LESS THAN ONE year after the Miami Heat bounced the Milwaukee Bucks from the 2020 postseason, the Bucks had a chance to avoid a second meeting in the 2021 playoffs. Hosting Miami on the last weekend of the season, the Bucks could've rested their best players and given the Heat a free pass to move up in the standings -- and likely drawn a matchup with either New York or Atlanta.
As the Bucks mulled over their options, countless conversations were shared, from the locker room to ownership and the front office. Khris Middleton, who'd gone through the bubble experience and seen a physical Heat team handle the Bucks, was well aware of Miami's toughness and experience. Facing them was a noble challenge -- but it would be a challenge. Jrue Holiday came to the Heat conversation with a fresh set of eyes. Unscarred by the bubble, he had scored 24 points in an early-season 47-point blowout of Miami, and thought the Heat eminently beatable. Giannis Antetokounmpo, of course, wanted payback.
Quickly, a resounding consensus emerged -- there was absolutely no way they'd duck the reigning Eastern Conference champions.
This wasn't a matter of public perception, but of collective honor. The Bucks had been the best team in the NBA over the past three seasons, and no serious contender with any self-respect engages in seeding gymnastics to circumvent any opponent.
While they're trying to exorcise their demons from postseasons past, this Bucks team is different -- in personnel, strategies and temperament. Yet like every team that reaches the pinnacle of the NBA Finals, their playoff run is informed by moments, events and decisions that occurred months and years before.
Antetokounmpo and Middleton arrived in 2013, the ownership group came in 2014, the current front-office leadership assumed its post in 2017, the head coach took over in 2018, and veterans Holiday and P.J. Tucker just months ago. Over that time, the Bucks have amassed signature wins and devastating losses. They've cracked codes and misplaced others. They've traded away key contributors and acquired missing pieces.
Here are nine consequential moments that define a Bucks Finals team almost a decade in the making.
THE GAME
Cleveland at Milwaukee, Nov. 29, 2016
In a game in which the 7-8 Bucks trailed the East-leading 13-2 Cleveland Cavaliers by 14 in the first quarter, 21-year-old Antetokounmpo devoured the Cavs in the open floor and outmuscled LeBron James in the half court to stage a comeback blowout.
Antetokounmpo would finish with 34 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and five steals -- the only player under 22 other than James to post a 30-10-5-5 game in 30 seasons. It was Antetokounmpo's third 30-point effort over the season's first 16 games, but more importantly, yet another clarion call for the NBA to take notice of this unique talent who might have the capacity and charisma to drag the Bucks back to relevance. Against the best team in the East, Antetokounmpo was simply unguardable.
In the four seasons since, Antetokounmpo has collected two MVP honors and carried Milwaukee from relevance to contention. Opponents crafted a name-brand defense -- The Wall -- to defend his onslaughts on the basket. His agonizing free throw routine provokes a rousing count in road arenas. His infectious, broad smile and compelling life story make him a worthy candidate to succeed the outgoing cohort of superstars.
Few teams in smaller markets like Milwaukee can stake claim to title aspirations without developing a talent of Antetokounmpo's magnitude, and the Bucks are in the Finals primarily because he made good on their hunch in the 2013 draft.
An admirer and close friend of Antetokounmpo's was asked last year whether Antetokounmpo had interest in being a "face of the NBA." The response was that Antetokounmpo would find that unseemly ... at least until he won a title.
THE NEW REGIME
The Bucks hire Mike Budenholzer, May 17, 2018
During the 2017-18 season, despite Antetokounmpo's continued maturation and a perimeter core of Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon and Eric Bledsoe, the Bucks remained a middling Eastern Conference team well outside title contention. So 45 games into his fourth year in Milwaukee, the Bucks fired Jason Kidd and went into the 2018 offseason in search of a new head coach.
