Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd has used different rotations through the first five preseason tilts and each group has been impressive.
The Bucks split their last two games, a 105-101 loss to the Washington Wizards and a 106-88 victory versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. Several Milwaukee players played well in these games including small forward Khris Middleton, small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, center Greg Monroe, point guard Michael Carter-Williams, shooting guard O.J. Mayo, small forward Chris Copeland and power forward John Henson.
Against the Wizards, Middleton led the way with 21 points. Antetokounmpo had 12 points and combined with Middleton to sink five of their eight three-point attempts. Monroe had 13 points and six rebounds. Henson and Copeland hit double figures off of coach Kidd’s bench, with 12 and 16 points respectively. Henson also grabbed 13 rebounds and Copeland pulled down six.
J-Kidd was happy with the offensive display but knows there is room for improvement with a Bucks group that gave up 60 first-half points to Washington.
“It’s all about the ball movement, the ball not sticking and making plays for one another. We got a lot of layups off backdoors or easy cuts,” J-Kidd said. “That also loosens up the defense so you can shoot threes. We can’t guard the ball. If you can’t guard the ball, it’s going to cause a problem. Everything is correctable.”
Copeland reiterated his coach’s comments about excellent ball movement and how he can create space for the Bucks shooters.
“I think I space the floor for us,” Copeland said. “That’s an undervalued part of basketball, when you have shooters on the floor. I thought we got some pretty clean looks. That means you’re moving the ball because you’re not just going to be able to come down and hoist one. That’s promising.”
Coach Kidd’s squad faced former Buck Jared Dudley, who joined the Wizards this offseason, for the first time in this contest. He was asked about his departure and that of fellow veteran Zaza Pachulia, and he told the media that with J-Kidd at the helm, the Bucks still had tremendous leadership in the locker room.
“It is going to take a little bit,” Dudley said. “They lose a little leadership, but they are going to be able to have some of the young players be able to play. Their big thing will be incorporating Jabari (Parker) back into the mix. But that’s a good problem to have. It will be an interesting challenge for J-Kidd, but I bet he’s up to the challenge.”
Three days later, the Bucks held an exhibition at the University of Wisconsin’s Kohl Center in Madison, where they put on a show on both ends of the floor.
Hosting the T-Wolves, the Bucks led 52-50 at halftime, but it was the third quarter when Milwaukee took over, jetting to a 20-point lead.
Carter-Williams scored 11 of his 16 points in the third frame, and Middleton powered Milwaukee with 17 points. Four of the five starters (Middleton, Antetokounmpo, Monroe and Carter-Williams) were double-digit scorers for the victors.
“I had too many turnovers the first half and I just wanted to get the ball out, run, be aggressive and attack the rim,” Carter-Williams said after the win.
Mayo, the fifth starter scored seven with five rebounds and three assists. Henson scored 11 and had four rebounds, three of the offensive variety in 14 minutes and Copeland secured his second-straight strong game with 11 points in 19 minutes.
The Bucks were able to entertain their home fans at UW, and Jason Kidd hopes the Bucks can make some return trips to the state capital in the future.
“I hope the people that came were entertained,” coach Kidd told the Journal Sentinel. “I hope they cheered on their Bucks. I thought it was a great atmosphere for a pro game to be here and hopefully we can come back.”
NEXT UP
The Bucks will have their preseason finale on Friday, Oct. 23 at the Target Center in Minnesota against the Timberwolves. Game time is 7 p.m. CT.
Then, the Bucks will open the regular season hosting the New York Knicks on Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 7:00 pm CT.
