. ET on NBA TV, NBA TV International, and in China on Tencent and MIGU.</li>
</ul>
GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION
<ul>
<li>A total of 72 international broadcast partners will televise NBA All-Star 2022.&nbsp; Six international television and radio networks &ndash; from France, Greece, Latin America, Mongolia, Poland and Spain &ndash; will conduct live onsite commentary from Cleveland, and three television networks &ndash; from India, Netherlands and Norway &ndash; will broadcast NBA All-Star remotely for the first time.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Fans outside North America will also be able to watch Clorox Rising Stars, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night and the NBA All-Star Game live and on-demand through NBA League Pass via <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=zoU9Gcb3YESIAP7onvjQYw&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">watch.NBA.com</a> and <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=BGLjtJbUSEKZ3TxszIgasA&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the NBA App</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Fans around the world will be able to vote for the MVPs of the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, Clorox Rising Stars and the NBA All-Star Game via NBA.com, the NBA App and Twitter.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>On Sunday, Feb. 20 from 11 a.m. &ndash; 2 p.m. ET, fans around the world can watch a livestream of All-Star Game players and coaches conducting media availabilities at <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=3HYWzdXImUWzU3gUE-9O-g&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mediaavail.nba.com</a>.</li>
</ul>
CELEBRITIES &amp; INFLUENCERS
<ul>
<li>The Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, which tips off on Friday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, will feature Puerto Rican rapper and singer Anuel AA; Indian American singer/songwriter Anjali Ranadiv&eacute;; Bollywood superstar Ranveer Singh; 2020 Olympic high jump gold medalist Gianmarco Tamberi from Italy; and Cleveland Cavaliers Legend and Brazil native Anderson Varej&atilde;o.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Singh, who in September was named the NBA Brand Ambassador for India, will be one of more than two dozen influencers attending NBA All-Star 2022, where he will post behind-the-scenes social media content and have the opportunity to meet NBA players and legends.&nbsp; Singh will also become the second Bollywood star to play in the Celebrity Game.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Singh headlines a group of international influencers from Argentina, France, India, Japan, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Senegal, South Africa, Spain and the UK who will experience NBA All-Star 2022 in person, receiving exclusive access to the weekend&rsquo;s events and creating All-Star-themed content for fans in their home markets.</li>
</ul>
ALL-STAR CELEBRATIONS ABROAD
In addition to the events in Cleveland, fans around the world will be able to share in the excitement of NBA All-Star 2022 through a variety of international activations and programming:
<ul>
<li>In Canada, the &ldquo;NBA 75th Shop,&rdquo; a digital retail experience that pays tribute to the players and moments that have shaped the growth of basketball across the country, features a <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=2icFrxLx0UmWFb58V9B7Vw&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">figurine depicting eight-time All-Star and Raptors Legend Vince Carter</a> at the 2000 Slam Dunk contest and an &ldquo;<a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=Ss8TfIZrIUqK4tlSdhYWOQ&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A">ice block</a>&rdquo; commemorating the 2016 Slam Dunk contest in Toronto, the first NBA All-Star held outside the U.S.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>On Feb. 18, Mexican artist Alee Baes is launching exclusive All-Star-themed merchandise and giving away 16 special-edition Wilson basketballs in collaboration with the NBA at the league&rsquo;s official retail location in Mexico, NBA Tienda in Polanco.&nbsp; The collection will also be available at <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=ibGQ_qNzG0KhKkx1nZQUsA&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nbatienda.com</a>, the league&rsquo;s official online destination in the country.&nbsp; In addition, Cavaliers Legend Anderson Varej&atilde;o is filming a number of content pieces while on site in Cleveland that will be shared on the NBA&rsquo;s social media platforms in his native Brazil.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>From Feb. 7-21, Cosmote Sport, the league&rsquo;s broadcast partner in Greece, is running a 24/7 NBA pop-up channel featuring live NBA All-Star events, original programming, classic games, highlights and more.&nbsp; Eleven Sport and beIN SPORTS, the league&rsquo;s broadcast partners in Belgium and France, respectively, are hosting competitions in which winners will attend All-Star 2022.&nbsp; In addition, the NBA Fan Clubs in Greece and Spain are organizing NBA All-Star sweepstakes and quizzes featuring merchandise giveaways and special prizes.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The league&rsquo;s social media platforms in Australia, Japan and the Philippines will produce All-Star-themed programming to promote the weekend&rsquo;s events.&nbsp; The Dime, a recap show on the NBA&rsquo;s Facebook page in Australia, will feature Australian Rising Stars participants Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels.&nbsp; NBA Zoom-In, a show on the NBA&rsquo;s TikTok channel in Japan hosted by Japanese influencer Rikuto, will preview and recap highlights from the weekend.&nbsp; Republika Huddle, the league&rsquo;s social media talk show in the Philippines, will revisit previous editions of NBA All-Star and provide predictions for this year&rsquo;s marquee events.</li>
</ul>

Fifteen international players, including six All-Stars and a record-tying four All-Star Game starters, will represent in Cleveland.

15 international players from 12 countries will be at All-Star Weekend

The NBA announced today a new format and the participants for the 2022 Taco Bell Skills Challenge, a team competition that will feature two-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, fellow 2022 NBA All-Star Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers and four participants in the 2022 Clorox Rising Stars.&nbsp;
The Taco Bell Skills Challenge will take place on Saturday, Feb. 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland as part of State Farm All-Star Saturday Night, which also includes AT&amp;T Slam Dunk and the MTN DEW 3-Point Contest.&nbsp; All-Star Saturday Night will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the United States at 8 p.m. ET
Under the new format for the Skills Challenge, three teams of three players will participate in a four-round competition that tests shooting, passing and dribbling ability. The teams are as follows:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Antetokounmpos: Giannis will team up with his brothers Thanasis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee and Alex Antetokounmpo of the NBA G League&rsquo;s Raptors 905.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Cavs: Garland will be joined by Cavaliers teammates Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, a rookie who was selected to play in the Clorox Rising Stars.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Rookies: Rising Stars selections Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors, Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons and Josh Giddey of the Oklahoma City Thunder will form a team.</li>
</ul>
Each of the three teams will compete in the first three rounds of the Taco Bell Skills Challenge. The two teams with the most &ldquo;Challenge Points&rdquo; after the first three rounds will advance to the Final Round.&nbsp; Challenge Points are earned by winning each of the first three rounds.
Below is a round-by-round overview of the skills and the awarding of Challenge Points.&nbsp; The complete rules for the Taco Bell Skills Challenge are&nbsp;<a href="https://pr.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2022/02/2022-Taco-Bell-Skills-Challenge-Rules.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pr.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2022/02/2022-Taco-Bell-Skills-Challenge-Rules.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1644457979551000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3ytfE9CvFsEgYS4B8J9dvo">available here</a>.&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Round 1: Team Shooting (three teams) &ndash; All players from each team will participate individually with their two teammates rebounding.&nbsp; Each player has 30 seconds to shoot from five different spots on the court, ranging from 10 feet to 30 feet.&nbsp; Players cannot repeat the same shot consecutively.&nbsp; Shots made from each shooting location will have different values (one point, two points, three points, four points or five points).&nbsp; Individual player scores will be added together to determine the team score.&nbsp; The team with the highest team score will win Round 1 and earn 100 Challenge Points.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Round 2: Team Passing (three teams) &ndash;All players on a team will participate together.&nbsp; Each team will have 30 seconds to complete passes into three oversized moving targets, which vary in size and distance from the players.&nbsp; Each team must make at least one pass attempt at each target, and individual players cannot make consecutive passes at the same target.&nbsp; Completed passes into each target will have different values (two points, four points or six points).&nbsp; The team with the most total points will win Team Passing and earn 100 Challenge Points.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Round 3: Team Relay (three teams) &ndash;All players from each team will participate in a timed relay.&nbsp; Each player must complete the course, which has five skills in the following order: 1.) throw an outlet pass into a moving target from the baseline; 2.) dribble down the court through three moving pylons; 3.) make a short shot in the lane; 4.) make a three-pointer from the corner against an automated defender; and 5.) dribble to the opposite goal and make a basket (such as a dunk, layup or jump shot).&nbsp; The team with the fastest time will win Round 3 and earn 200 Challenge Points.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Final Round: Half-court Shot (two teams) &ndash;The two teams that advance to the Final Round will compete one at a time and all players on each team will participate in trying to make a half-court shot.&nbsp; Team 1 will set the time to beat with a made shot or expiration of the clock (maximum of 1 minute and 30 seconds).&nbsp; The team that makes a half-court shot in the fastest time will win the Taco Bell&reg;&nbsp;Skills Challenge.&nbsp; In the case of a tie, the two teams will repeat the Final Round.</li>
</ul>

