Nets vs. Bucks playoff preview: Brooklyn’s defense, added pressure on Milwaukee among biggest storylines

The Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks will meet in a heavyweight Japanese Convention semifinal showdown after each groups made quick work of their opening-round opponents. The Nets bested the Boston Celtics in 5 video games, and the Bucks wanted solely 4 video games to dispatch the Miami Warmth. After each took care of enterprise within the first spherical, Brooklyn and Milwaukee will battle for the best to advance to the Japanese Convention finals. 

The Bucks will probably be on the lookout for their first convention finals look since 2019, whereas the Nets haven’t been there since 2003 after they have been led by Corridor of Famer Jason Kidd. For what it’s value, the Bucks received two out of three contests towards Brooklyn throughout the common season, together with the 2 most up-to-date video games in early Might. There will probably be no scarcity of star energy on this sequence because the Nets have 4 gamers who’ve made no less than six All-Star groups in Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Blake Griffin, whereas the Bucks have three All-Star-caliber gamers of their very own in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Vacation. Each groups are professional title contenders, so this sequence guarantees to be a battle. 

Right here’s a have a look at the sequence schedule and three issues to know forward of the showdown between the No. 2 Nets and No. 3 Bucks. 

Each recreation on NBATV, ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC will be streamed through fuboTV (strive totally free).  

(2) Brooklyn Nets vs. (3) Milwaukee Bucks

Nets lead sequence 3-2

*If essential

1. Can Milwaukee restrict the manufacturing of Brooklyn’s star trio?

Brooklyn’s huge three of Durant, Harden and Irving obtained no matter they wished on the offensive finish towards the Celtics within the first spherical. They have been downright dominant towards Boston, and within the course of, they grew to become the primary trio to ever file 200-plus factors over two consecutive playoff video games. Collectively, they averaged 85.2 factors per recreation towards the Celtics — probably the most by a trio in a playoff sequence, ever. 

All three gamers averaged over 24 factors per recreation towards Boston, and all three additionally shot over 49 % from the sphere. To say that they have been extraordinarily environment friendly can be an understatement. If Milwaukee needs to advance, it might want to do a greater job of constructing issues troublesome on these three and in flip limiting their manufacturing. The excellent news for the Bucks is that with their very own trio of Antetokounmpo, Vacation and Middleton, they is perhaps the workforce finest geared up to defend Brooklyn’s stars, no less than on paper. Antetokounmpo, particularly, is likely one of the few gamers who can come near matching Durant’s mixture of size and athleticism. He’s already proven that he’s able to efficiently blocking Durant’s jumper. 

Plus, P.J. Tucker is one other versatile defender that Milwaukee brings off the bench who could make a distinction on this sequence. There’s no such factor as stopping the mixture of Durant, Harden and Irving, but when the Bucks can make certain these guys don’t get too many straightforward or open seems, they’ll give themselves a stable shot at successful the sequence. 

2. The Nets must assault the defensive glass 

The Nets have an all-time nice offense, however they’ve been far much less dynamic defensively. Throughout the season, they have been merely capable of outscore most groups on most nights, however that may not essentially be the case towards the Bucks, who possess a prime 5 offense and likewise promise to make issues robust on the offensive finish for Brooklyn. Throughout the common season, Brooklyn had the league’s Twenty second-best protection, and at instances they resembled a bit of Swiss cheese, with holes all over the place. 

As a workforce that doesn’t sometimes make the most of a conventional middle, the Nets are particularly susceptible within the paint and on the glass. Throughout the season, they gave up 15.3 second-chance factors per recreation, which was tied for probably the most within the league. Additionally they allowed 16 second-chance factors per recreation towards Boston within the first spherical, and with a beginning entrance line that consists of Brook Lopez, Middleton and Antetokounmpo, the Bucks are a lot larger and extra formidable within the paint than the Celtics are. 

Throughout the common season, the Bucks grabbed over 10 offensive rebounds per recreation and averaged 15.3 towards the Warmth within the first spherical. These rebounds resulted in 18.8 second-chance factors per recreation towards Miami. The Bucks will nearly definitely attempt to benefit from their sheer dimension and look to assault the offensive glass towards Brooklyn. For the Nets, boxing out and securing defensive rebounds must be a precedence, or else the Bucks may achieve a serious benefit there. 

3. Added strain on Bucks

That is the primary season that the Nets’ trio of Durant, Harden and Irving performed collectively, so whereas it might definitely be a disappointment in the event that they didn’t win the title, it wouldn’t essentially be the top of the world in Brooklyn. They’ll have the ability to run it again with largely the identical squad subsequent season. Plus, they might have the excuse of barely having performed collectively throughout the common season. For the Bucks, although, issues are completely different. They’ve largely the identical squad they’ve had for the previous a number of seasons, plus Vacation. They completed with one of the best total file within the NBA the final two seasons previous to this one, and so they flamed out within the playoffs earlier than reaching the Finals each instances. 

So this season, there may be some added strain on Milwaukee to get additional than it has over the previous few years. If it’s unable to, some organizational adjustments may very well be coming, each doubtlessly to the roster and the teaching employees. The Bucks locked Antetokounmpo up on a long-term extension over the offseason, so he received’t be going wherever, however outdoors of him it certain looks like there can be little certainty in Milwaukee following a second consecutive second-round exit.