The Bucks' brass had identified Hawks head coach Budenholzer internally as a desirable candidate months before he left Atlanta. His Hawks team without a top-20 player won 60 games in 2015, earning him Coach of the Year, and the offense was an appealing brand of selfless basketball while the defense was well-organized. When he arrived, he ushered in a change that was both schematic and cultural. A team that had ranked 20th in pace learned to play faster, the offensive approach relying less on specific playcalls and actions and more on reading the defense and reacting accordingly. Spacing became the foremost concern, and the Bucks used it to generate high-percentage looks from beyond the arc and at the rim.
Defensively, the Bucks performed a full 180 from Kidd's aggressive, trapping strategy that emphasized the gaps and looked to force turnovers. Instead, the Bucks defended pick-and-rolls 2-on-2 -- staying out of rotations at all costs -- and dropped Brook Lopez back to defend the rim. Just as the Bucks wanted to avoid midrange jumpers on the offensive end, they sought to encourage them from their opponent.
Tactics aside, the most defining changes Budenholzer brought were cultural. He professionalized the operation and instilled it with a structure that is simultaneously demanding and efficient -- a contrast to the sleep-at-the-facility Tom Thibodeau-ian ethic. Players take their "vitamins," individual workouts with assistants -- often a different assistant each day -- with both specific objectives and larger goals. There are no offensive coordinators, defensive coordinators or "player development" specialists. Everyone from players to coaches to the performance staff are generalists steeped in every facet of the game.
The results: an NBA-high 162 regular-season wins over the past three seasons, 15 more than second-place Denver. Yet postseason failures in 2019 and 2020 were conspicuous holes on the résumé, compounded by the perception that an excessive attachment to the strategies that worked so well in the regular season contributed significantly to those failures.
The Bucks spent much of this season in the laboratory introducing new defensive coverages designed to reverse those disappointments. Their former No. 1 defense ranked 10th in 2020-21, and they finished third in the conference. But some of that fallout was due to calibrating that successful regular-season formula and readying the new approach for the postseason.
With the Eastern Conference crown, three emotionally fraught seasons have finally yielded a trip to the Finals.
THE PLAN
"The Khris Middleton All-Star Plan," Sept. 25, 2018
None of this was preordained for the 39th pick in the 2012 draft, whom Milwaukee acquired as a secondary player in a trade of Brandon Jennings for Brandon Knight. In a league that was becoming increasingly dynamic and reliant on the pick-and-roll and 3-point shooting, Middleton was an old-school wing who loved to manufacture midrange shots at the foul line extended area.
But Budenholzer and his staff saw a player who had the intelligence and shot creation to diversify his game. Middleton had always worked his strengths, but now was the time to work the part of his game that came less naturally. When the Bucks opened training camp in September 2018, they presented Middleton with a blueprint designed to get him his first All-Star nod. The staff titled it, "The Khris Middleton All-Star Plan."
The details? Reorient your game away from the stuff you're most comfortable with and learn a new way to play. Convert a good number of those midrange jumpers into 3-point attempts. Learn to be more creative out of the pick-and-roll. Play defense with greater discipline.
Today, Middleton is the Bucks' most versatile creator in the half court, a shot-maker capable of taking over. When the Bucks were in danger of dropping their opener this postseason against Miami, Middleton hit the decisive leaning, fadeaway jumper with less than one second left in overtime. He helped save the Bucks' season with 38 points against the Brooklyn Nets in Game 6, with the Bucks down 3-2, and then was the undeniable savoir in the Game 7 overtime thriller when he drained a tiebreaker turnaround fadeaway jumper in traffic with 40 seconds left. His brilliant third quarter in Game 6 effectively closed out the series against Atlanta.
With the Bucks down 2-0 as the Finals shift to an arena where Middleton shoots the ball exceptionally well, he'll have not only a chance to redeem himself after two inefficient outings in Phoenix, but an obligation if Milwaukee is to have a chance at a comeback.