The NBA announced a new format for the 2022 Skills Challenge, which will feature three teams facing off against each other.

New-look Skills Challenge features Antetokounmpos vs Rookies vs Cavs

<div class="c-message_attachment__row">The Skills Challenge during NBA All-Star Saturday is reportedly undergoing some changes, with teams of three players competing against each other in the event.</div>
<div class="c-message_attachment__row">&nbsp;</div>
<div class="c-message_attachment__row">According to <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1489646256414769156?s=21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>, this year's Skills Challenge may feature Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Alex Antetokounmpo on the same team. The three brothers are "strongly considering participating together."</div>
<div class="c-message_attachment__row">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Sources: Three Antetokounmpo brothers &ndash; Giannis and Thanasis of the Milwaukee Bucks and Alex of the G League's Raptors 905 &ndash; are strongly considering participating together in the Skills Challenge at NBA All-Star. A revamped competition is expected to have teams of three players.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1489646256414769156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2022</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</div>
<div class="c-message_attachment__row">Giannis and Thanasis are teammates on the Milwaukee Bucks, while Alex is on the Toronto Raptors' G League affiliate (Raptors 905).</div>
<div class="c-message_attachment__row">&nbsp;</div>
<div class="c-message_attachment__row">All of this year's Skills Challenge participants should be officially announced soon. Last year, Indiana Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis won the Skills Challenge during NBA All-Star Weekend in Atlanta.</div>
<div class="c-message_attachment__row">&nbsp;</div>
<div class="c-message_attachment__row">&nbsp;</div>

The new-look Skills Challenge will pit teams of three players against each other, and the Antetokounmpo brothers may compete together.

Antetokounmpo bros may compete together in new-look Skills Challenge

Bobby Portis, an integral piece to the Milwaukee Bucks' resurgent play as of late, will now be sidelined in the NBA's health and safety protocols.
<a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1471609364222029828?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source: Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS: Stepping up into a starting role as Brook Lopez remains sidelined, Bobby Portis is putting together a career-best season. Averaging 15.6 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 40.2% on threes, Portis is once again showcasing how valuable he is to the championship formula in Milwaukee.
Without Lopez due to injury, plus Giannis Antetokounmpo and Portis being in COVID-19 protocols, the Bucks will be struggling mightily with their frontcourt depth. DeMarcus Cousins, Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Sandro Mamukelashvili will now be called upon to log heavy minutes for Milwaukee.

Bucks big man Bobby Portis joins the ever-growing list of NBA players entering health and safety protocols during December.

Bobby Portis enters league health and safety protocols

Nekias Duncan previews the Central Division for the 2021-22 NBA season.

2021-22 NBA Season Preview: Central Division

Milwaukee Bucks F Thanasis Antetokounmpo has agreed to a new two-year deal, sources tell ESPN
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1426163194867896329" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Antetokounmpo appeared in 57 regular season contests in 2020-21, and checked in for 13 playoff games as part of Milwaukee's run to an NBA championship. The forward averaged 2.9 points and 2.2 rebounds per game during the regular season.

Antetokounmpo checked in for 13 playoff games as part of Milwaukee's run to an NBA championship.

Bucks, Thanasis Antetokounmpo agree to new two-year deal

ATHENS, Greece (AP) &mdash; Giannis Antetokounmpo definitely had something to declare on his triumphant return to Greece on Sunday.
The NBA star carried the Larry O&rsquo;Brien Trophy with him at Athens International Airport and said he hopes to win more titles with the Milwaukee Bucks.
&ldquo;We are happy to be back and that we could bring the trophy with us,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said at a news conference at the airport.
The 26-year-old &ldquo;Greek Freak&rdquo; sat next to the gleaming NBA championship trophy, along with his NBA Finals MVP award and his brother, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, 29, who also plays for the Bucks.
&ldquo;We had to go through a long process (to bring the trophy to Greece),&rdquo; Giannis Antetokounmpo said. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t know how many days we will stay, but we will take it with us to the places we grew up, to Sepolia and Zografou.&rdquo;
Sepolia is the Athens neighborhood where the Antetokounmpo brothers grew up. Zografou is the Athens suburb where Giannis began his basketball career at a local club, Filathlitikos.
Antetokounmpo has always returned to Sepolia, where he has maintained ties with the few people who at the time openly welcomed the children of poor African immigrants from Nigeria. Thanasis and Giannis were born in Greece &mdash; in 1992 and 1994, respectively &mdash; as were their younger brothers, Kostas and Alex, but acceptance as Greeks was not always easy.
The Antetokounmpo brothers plan to return to Sepolia during their current trip to show the trophies to local kids who, like many other Greeks young and old, now idolize them. Especially Giannis.
Antetokounmpo said that event will be for the benefit of children, not the media. He and his brother will also play a little basketball at a local open court, though his opponents shouldn&rsquo;t be too worried.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll play as long as my knee can carry me ... not very much,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said, adding that children who want to attend should wear masks.
Asked about his first title, Antetokounmpo said the celebration &ldquo;did not last long. I want to live this again&rdquo; with another title. &ldquo;To continue getting better, stay hungry, stay winning and live such moments with Milwaukee and the Greek national team. This feeling of winning is addictive.&rdquo;
Antetokounmpo added that part of his desire to win is &ldquo;because I&rsquo;m a people pleaser. I want to win for (son) Liam, my mother, my family, my friends, for Greece.
&ldquo;I might win the next title next year, or three years from now. But even if I never win another title in my life, I will still be OK, because that will have been God&rsquo;s plan.&rdquo;
Giannis and Thanasis are not the first Antetokounmpos to win an NBA championship. Younger brother Kostas, 23, did it first with the Los Angeles Lakers last season, although his contribution was limited. Kostas will play next season with French club Villeurbanne.
After a short stay in Greece, Giannis will return to the United States, where his girlfriend, Mariah Riddlesprigger, is expecting their second child later in August.

Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to Greece over the weekend, bringing the Larry O'Brien trophy to his childhood home.

Antetokounmpo continues NBA championship celebration in Greece

Bucks' Thanasis Antetokounmpo has entered health and safety protocols and is listed out for Game 5 of the NBA Finals vs. Suns.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1416510684725088257" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>

According to The Athletic, Thanasis Antetokounmpo has entered the league's health/safety protocols and will miss Game 5.

Bucks' Thanasis Antetokounmpo enters health/safety protocols, out for Game 5

We have a fantastic matchup on our hands, health permitting.
In one corner, the Milwaukee Bucks have finally broken through the glass ceiling. Back-to-back postseason meltdowns led to an epiphany: hey, maybe we should do some things differently.
And so, they did.&nbsp;
A different offensive formation. A departure from their strict drop scheme, opting to sprinkle in more switching as preparation for later rounds. You've seen the fruits of that labor. Their drop suffocated the Miami Heat's offense in round one. Their alterations in drop and willingness to switch were evident against the Brooklyn Nets in round two, and especially against the Atlanta Hawks in the Conference Finals.
The health of Giannis Antetokounmpo looms large, but this is a talented, mentally tough, and diverse (at last!) group ready to bring this thing home.
And then there are the Phoenix Suns, who almost nobody expected to be here.&nbsp;
They barely missed the playoffs last season, partially due to an unfortunate suspension. They went 8-0 in last season's bubble, leading to optimism and ultimately setting the stage for a Chris Paul trade.
Paul raised the floor tremendously with his playmaking, shooting, shot creation, and leadership. Internal improvement from the young studs -- Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges -- raised the ceiling. The vets filled the gaps, with Cameron Payne's resurgence leading the charge.
They took down the defending champs in round one, with injuries on both sides permeating the series. They destroyed the Denver Nuggets in round two, one pick-and-roll at a time. The Los Angeles Clippers threatened late, but ultimately couldn't push the Suns to a seventh game in the Conference Finals.
The Suns have the goods, y'all.
I&rsquo;m not a coach -- I'm just a pun-loving basketball fan with a hankering for film breakdowns. But instead of a traditional series preview, I decided to go into the basketball trenches and devise gameplans for both teams. The tone of this piece will be a little more informal, but it will still be informative (at least I hope).
Let's look at how the Suns will try to stop the Bucks.
Defensive Matchups
Chris Paul --&gt; Jrue Holiday&nbsp;
Mikal Bridges --&gt; Khris Middleton
Devin Booker --&gt; PJ Tucker
Jae Crowder --&gt; Bobby Portis
Deandre Ayton --&gt; Brook Lopez
Aside from swapping the Bridges/Booker assignments for obvious reasons, this should be pretty straightforward. If/when Giannis is back, that duty will fall to Crowder as it did during the regular season meetings -- as well as last postseason when Crowder was a member of the Miami Heat.&nbsp;
There's room for more cross-matching if necessary. Ayton on Portis or Giannis could be an option to keep him near the paint, particularly if the Bucks use Lopez primarily as a spacer.
Bucks' Team Stats (and Milwaukee's stats vs. Phoenix)
<ul>
<li>Offensive Rating: 116.5, 5th (119.0)</li>
<li>Half-Court Offensive Rating: 102.0, 6th (101.6)</li>
<li>True Shooting Percentage: 59.3, 5th (60.2)</li>
<li>Assist Percentage: 56.9, 25th (45.7)</li>
<li>Turnover Rate: 13.4, 13th (10.4)</li>
<li>Pace: 102.85, 2nd (100.04)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Attempts: 21.4, 16th (24.5)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Percentage: 76.0, 23rd (81.6)</li>
<li>Three-Point Attempts: 37.1, 8th (35.5)</li>
<li>Three-Point Percentage: 38.9, 5th (38.0)</li>
<li>Offensive Rebounds: 10.3, 12th (9.5)</li>
</ul>
Bucks' Play Type Breakdown
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2021-06-22-at-12-44-41-pm.png" alt="" width="755" height="325" />
Actions to Watch For
<ul>
<li>Slice</li>
</ul>
This is a favorite of the Bucks to get Giannis a post-up or wing clear-out. They alternate between setting a cross screen on the baseline, and doing so from an angle around the free throw line to get Giannis attacking with some momentum.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/jmfn5a" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
<ul>
<li>Ghost</li>
</ul>
The Bucks dabble with inverted pick-and-rolls -- guards screening for Middleton or Giannis as the pick-and-roll ball handlers. Something to watch for, particularly with Bryn Forbes in the game, is a ghost screen. It'll give off the look of an inverted pick-and-roll, but instead of setting an actual screen, Forbes will pop out.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/5va4f8" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
<ul>
<li>Double Drag</li>
</ul>
Pretty common set throughout the NBA, and one the Bucks will sprinkle in during early offense situations. The setup is simple: one ball-handler, two screeners. One of the screeners will roll to the basket, the other will pop above the break.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/7h3oi9" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
No bucket on this one -- the defense does a great job of recovering -- but you can see what the action looks like.
Base Coverage: Drop
No need to overthink this one. Stick to your guns, and force them to beat you with pull-up jumpers. Ayton is mobile enough to play closer to the level of the screen, so some of the easier mid-range jumpers can be hampered a bit.
The Changeup: Zone Defense
The Bucks were an average bunch (14th, via Synergy) against zone during the regular season. They haven't seen it much in the postseason, but the 0.69 PPP clip is worth raising a brow over, at least. For a team that runs pretty hot and cold from deep, it may be worth mixing it in to further throw off their rhythm in the half-court.
Defending Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis' status may be up in the air right now, but he'll certainly make an appearance in this series. He's arguably the NBA's most feared rim threat, able to finish over, around, and through defenders from a variety of angles.
He's been working on counters all season long. Some of that is quicker decision-making -- the passes on drives are coming a beat earlier than last season, for example. Some of that is adding to the shot repertoire. Post hooks, step-in middies, and turnarounds are all shots he has shown more comfort getting to.
He's been dominant this postseason (28-13-5), and got pretty busy during the regular season series (40-10-4 in two games). Whenever he's back, keeping him away from the rim will be priority number one.
Major Key: Crowd the Paint
The same principles that apply in transition -- taking away the middle, being active with your hands on the drive -- also apply in half-court situations.&nbsp;
