MILWAUKEE – The homework is being handed out.
It’s just not always being finished and turned back in.
That’s fine against a Detroit team that is equivalent to lunch or gym class, but against Professor Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks – even with their 6-9 underachieving start? That’s a recipe for defensive failure. An all-too familiar storyline for this Bulls team this season, and again showing up in Wednesday’s 122-106 loss at the Fiserv Forum.
“The experience is the best teacher,” Bulls guard Zach LaVine said after when the defense and the breakdowns associated with it were asked about. “For us right now it’s defense by committee. It’s not like we’re trying to give up certain plays or mess up certain things. I think you just got to go through it, and then keep hammering away with film, teaching points. We all make mistakes out there. It’s the ones that are costly. If you see Giannis (Antetokounmpo) in the post and we’re supposed to be doubling, it’s like, ‘OK …’ That happened a couple times.”
Probably more than a couple, and Antetokounmpo seemed to take advantage of it every time on his way to 41 points.
Just one of the frustrations for coach Billy Donovan on the evening, as he watched the Bulls slip to 6-10. Sure, the 20-0 free throw discrepancy in the second half didn’t help Donovan’s mood, but the defensive breakdowns have been an ongoing issue that doesn’t seem to be getting better anytime soon.
“We have to have much better gameplan discipline,” Donovan said.
That was evident early on, which led to Donovan simplifying the offense at halftime to switching everything on defense. The problem with that is the Bucks figured that out quickly and had a whole bunch of Giannis on LaVine, Giannis on Coby White moments, with the double-team not always getting over quick enough.
No wonder Antetokounmpo had 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting in the third.
“There’s a youthfulness to us in these situations,” Donovan said. “Things happen so fast and it’s like, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ We have to have a better awareness of personnel. You’ve got to randomly and very quickly make decisions. This is part of the learning and growing process for a lot of these guys where they’re now playing meaningful minutes.
“A lot of the younger guys have to understand the importance of the work that goes in away from the practice facility, in your hotel room, at your house at night, going through personnel, watching and studying, doing all those things.”
It didn’t help that the Bulls were without Patrick Williams (left foot), who was back in Chicago getting an MRI, leaving no real other physical presence at the wing in the rotation besides Torrey Craig.
What they did have? The three-ball. And they weren’t afraid to use it.
The Bulls went 5-of-12 from three in the 30-point first quarter, slipped a bit in volume in the second (3-of-8), and then kept the “Greek Freak” within reach in the third by shooting a ridiculous 7-of-12 from long range.
Three quarters in the books and 15-of-32 from three-point range. That’s how an 18-point deficit was just eight heading into the final stanza.
But with the game close midway through the fourth, Antetokounmpo re-entered and showed why he is a league MVP and NBA Champion.
So what did he do to finish the game off? Rebounded and found wide open teammates. Two of his assists led to uncontested threes, and then Antetokounmpo hit AJ Green with a pinpoint dime off the back door cut, which Green missed.
Not that it mattered as Milwaukee’s finest went a plus-12 in just under six minutes of work in the fourth, putting the Bulls on ice.
“He had a helluva game,” LaVine said of Antetokounmpo. “It was just a tough game.”