The Celtics schooled the Bucks in Game 2, pulling away with a 120-106 win at home to advance to a 2-0 series lead. It was the second time Milwaukee lost to a Boston team with an injury list that could double as a starting lineup when healthy.
It was also the second time the Bucks didn’t get the performance they expected from Eric Bledsoe.
Bledsoe scored 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting in Milwaukee’s Game 2 loss to Boston. In Game 1, he scored nine points on 4-of-12 shooting along with five turnovers. Now, with the series heading back to Milwaukee, interim Bucks coach Joe Prunty has to make a decision: Make a change to stop the bleeding, or risk a similar performance — and a similar fate — at home in Game 3.
Bledsoe was never really the best fit in Milwaukee
When the Bucks traded for Bledsoe mid-season, there was a dual understanding. Yes, this was an interesting (mis)fit: Bledsoe isn’t a shooter, more so a slashing playmaker. His skill-set is comparable to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s. But having Bledsoe was an immediate improvement in the following category: Talent.
We can’t just gloss over his years in Phoenix. Sure, the Suns haven’t made the playoffs since the Steve Nash era, but Bledsoe improved virtually every year, averaging 21.1 points and 6.8 assists in his final full season there. He is a bulldog at point guard — a la Kyle Lowry (though not nearly as good a shooter) — an explosive athlete, a smart decision-maker off of pick-and-rolls, and a terror in transition. It’s what made him a sought-after trade target after the Suns slowly crumbled following a banner 2013-14 season.
But that’s not exactly what the Bucks needed. They get all of Bledsoe’s talents and more in Antetokounmpo. He’s the primary ball-handler, the primary threat in transition. There’s no need for two of those, especially when Bledsoe isn’t the most reliable shooter from three-point range.
That’s not to say Bledsoe isn’t a basketball talent. His skill set is just redundant with the Bucks’ main star, the player with the seventh-highest usage rate in the NBA, doing similar things better than Bledsoe on the court at the same time.
Bledsoe can still be of a big help to this Bucks team in the playoffs. A 2-0 series lead isn’t a death sentence, though a team’s odds of winning a playoff series after losing the first two games are drastically lower than they are if they split the first two games.
But Prunty has to make an adjustment in Game 3.
That adjustment should be starting Malcolm Brogdon
Jaylen Brown may have been the best player in Game 2, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is far and away the best player on either roster. It’s not even close. Antetokounmpo’s skill set is incredible, but the Celtics have game-planned for him. They pack the paint when he attacks, knowing the Bucks are in the bottom-third of three-point shooting percentages on the year.
Starting Brogdon helps address that need right away. He’s a 40 percent three-point shooter, a tough defender and a playmaker who doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be of help to his teammates. He’s the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year (save your Joel Embiid rant for another discussion). He can play ball, and he plays to Antetokounmpo’s strengths.
Much like James Harden in Houston, the Bucks would be best served surrounding their superstar with shooters who can space the floor. That way when he drives, Boston has to pick its poison: Help on The Greek Freak or give up three points.
Brogdon scored 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting on Tuesday and 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting in Game 1. It might not be the sexy move, and Bledsoe might not be happy about it, but Prunty should do it anyway.
Playing with the second unit would give Bledsoe more opportunities to be the main creator on offense. He has a similar usage rate in Milwaukee as he did during his best years in Phoenix, but his attempts seem forced at times. Playing with the reserves gives Bledsoe free reign to run amok against Boston’s second unit. That might be best for him, especially when additional floor spacing is the one thing the Bucks actually have that can elevate Antetokounmpo’s game to a different stratosphere.
Prunty also hasn’t played Brandon Jennings in either of Milwaukee’s first two playoff games. They signed him to a playoff contract for a reason. If Bledsoe isn’t giving much, there is no harm in seeing if Jennings can help.
There aren’t any substantial advanced statistics to prove that a lineup with Brogdon and Antetokounmpo is any better than a lineup with Bledsoe and Antetokounmpo. In fact, regular-season stats suggest the opposite — lineups with Bledsoe and Antetokounmpo outperformed lineups with Brogdon and Antetekounmpo. But this is the playoffs, where shooting and attitude matter more than in a long season against many opponents. The eye test says if Bledsoe doesn’t step it up, a change has to be made
The Bucks needed Bledsoe to pull through for Game 2. He didn’t. Now, they may have to make that decision. If they don’t, well, what you resist persists.
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