Giannis attempting to add half-court counters to his game is fine. Ultimately, his primary method of attack can be devastating enough to render those counters useless.
It's hard to overstate just how strong this dude is. He has no issue doing his work early, putting a guy on his hip and setting up shop on either block. His backdowns create genuine space. Once he gets to the restricted area, you're pretty much dead. He'll nudge you off-balance with fakes or, if they don't work, simply extend his never-ending arms to get a good look.
<div>
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/5oq99t" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>The key to hindering Giannis in the half-court is doing your homework early. Building the "wall" is an easy example, particularly when he's isolating above the break. When he isn't at the center of the court, pinching in early will be necessary to making him work.</div>
<div>
Wing isolations or post-ups should look like this.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2021_07_07_02_45_28_lg.png" alt="" width="577" height="325" />
</div>
Ayton has the Giannis assignment here. Langston Galloway is helping off of Bryn Forbes to provide some elbow help. Jae Crowder is coming baseline to help, while Chris Paul is tasked with splitting between Bobby Portis and DJ Augustin (no longer with the team). Giannis eventually settles for a failed up-and-under.
As far as actual doubles, timeliness will be key. He's no Nikola Jokic, but he's also a step above Joel Embiid as a passer in terms of ability and willingness.
The Bucks generated nearly 1.3 points per possession when Giannis passed out of a post double this season, per Second Spectrum. Show the hand too early, and he'll make the right play.
If you're able to blindside him a bit, wait for him to begin his move or get into his gather, you may be able to fluster him. Take this rep for example.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/loivce" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Peep the timing of when Paul flies over. He waits until Giannis commits to the gather, then flies in for relief. Cam Johnson does a fantastic job of flashing his hands, causing the turnover.
Other Keys
<ul>
<li>Whenever Giannis is starting a post-up or an isolation with a lefty drive, make sure there's someone ready to pinch in to the middle of the floor. The left-to-right spin is his go-to move in close quarters (while the eurostep is more of a transition weapon).</li>
<li>Show-and-recovers should be fine whenever Giannis calls for an inverted ball screen in the middle of the floor. He's gotten better, but still isn't a particularly quick worker when getting the mismatch temporarily. Combine that with some weird spacing from Milwaukee, and that changeup may not be as effective as it looks on paper.</li>
<li>Keep up the free throw line chants. Giannis followed up a woeful Nets performance (48.3% on 8.6 attempts in the series) with a 53.6% clip (on 7.0 attempts) against the hawks</li>
</ul>
Defending the Shooters (Perimeter)
Jrue Holiday: soft close-out
<ul>
<li>Holiday is coming off the best three-point shooting season of his career (39.2% on 4.8 attempts), though he's cooled off considerably in the postseason (29.9% on 6.3 attempts). He's solid with his feet set so you don't want to completely ignore him off-ball, but alarm bells shouldn't be ringing if someone kicks it out to him. Duck under his picks to wall off the drive; dare him to beat you with pull-ups.</li>
</ul>
Bryn Forbes: hard close-out
<ul>
<li>Forbes is Milwaukee's best shooter, able to drill set shots, fly off screens, pull off of dribble handoffs, or relocate when chaos is happening elsewhere. He's also not a strong playmaker at all, and only took 25 shots at the rim in half-court situations during the regular season, per Synergy. Run him off the line, deal with the rest later.</li>
</ul>
Pat Connaughton: soft close-out
<ul>
<li>Connaughton is a solid shooter (37.1% on 3.9 attempts this season, 36.1% on 3.6 attempts during the postseason). He's good at finding creases off the ball, particularly sneaking down to the corner on drives. Keep an eye out for him, but he isn't worth selling out against. He's not that&nbsp;level of shooter.</li>
</ul>
Khris Middleton: hard, but controlled close-out
<ul>
<li>If Forbes takes the top shooter billing, Middleton is a close second -- especially once you factor in how much he self-creates. You don't want him getting clean looks on the perimeter, though with his release point, contests only mean so much. He ranked in the 68th percentile on "guarded" catch-and-shoot looks, per Synergy. Still, try to get him off the three-point line and stay attached to him. Live with the contested pull-up twos.</li>
</ul>
Defending the Shooters (Frontcourt)
PJ Tucker: Let him fire above the break, soft close-out in the corners
<ul>
<li>Tucker has shot 36.6% from deep on moderate volume over the last four seasons. The kicker: a whopping 72.2% of those threes have come from the corner. He's made those at a respectable 38.6% clip. But considering how open those shots have been, it's a bit underwhelming. Tucker doesn't have a particularly quick release, and he's prone to streakiness. Make him think when he's in the corner, but ignoring him elsewhere should be fine.</li>
</ul>
Thanasis Antetokounmpo: Let him fire
<ul>
<li>The Other Antetokounmpo likely won't have a sizeable role in this series, but his jumper is nothing to be afraid of. Well, except for that one game against the Knicks.</li>
</ul>
Brook Lopez: Soft close-out
<ul>
<li>Lopez has a high, but slow release on the jumper. As long as you don't cheat too far off of him, a balance can be struck between crowding the paint and getting out to the big fella. He doesn't mind driving -- really, slow-grinding -- a sloppy close-out. Discipline will be key here, especially from the corners.</li>
</ul>
Bobby Portis: hard, but controlled close-out
<ul>
<li>Running Portis off the line isn't an admission of elite shooting, though he is good (39.1% over the past four seasons). It's more of a tendency play; he's not a threatening passer on the move (though he made some nice ones against Atlanta), and he may still take a tough shot anyway.</li>
</ul>
X-Factor: Jrue Holiday
With Giannis out or at least compromised at the beginning of the series, the creation burden with slide to Middleton and Holiday.
Holiday looms as the more important piece here. Not only will he likely have a size mismatch (Paul is 6'0 on a good day), he becomes the natural heir to the Bucks' rim pressure kingdom.
Holiday can absolutely get busy on the block. In isolation siutations, he has a solid enough handle to get to where he wants to go, and combines that with brute strength and nifty footwork to generate solid looks at the rim.
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Keeping him out of the paint will neutralize his impact. It'll take away the easy kickouts, and it'll goad him into taking pull-ups and turnarounds. He got in a bit of trouble against the Hawks last round with some of the And-1 Mixtape possessions he pulled out. Those can add up.