THE BUILDING
Chicago at Milwaukee, Oct. 3, 2018
In January 2017, the Philadelphia 76ers paid a visit to Milwaukee to face off against the Bucks at the Bradley Center. Over the years, the '80s-era monument to concrete (24,000 cubic yards of it) became the most antiquated arena in the NBA, so it was hardly shocking that Sixers center Joel Embiid posted an action photo of himself working down on the block with the geotag, "S---hole."
It's not as if the Bucks organization wasn't aware of the inferiority of its facilities. The club knew that if it wanted to gain in stature as a franchise, it would need to improve.
While Embiid was making a joke at their expense, the Fiserv Forum and the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Sports Science Center (the Bucks' new practice facility) were under construction. The practice facility opened its doors in 2017, and the Bucks played their first game at Fiserv Forum against the Chicago Bulls in the 2018 preseason.
Players who spend much of their waking life during the lengthy NBA season working out, practicing and playing live games want to know their workplaces are up to standard, and want ownership groups to convey their seriousness with capital investments. In the Bucks' case, they not only put resources into hardware, but also the software inside the machine as they built one of the more advanced health and performance programs in the NBA under sports scientist Troy Flanagan.
For Milwaukee, the timing couldn't have been more fortuitous. Not only were the Bucks in pursuit of a long-term deal with Antetokounmpo -- a known gym rat -- they also sought to surround him with the best supporting cast.
Today, the "s---hole" has been replaced by a gleaming jewel box.
THE VALUABLE STRETCH
Milwaukee at Denver, Nov. 11, 2018
For several years, the Bucks' front office adopted a roster-building strategy that placed a premium on length. Antetokounmpo served as tentpole, along with Middleton and his 6-foot-11 wingspan, centers John Henson and Thon Maker, Jabari Parker, Brogdon (a point guard with a 6-foot-11 wingspan), and even back-of-the-rotation guys such as Tony Snell. Whichever combination the Bucks chose to put on the floor, you wouldn't be able to out-length them.
But going long wasn't getting the Bucks where they wanted to go, certainly not defensively. In the Era of the 3, the Bucks ranked 28th in percentage of points allowed from beyond the arc, and 22nd in 3-point percentage.
Enter Lopez. For their biannual exception of $3.4 million, the Bucks nabbed the endearingly goofy 7-footer, who had spent the prior season averaging 23 minutes per game with the dysfunctional Los Angeles Lakers and was looking to resuscitate his career. As it happened, the Bucks were looking for a big man who could protect the rim and keep defenses honest on the perimeter.
It came to fruition in less than a month. In the 13th game of the season, a seven-point win in Denver, Lopez fired with impunity. He drained 3s from the right corner, on drive-and-kicks from Antetokounmpo and Middleton, and as the trailer on the break. He hit them from a boat, he hit them with a goat. Overall, he made eight 3-pointers on 13 attempts in the victory.
Lopez supplied the "stretch" -- and he also provided the big. The Bucks assembled the top-ranked defense in his first two seasons with the team, and have ranked first, first and third respectively in opponents' field goal percentage inside of five feet over the past three seasons.
In many respects, Lopez is a primary reason the Bucks have remained true to the drop coverage (sometimes to a fault) as their primary defensive scheme in the pick-and-roll. He has simply been too good at protecting the basket to resist.
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THE LESSONS
NBA postseason, Aug. 18, 2020
None of the 16 teams that qualified for the 2020 playoffs were immunized from the sacrifices required by the bubble in Orlando, Florida. But over the course of the weeks leading up to the postseason, the Bucks had an especially difficult time enduring its hardships.
Veteran guard George Hill was among those reluctant to appear in the bubble at all. Antetokounmpo never seriously considered bowing out of Orlando, sources said, but his experience in the bubble was particularly trying. Disrupted from his extremely regimented routine and deprived of his family for weeks, including his infant son, Liam, and his partner and Liam's mother, Mariah Riddlesprigger, Antetokounmpo never fully acclimated to the isolated environment. In addition, Bledsoe weathered a bout with COVID, and never fully recovered.