Nekias Duncan breaks down how the Suns can defend the Bucks in the NBA Finals.

NBA Finals Scouting Report: How the Suns can stop the Bucks

Make way for something new in the NBA Finals.
Milwaukee hasn&rsquo;t been to the NBA Finals since 1974 and Phoenix hasn&rsquo;t been to the NBA Finals since 1993, two stats that have been repeated so often over the last few days that the Bucks and Suns probably wouldn&rsquo;t mind if they don&rsquo;t hear them again for the next few decades.
But there is a whole lot of new in these NBA Finals. Consider:
&mdash; It&rsquo;s the first time since 1998 that the finals will be played without LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan or Dwyane Wade.
&mdash; It&rsquo;s the first time since 1983 that nobody in the NBA Finals has been, or will be, a teammate of Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal. You read that correctly. Every title series from 1984 through 2020 featured at least one player who had been (or would eventually be) teammates with O&rsquo;Neal, a list that includes names like Greg Kite, John Salley, Byron Scott, Steve Kerr, Leandro Barbosa, Danny Green and Matt Barnes (along with everyone he played with on the 1995 Orlando Magic, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004 Los Angeles Lakers teams, and the 2006 Miami Heat). Though there is one technicality at play here: Phoenix guard Chris Paul and O&rsquo;Neal were All-Star Game teammates.
&mdash; Of the 12 referees working this series, three are in the NBA Finals for the first time. Courtney Kirkland, James Williams and Sean Wright are all set to make their finals debuts, though Wright was an alternate for the 2019 finals.
PAUL&rsquo;S WAIT
Phoenix guard Chris Paul is in his 16th NBA season. This is his first finals.
It is a historic wait.
He has played in 123 playoff games without ever reaching the finals, the third-most in NBA history behind Paul Millsap (129) and Al Horford (124).
And he could join a very small club. Only five players have won their first championship in their 16th season or later; Juwan Howard and Kevin Willis won championships in their 18th seasons (not counting the 1988-89 season that Willis missed), Jason Kidd got the elusive ring in his 17th season, and Dwight Howard and Gary Payton finally got their hands on the Larry O&rsquo;Brien Trophy in their 16th seasons.
CALENDAR ADDITION
Tuesday will mark the first time that an NBA Finals game has been played in July &mdash; which becomes the seventh month in which a title-round matchup will occur.
Other months that have seen finals games: March, April, May, June, September, and October.
JORDAN COMPARISON
Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 40 points on 60% shooting in Milwaukee&rsquo;s two games against Phoenix this season. No player had averaged that, and shot that well, against the Suns in a single regular season since 1992-93 &mdash; when Chicago&rsquo;s Michael Jordan averaged 42 points on 60.3% shooting.
The Bulls ended up playing the Suns in that season&rsquo;s finals, too.
DIVISIONS MATTER
Milwaukee won the Central Division and Phoenix won the Pacific Division this season.
That means this will be the 10th consecutive season where a division champion will win the NBA title. The last division non-winner to end up as NBA champions was Dallas in 2011. Every team that made the finals since did so after winning a division crown.
LATE NIGHTS?
NBA Finals games typically start late; most in this series will tip off shortly after 9 p.m. in the Eastern time zone, so they tend to finish around 11:30 p.m.
History says the Suns might go a bit later.
There have been two triple-overtime games in NBA Finals history &mdash; and Phoenix has played in both. They lost to Boston 128-126 on June 4, 1976, and defeated Chicago 129-121 on June 13, 1993.
The NBA has also seen three double-overtime finals games. Milwaukee played in one of those, beating Boston 102-101 on May 10, 1974.
3 OVER 2
A good omen for Milwaukee, perhaps?
Since the NBA went to the current playoff format in 1984, there have been three instances of a No. 3 seed from one conference taking on the No. 2 seed from the other conference in the NBA Finals. (This will be the fourth; Milwaukee was seeded No. 3 in the East, Phoenix No. 2 in the West.)
In all three of the previous 3-versus-2 finals matchups, the No. 3 seed won the NBA title: Detroit over the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004, San Antonio over Cleveland in 2007 and Dallas over Miami in 2011.
FINALS FAMILIES
Jrue Holiday doesn&rsquo;t know what it&rsquo;s like to play in the NBA Finals. Same goes for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thanasis Antetokounmpo. In fact, no player in this series &mdash; except for Phoenix&rsquo;s Jae Crowder &mdash; has logged a single second in a finals game.
The Holiday and Antetokounmpo families have a bit of experience in this area, though.
Justin Holiday, Jrue&rsquo;s brother, played in a game with Golden State during the 2015 finals. And Kostas Antetokounmpo &mdash; Giannis&rsquo; and Thanasis&rsquo; brother &mdash; won a ring with the Lakers last season but didn&rsquo;t play in the title series against Miami.
OUT FRONT
One key for both teams in these NBA Finals: Don&rsquo;t let the other team get a double-digit lead.
Milwaukee and Phoenix have been pretty much unbeatable in these playoffs when either club gets a lead of at least 10 points. The Suns are 11-0 in the playoffs in games where they&rsquo;ve had a double-digit lead; the Bucks are 10-1, the loss coming when they let a 17-point lead get away against Brooklyn in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
In the regular season, Milwaukee was 41-9 in games in which it led by at least 10 at some point; Phoenix was 45-10 in such games.
Phoenix&rsquo;s biggest comeback win this season was 16 points, done twice, including once against Milwaukee. The biggest Bucks comeback win was a game in which they trailed by 19 against Philadelphia.
RISING SUNS
If the Suns lead this series at any time, the franchise will have a winning postseason record again for the first time since May 18, 1995 &mdash; when they were 86-85 in their all-time playoff history.
The Suns enter these finals 145-145 in postseason play.
The Bucks haven&rsquo;t had a winning postseason record since May 26, 2001, when they were 96-95. At the end of the 1980 playoffs, when they were 85-84. They&rsquo;re 138-145 all-time in playoff action, meaning they can&rsquo;t get over the .500 mark again in this series.

In addition to how long it's been since the Bucks and Suns have been here, there is a whole lot of new in these NBA Finals.

2021 NBA Finals: 10 things to know about Bucks vs. Suns

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; The Milwaukee Bucks suddenly are facing the daunting challenge of possibly having to move forward in their Eastern Conference Finals without their two-time MVP.
Giannis Antetokounmpo sustained a hyperextension of his left knee and and was forced out of the Bucks' Eastern Conference Finals game against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not good,&rdquo; Bucks forward P.J. Tucker said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not good losing anybody on your team, and losing your best player stinks.&rdquo;
The Hawks won 110-88, evening the best-of-seven series at 2-2. Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s status for Game 5 at Milwaukee on Thursday night is not known.
Antetokounmpo was defending a jam by Hawks center Clint Capela with 7:14 remaining in the third quarter when his left knee appeared to buckle. He fell to the floor in obvious pain, grimacing and clutching his knee.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said the team would learn more about Antetokounmpo's status on Wednesday.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll take everything as it comes," Budenholzer said. "We&rsquo;ll evaluate it. We&rsquo;ve got a heck of a team, a heck of a roster. ... The guys will prepare. They&rsquo;ll be ready.&rdquo;
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Antetokounmpo remained down for several minutes before rising and slowly walking to the locker room. He was supported by his brother, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, and a staff member, as he left the court.
It was a scary sight &mdash; and sound &mdash; for the Bucks.
&ldquo;I heard him yell,&rdquo; Khris Middleton said.
Added Jrue Holiday: &ldquo;I think just based on how he was grabbing his leg, it seemed like it was pretty bad.&rdquo;
Antetokounmpo returned to the bench briefly before again heading to the locker room after the Hawks blew open the game by extending their lead to 20 points. Soon after, the Bucks announced he would not return.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to speak for him,&rdquo; Budenholzer said when asked what Antetokounmpo told his teammates when he briefly returned to the bench. &ldquo;I know historically, it&rsquo;s impossible to keep him off the court, keep him away from his teammates. My guess is he wants to play and, if not, let his teammates know that he&rsquo;s there for them.&rdquo;
Following a slow start to the game, Antetokounmpo had scored eight of his 14 points in the opening minutes of the second half. Following the jam by Capela, the Hawks led 62-52 when the Bucks' star left the game.
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The loss of Antetokounmpo appeared to derail the momentum of the Bucks' comeback.
Holiday said the injury wasn't a distraction.
&ldquo;No. We&rsquo;ve been around the game long enough to know guys are going to get hurt,&rdquo; Holiday said. &ldquo;You pray it&rsquo;s not serious.&rdquo;
Budenholzer said Antetokounmpo is "a big part of our soul and our fiber. I&rsquo;m sure the human element and the concern is real. They&rsquo;re trying to find a way to be there for him when he&rsquo;s not on the court.&rdquo;
The Hawks were without their leading scorer, Trae Young, who was held out with a bone bruise in his right ankle.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no excuses,&rdquo; Tucker said. &ldquo;Everybody is hurt. Everybody is battling injuries. You&rsquo;ve got to fight through.&rdquo;
Tucker said the Hawks' play without Young should serve as an example for the Bucks, especially if Antetokounmpo can't play in Game 5.
&ldquo;Every play, lay it on the line and go out there and take it because tonight that&rsquo;s what Atlanta did,&rdquo; Tucker said. &ldquo;They went out there and took it.&rdquo;

The Bucks are facing the daunting challenge of possibly having to battle in the Eastern Conference Finals without their two-time MVP.

Giannis Antetokounmpo hyperextends knee in loss, status unclear

I'm not sure who could've predicted this Eastern Conference Finals.
On one side, the Milwaukee Bucks are seeing the fruits of their switch-it-up labor. They've tinkered all year long in preparation of this postseason. They mollywhopped the Miami Heat in round one. They then snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, before snatching victory anyway in a seven-game slugfest against the Brooklyn Nets.&nbsp;
On the other side are the Atlanta Hawks, a team that didn't look playoff bound midway through the season due to injuries, roster instability, and coaching turmoil. The firing of Lloyd Pierce, and the subsequent hiring of Nate McMillan, jumpstarted their turnaround. They proved to be too prolific for the New York Knicks in round one, and too resilient for the Philadelphia 76ers in round two.
And so, here we are. Two teams with unique (and oft-hated) offensive engines. Two teams that have had a microscope on their head coaching jobs for different reasons. Two teams that haven't won a title in decades, both presented with the opportunity to make the Finals.
I&rsquo;m not a coach -- I'm just a pun-loving basketball fan with a hankering for film breakdowns. But instead of a traditional series preview, I decided to go into the basketball trenches and devise gameplans for both teams. The tone of this piece will be a little more informal, but it will still be informative (at least I hope).
Without further ado, let's look at how the Atlanta Hawks will try to stop the Milwaukee Bucks.
Defensive Matchups
Kevin Huerter --&gt; Jrue Holiday
Trae Young --&gt; Pat Connaughton
Bogdan Bogdanovic --&gt; Khris Middleton
Clint Capela --&gt; Giannis Antetokounmpo&nbsp;
John Collins --&gt; Brook Lopez
The Hawks have a decision to make with the frontcourt. Do you go with Capela on Giannis to start, considering he's the most physically equipped to deal with him? Or do you start with Collins as an innings-eater of sorts, and have Capela roam off of Lopez to muck things up if necessary?
I think I'd choose the former option, understanding the foul trouble risks that come with it. Slowing Giannis down should be priority number one. Not only is Capela better equipped to do that, Collins does have solid weakside rim-protection chops. He's also faster than Capela, so he should be able to help in the paint and scoot out to Lopez on the perimeter with a little more ease.&nbsp;
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Top Priority on Defense: Make it a Half-court Affair
If you look at the personnel for each team -- specifically, who the stars are -- you'd likely think of the Hawks as a run-and-gun squad, while the Bucks profile as a grind-it-out, beat-em-up half-court. It's pretty much the opposite.
No team pushes more than the Bucks, with nearly 18% of their possessions starting in transition, per Cleaning The Glass. While Giannis is a battering ram in the half-court (more on that shortly), he's at his best when long-striding in the open floor. He drives the transition attack, figuratively and literally.
Giannis ranked in the 85th percentile when operating as the lead ball-handler in transition; when filling the "trailer" role, that bumped up to the 91st percentile per Synergy. There are few things scarier in the NBA than that guy coming with a full head of steam.
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The proverbial "wall" has been talked about ad nauseam over the past couple of (post)seasons, but it's imperative to get back and cut off the middle of the floor. Making Giannis navigate in close quarters is the best way to slow him down. He's nimble for his size, but he isn't guard-level slithery.
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Of course, it isn't&nbsp;just&nbsp;Giannis. Jrue Holiday is not only good at pushing in transition, he adds value as an early seal threat. He's a big man in a guard's body in that way, willing to leak out early and either put smaller defenders on his hip, or to lurk around the dunker spot for dump-offs.
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It may not be safe to play the offensive rebound game; getting back and cutting off easy opportunies should be of higher importance.
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Bucks' Team Stats (and Milwaukee's stats vs. Atlanta)
<ul>
<li>Offensive Rating: 116.5, 5th (119.3)</li>
<li>Half-Court Offensive Rating: 102.0, 6th (106.5)</li>
<li>True Shooting Percentage: 59.3, 5th (59.5)</li>
<li>Assist Percentage: 56.9, 25th (57.0)</li>
<li>Turnover Rate: 13.4, 13th (12.8)</li>
<li>Pace: 102.85, 2nd (98.67)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Attempts: 21.4, 16th (21.3)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Percentage: 76.0, 23rd (81.3)</li>
<li>Three-Point Attempts: 37.1, 8th (34.0)</li>
<li>Three-Point Percentage: 38.9, 5th (33.3)</li>
<li>Offensive Rebounds: 10.3, 12th (11.3)</li>
</ul>
Bucks' Play Type Breakdown
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2021-06-22-at-12-44-41-pm.png" alt="" width="755" height="325" />
Defending Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis is one of the most dominant rim threats the NBA has ever seen. He's been a monster this postseason, averaging [checks notes] 29-14-5. Okay then.
He wasn't superhuman during the regular-season series, but still scored efficiently (24.3 points, 67.8 TS) and <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/shooting/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;OpponentTeamID=1610612737&amp;TeamID=1610612749&amp;DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;sort=Restricted%20Area%20FGA&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">owned the interior</a> (84.6% on 8.7 attempts).
He's been working on counters all season long. Some of that is quicker decision-making -- the passes on drives are coming a beat earlier than last season, for example. Some of that is adding to the shot repertoire. Post hooks, step-in middies, and turnarounds are all shots he has shown more comfort getting to.&nbsp;
There's no way to&nbsp;stop&nbsp;this guy. Slowing him down, and hoping his extremely poor luck from the free throw line (48.3% vs the Nets, 53.8% overall) carries over, will go a long way to swinging the series.
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Major Key: Crowd the Paint
The same principles that apply in transition -- taking away the middle, being active with your hands on the drive -- also apply in half-court situations.&nbsp;
Giannis attempting to add half-court counters to his game is fine. Ultimately, his primary method of attack can be devastating enough to render those counters useless.
It's hard to overstate just how strong this dude is. He has no issue doing his work early, putting a guy on his hip and setting up shop on either block. His backdowns create genuine space. Once he gets to the restricted area, you're pretty much dead. He'll nudge you off-balance with fakes or, if they don't work, simply extend his never-ending arms to get a good look.
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That's not a bad rep from Danilo Gallinari, who actually bumps Giannis off his spot on the catch. Three dribbles and a head fake later, Giannis is taking a shot two-and-a-half feet from the basket, if that. That's how tough it's going to be.
The key to hindering Giannis in the half-court is doing your homework early. Building the "wall" is an easy example, particularly when he's isolating above the break. When he isn't at the center of the court, pinching in early will be necessary to making him work.