When Jacob Blake was shot by a police officer less than 40 miles from Milwaukee in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Bucks then claimed a place at the center of a social justice movement. That role was elevated when the team, in protest, declined to take the floor for Game 5 of their first-round series in Orlando.
With the world outside in tumult, the Bucks' frailties were exposed. As the Bucks began their conference semifinal series against the Miami Heat, they appeared nothing like the dominant team that had won nearly 75% of its games and earned the top seed over the previous two seasons. They couldn't crack "The Wall" the Heat erected to contain Antetokounmpo, and they didn't adjust their defense for a less orthodox Heat offense that exploited their tried-and-true schemes. The Bucks lost in five games.
Like many elite NBA players, Antetokounmpo would later tell confidantes in the offseason that he'd be reluctant to play in any kind of bubble environment again, be it regular season or postseason. And while he refused to claim the bubble as any excuse for the Bucks' early exit, that failure was a catalyst for their redemption this postseason. The Bucks learned that success is extremely precarious in the NBA. One injury, one odd occurrance like a pandemic, the burden of being at the center of a social justice movement, can derail even the most successful team from its goal.
THE UPGRADE
Bucks acquire Jrue Holiday, Nov. 24, 2020
The affection the Bucks' locker room and front office had for point guard Bledsoe was profound. A taciturn, 6-foot-1 Alabamian, Bledsoe found a home in Milwaukee under a coach in Budenholzer who loved his defensive tenacity and generous spirit. During his three-year stint with the Bucks, Bledsoe earned one first-team All-Defensive honor and one second-team nod.
But Bledsoe underperformed during the Bucks' disappointing postseason runs. And when the 2020 offseason rolled around, the Bucks had two primary goals -- sign Antetokounmpo to his max contract and find a more capable postseason quarterback.
Holiday was that guy, but the price for his services was steep -- Bledsoe, Hill, three draft picks and two pick swaps. And the risk -- trading depth for talent -- was high. The Bucks ran 10 deep in the 2020 playoffs but feature a shorter rotation this postseason, with Antetokounmpo and Middleton playing considerably more minutes, and Holiday averaging nearly 39 minutes per game, more than any Budenholzer point guard by a healthy margin.
With Antetokounmpo sidelined for the final two games of the Eastern Conference finals, Holiday orchestrated more of Milwaukee's half-court offense -- and the Bucks played their most efficient offense of the past month, scoring 123 points per possession versus 109.6 during their playoff run through Game 4 of the conference finals.
Then there's his defense, which has been something to behold. The first-team All-NBA defender has smothered opponents at the point of attack in Milwaukee's conventional pick-and-roll defense. Overall, Holiday has posted a net rating of plus-8.1, second on the team only to Tucker.
THE FINAL PIECE
Bucks acquire P.J. Tucker, March 19, 2021
Jon Horst was nobody's first choice when he was hired as the Bucks' general manager in June 2017. Milwaukee's fractured ownership group was at an impasse, each party favoring a different candidate to replace GM John Hammond. When the principals couldn't come to an agreement, they settled on Horst, a longtime junior front office executive, as a grand compromise.
Horst, an unassuming hard worker, didn't drive a hard bargain in his salary negotiation, settling for a modest offer that would made him the lowest-paid lead exec in the league. He told them he was inspired by the opportunity and not the money. Horst also assured the hedge fund owners who delight in the gamesmanship of negotiation and might look askance at a GM who doesn't, that this wouldn't be his modus operandi when representing the Bucks.
Horst made good on the promise. Over the past four years, he has secured the long-term services of Antetokounmpo and Middleton, hired Budenholzer, brought in Lopez (initially on a minimum salary), crafted the deal for Holiday and, more generally, presided over a well-maintained culture that reflects Antetokounmpo's competitive sensibilities.
During this season, the Bucks determined they needed one more player -- a tough 3-and-D veteran with deep playoff experience and defensive versatility. The front office identified a small group that included Trevor Ariza and Tucker. As the Bucks studied the market, Tucker materialized as the likely get.