Wing isolations or post-ups should look like this.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2021_06_23_21_51_09.png" alt="" width="577" height="325" />
It's not a hard double from Capela, but he's pulling in early from one pass away. He's trusting that he can get out to Bobby Portis for a contest if necessary. Brandon Goodwin is at the nail. Lou Williams has his toe at the edge of the paint. The only place Giannis can go is to the baseline.
Sure enough:
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Giannis won't always settle for that -- you saw what he did in the clip against Gallinari -- but you bump up the odds of him settling if you restrict his space.
As far as actual doubles, timeliness will be key. He's no Nikola Jokic, but he's also a step above Joel Embiid as a passer in terms of ability and willingness. The Bucks generated nearly 1.3 points per possession when Giannis passed out of a post double this season, per Second Spectrum.
Show the hand too early, and he'll make the right play.
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If you're able to blindside him a bit, wait for him to begin his move or get into his gather, you may be able to fluster him. Take this rep for example.
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Bogdan Bogdanovic comes over to the right elbow once Giannis starts his post-up, but doesn't commit until he drives to the baseline. As that happens, Capela pulls in to cut off the dump-off pass to Portis. Behind that, Williams sinks down to the opposite baseline to take away a potential kick to the corner.&nbsp;
This is the blueprint.
As a bonus: whenever Giannis is starting a post-up or an isolation with a lefty drive, make sure there's someone ready to pinch in to the middle of the floor. The left-to-right spin is his go-to move in close quarters (while the eurostep is more of a transition weapon).&nbsp;
As another bonus: if you're going to pinch in to bother the spin,&nbsp;fully commit to that sucker.&nbsp;
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Bogdanovic doesn't sink quickly enough, nor does he reach in with any fervor. This is one heck of a move by Giannis, but it's still a help-defense failure.
Can't have that.
Defending the Shooters (Perimeter)
Jrue Holiday: soft close-out
<ul>
<li>Holiday is coming off the best three-point shooting season of his career (39.2% on 4.8 attempts), though he's cooled off considerably in the postseason (24.6% on 5.5 attempts). He's solid with his feet set so you don't want to completely ignore him off-ball, but alarm bells shouldn't be ringing if someone kicks it out to him.</li>
</ul>
Bryn Forbes: hard close-out
<ul>
<li>Forbes is Milwaukee's best shooter, able to drill set shots, fly off screens, pull off of dribble handoffs, or relocate when chaos is happening elsewhere. He's also not a strong playmaker at all, and only took 25 shots at the rim in half-court situations during the regular season, per Synergy. Run him off the line, deal with the rest later.</li>
</ul>
Pat Connaughton: soft close-out
<ul>
<li>Connaughton is a solid shooter (37.1% on 3.9 attempts this season, 35% on 3.6 attempts during the postseason). He's good at finding creases off the ball, particularly sneaking down to the corner on drives. Keep an eye out for him, but he isn't worth selling out against. He's not&nbsp;that&nbsp;level of shooter.</li>
</ul>
Khris Middleton: hard, but controlled close-out
<ul>
<li>If Forbes takes the top shooter billing, Middleton is a close second -- especially once you factor in how much he self-creates. You don't want him getting clean looks on the perimeter, though with his release point, contests only mean so much. He ranked in the 68th percentile on "guarded" catch-and-shoot looks, per Synergy. Still, try to get him off the three-point line and stay attached to him. Live with the contested pull-up twos.</li>
</ul>
Defending the Shooters (Frontcourt)
PJ Tucker: Let him fire above the break, soft close-out in the corners
<ul>
<li>Tucker has shot 36.6% from deep on moderate volume over the last four seasons. The kicker: a whopping 72.2% of those threes have come from the corner. He's made those at a respectable 38.6% clip. But considering how open those shots have been, it's a bit underwhelming. Tucker doesn't have a particularly quick release, and he's prone to streakiness. Make him think when he's in the corner, but ignoring him elsewhere should be fine.</li>
</ul>
Thanasis Antetokounmpo: Let him fire
<ul>
<li>The Other Antetokounmpo likely won't have a sizeable role in this series, but his jumper is nothing to be afraid of. Well, except for that one game against the Knicks.</li>
</ul>
Brook Lopez: Soft close-out
<ul>
<li>Lopez has a high, but slow release on the jumper. As long as you don't cheat too far off of him, a balance can be struck between crowding the paint and getting out to the big fella. He doesn't mind driving -- really, slow-grinding -- a sloppy close-out. Discipline will be key here, especially from the corners.</li>
</ul>
Bobby Portis: hard, but controlled close-out
<ul>
<li>Running Portis off the line isn't an admission of elite shooting, though he is good (39.1% over the past four seasons). It's more of a tendency play; he's not a threatening passer on the move, and he may still take a tough shot anyway.</li>
</ul>
X-Factor: Jrue Holiday
Beyond Giannis, Holiday may be the most important Buck in this series.
He'll have to hound Trae Young for a majority of his minutes on the defensive end. I don't have to explain why that's important. If the Bucks come out in a deep drop, Young may need to dig into the foul-drawing bag to get Holiday out of there.
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Don't sleep on Holiday's offensive importance either. Unlike 6'8 Khris Middleton, Holiday likely won't be at a size advantage against whoever defends him (likely Kevin Huerter). He'll be needed as a genuine shot creator, particularly when Giannis is off the floor.
Holiday&nbsp;can&nbsp;do it; he generated 1.07 points per possession on isolations during the regular-season series, per InStat tracking data. It's always a risky proposition once Holiday gets into his pull-up bag, but it adds another dimension to his, and the Bucks', attack when he has it rolling.
Frankly, dare him to knock down isolation pull-ups. Duck under picks against him and make him drain threes off the bounce. What you don't want is Holiday getting downhill consistently and finishing, making kick-outs, or drawing fouls himself.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/scouting-report-how-the-bucks-can-stop-the-hawks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out Nekias' breakdown of how the Bucks should defend the Hawks.</a>

Nekias Duncan puts on his amateur coaching hat and puts together a game plan on how the Hawks should defend the Bucks.

Scouting Report: How the Hawks can stop the Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee soreness) has been ruled out of tonight&rsquo;s game in Dallas, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer says.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1380305789420589057" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Antetokounmpo has missed Milwaukee's previous three games because of left knee soreness, but the team is likely just exercising caution with their two-time MVP. Antetokounmpo's next opportunity to take the floor will come tomorrow when the Bucks host the Hornets at 9 PM ET. Expect Bobby Portis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo to see increased workloads while Giannis sits.

Bucks two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss his second straight game tonight against the Mavs due to knee soreness.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (sore knee) misses third straight game

It wasn&rsquo;t supposed to go like this, man.
That was seemingly the primary takeaway when Blake Griffin, fresh off receiving a five-year, $173 million deal from the Los Angeles Clippers in 2017, was sent to the Detroit Pistons for a package headlined by Tobias Harris. Griffin was near the peak of his powers at that point, a wrecking ball with playmaking chops and a budding jumpshot. He helped bring the Clippers to prominence and was rewarded for such, though that partnership ended roughly seven months after the contract was signed.
We&rsquo;ve arrived at the same conclusion -- it wasn&rsquo;t supposed to go like this, man -- four years later, yet for a more somber reason. Griffin is now an oft-injured shell of himself, testing the free-agency waters a year and a half earlier than anticipated.&nbsp;
It wasn&rsquo;t that long ago that Griffin and the Pistons came to a we&rsquo;ll-sit-at-home agreement with the expectation of finding Griffin a new home. With no trade on the horizon, the two sides agreed to a buyout, per ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s worth emphasizing that Griffin is a shell of himself. After an All-NBA-caliber campaign in 2018-19, Griffin has played in 38 games since then, averaging 14-5-4 with a 36/28/75 shooting split. That&rsquo;s, uh, pretty bad! He&rsquo;s somehow even worse defensively; the rim protection was never there because of the lack of length, and the injuries have sapped quite a bit of his lateral mobility.
The bet for teams -- Woj and others have reported that plenty of playoff contenders are interested -- is that a rejuvenated, less-relied-on Griffin can make an impact as a role player. Even at this stage of his career, he remains intriguing as a playmaking hub in Elbow sets or short-roll situations. If the jumper rebounds at all, you&rsquo;re looking at a half-court connector that could take a ton of pressure off a primary initiator.&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s examine some of the best landing spots for Griffin.
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MAKES SENSE, BUT&hellip;
Team: Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers
Financial reasons rule out the Bucks right now. Per ESPN&rsquo;s Bobby Marks, the hard cap currently prevents them from making an offer. A trade would be needed to clear some room.
If that were to happen, the Bucks would certainly move up the power rankings. The 4 rotation behind Giannis Antetokounmpo has been&hellip; an adventure, to be kind. The frenetic Thanasis Antetokounpo gets burn; DJ Wilson is perpetually in and out of the rotation. Torrey Craig has gotten some run. It&rsquo;s fair to wonder what Griffin would look like in that spot, potentially playing the 4 in Giannis-at-5 lineups.
There&rsquo;s always a &ldquo;man, the Lakers want/get everyone&rdquo; angle to play, particularly online. It&rsquo;s mostly a meme, but it wouldn&rsquo;t be a total shock to see Griffin in a Laker uniform. Purely from a we-need-firepower perspective, a Griffin flyer could be worth a shot. He&rsquo;d fit in as a high-IQ passer who could execute plenty of the high-post sets that the Lakers like to run.
There are financial factors at play that make this pairing unlikely. The Lakers aren&rsquo;t hard-capped, but they also don&rsquo;t have mid-sized exceptions to fit Griffin into (like the other teams pursuing him do). Beyond that, the frontcourt is a bit crowded. Once Anthony Davis is back, Griffin would be fighting with Marc Gasol, Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, and Markieff Morris for closing minutes. Even that is working under the assumption that LeBron James would slide up to the 3 in such an alignment.
So, nah.
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SURE, I COULD SEE IT
Teams: Toronto Raptors
Don&rsquo;t believe in the Freaky Friday that the Raptors are pulling right now. The advanced stats page on NBA.com may tell you that their offense (113.4 offensive rating, 10th) is better than their defense (112.0, 18th), but their defense remains the foundation of their success.
The Raptors rank eighth in half-court defense and fifth in transition efficiency, per Cleaning The Glass. They get stops, force turnovers, and run all over teams. Get them in a half-court setting and things bog down a bit (13th). Adding Griffin to provide a similar element to what Gasol brought in years prior -- high-post passing, pick-and-pop shooting -- could help juice the offense.
Worth noting: Kyle Lowry would be, by far, the best point guard Griffin has played with since his Clipper days. Higher quality of looks could see the efficiency jump a bit.
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IN THE HUNT&nbsp;
Teams: Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics
Similar to the Raptors, the Warriors&rsquo; half-court defense is driving their success. Getting out after misses or turnovers allows the Warriors to tap into Steph Curry&rsquo;s unpredictability. The Warriors are slightly ahead of the Raptors in half-court efficiency (11th), though they could use a bump in playmaking.&nbsp;
Outside of Curry and Draymond Green, who consistently capitalizes on advantages via passing? At the very least, having Griffin on the second unit could improve some of the flow there.&nbsp;
The Celtics have missed Gordon Hayward a little more than expected. To be fair, they&rsquo;ve missed just about everyone at some point during this woebegone season. Still, having Hayward as a third (sometimes fourth) playmaker helped take pressure off of Boston&rsquo;s star wing duo. For a team that ranks toward the bottom of just about every passing stat that matters, and has seen an increase in double teams against their star wings, adding Griffin as a short-roll threat could be helpful.&nbsp;
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THE FAVORITES
Teams: Portland Trail Blazers, Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets
Please get Damian Lillard some help.
His second- and third-best players are hurt. Even when healthy, the Blazers could use a little more playmaking help. With Lillard consistently having two bodies tossed at him near half-court, having Griffin as a release valve would take some of the creation burden off of Lillard.&nbsp;
The Heat desperately need help at the 4. After capturing lightning in a bottle with Jae Crowder during the second half of last season, the Heat have flat-out failed to find a reasonable replacement. Mo Harkless has been a dud; youngster KZ Okpala has gotten an inconsistent leash, and has mostly looked out of sorts when trusted with major playing time. Kelly Olynyk and Andre Iguodala have filled in admirably, but have glaring limitations on opposite ends of the floor.
Griffin would help sort the frontcourt hierarchy there. He or Olynyk would start, the other flanked by rookie Precious Achiuwa while Iguodala would fill the backup minutes at the 3.&nbsp;
In the end, Griffin may just opt to play with the team that makes life the easiest on him. That would be the Brooklyn Nets, home of three of the 15 or so most talented scorers the NBA has ever seen.&nbsp;
The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania has reported that the Nets are the frontrunners to land Griffin; the title aspirations, personal relationships, and the ease in which he could get open looks serve as valid reasons for the choice. The thought of closing games with Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Joe Harris, Griffin, and Kevin Durant is a daunting one for opposing defenses.
As the adage goes, giving up 130 doesn&rsquo;t mean much if you&rsquo;re scoring 140.
Or something like that.

Nekias Duncan takes a look at the best fits for Blake Griffin and which teams could possibly add the veteran.

Examining potential destinations for Blake Griffin following buyout

This year, there were 107 international players from 41 countries on opening-night rosters for the 2020-21 NBA season.