The Bucks knew they were the only suitor for Tucker willing to part with a first-rounder, and had a limited pool of players who'd fit into a deal. They were ultimately able to pick up Tucker in exchange for D.J. Augustin, D.J. Wilson, a first-round pick and a pick swap that will have the Bucks moving from No. 24 to No. 31 in this month's draft.
In one fell swoop, the Bucks added a player who leads the team in net rating this postseason with a gaudy +11.3, more than two points higher than any teammate. All the while, the team ducked out of the luxury tax and moved future money for a contract that didn't fit in Augustin's.
The trade, which was both consequential and money-saving, represents the reign of pragmatism installed in Milwaukee in recent seasons. Because they've dealt away a trove of future assets, the Bucks will have to continue to nibble around the margins to maintain a roster that can contend well into Antetokounmpo's prime. As headaches go, it's manageable.
THE ADJUSTMENTS
Multiple instances, 2021 playoffs
Reputations are hard to shake. Fair or not, Budenholzer gained one as a dogmatist for his reluctance to adapt his trusted regular-season schemes to postseasons that demand more flexibility. What works against the Sacramentos and Orlandos on a Tuesday night in January won't necessarily be effective against elite scorers and offensive game plans that have the benefit of intensive scouting and preparation.
For almost all of Budenholzer's tenure, the Bucks have been faithful to their drop coverage, which requires Lopez to remain back against a high screen and patrol the paint against any drive or rim roll. Given the Bucks' elite status as a defensive team, that commitment makes sense. But it has burned them in the playoffs and bit them in their Game 5 loss to the Nets in the semifinals -- Kevin Durant's 49-point game. In Game 6, the Bucks ratcheted up their switching against Durant and James Harden, to great effect. They yielded only 0.73 points per chance when they did, holding the Nets to only 89 points and staving off elimination. By the conference finals, the Bucks were switching as a matter of course, stifling the Hawks in the process.
While the Bucks continued to rely on the drop, Lopez could be seen creeping up a few feet toward the screen when Durant came off it. On a per possession basis, Lopez played up most frequently during the Bucks' convincing Game 6 win.
One of the more interesting debates in Milwaukee is how to delineate defensive assignments to the starting unit, most notably Antetokounmpo, the former Defensive Player of the Year. If you had to design a help defender in a laboratory, he'd come out looking like Antetokounmpo -- length, speed, an enormous wingspan and the springs to swoop in from the weakside and challenge at the rim. As tempting as it might be to ask him to guard the opponent's most prolific scorer, he's a perfect rover.
During the fateful series loss to Miami in last season's bubble, Antetokounmpo filled that precise role -- and Jimmy Butler went off. When the tip went up in Game 1 of the Heat series this year, Antetokounmpo could be found all over Butler. When guarded by Antetokounmpo, Butler posted a meager 39.1 effective field goal percentage. The hero who torched the Bucks in 2020 was neutralized in 2021.
DESPITE DROPPING GAME 2 of the Finals, the Bucks made some quality adjustments in the loss. They unleashed Holiday as an on-ball defender, empowering him to bust through screens and apply ball pressure. They were more attentive to the space between the perimeter and the basket, where Phoenix's midrange shooters can exact so much damage.
To be sure, Milwaukee suffered its fair share of mistakes in help situations, especially on the weakside perimeter, but the Bucks allowed Phoenix a shot probability of 53.8% (the expected effective field goal percentage taking into account the shooter and defense) -- a good margin less than the Suns' 55.9% in Game 1, and below the Bucks' own mark in Game 2 of 55%.
But as the series moves to Milwaukee, the Bucks are presented with a much simpler adjustment. This is no longer about the nuances of pick-and-roll coverage or finding superior spacing in the half court. The Bucks performed reasonably well in both respects in Game 2.
This is about Middleton and Holiday making shots the offense is already providing. If they don't, there isn't an adjustment in the world that can overcome missed opportunities. The Bucks -- and the laws of basketball -- just aren't designed that way.