Sports Weekly All-media reporter Luo Ke
As last season’s regular season champion, the Bucks seem to have a different face in the eyes of bookmakers:
In the 2019-20 regular season win odds list, the Bucks still top the list. They are considered to be able to win 57 regular season games, 1.5 games ahead of the second-placed Clippers, and 2.5 games ahead of the 76ers in the Eastern Conference;
On the championship odds list, the Lakers, who are predicted to win 51 games in the regular season, are the most popular. It is rumored that the capital betting on the Purple and Gold Corps to win the championship is at least 6 times that of other teams;
The 76ers are even lower;
In his first season in Milwaukee, he led the team to 60 wins in the regular season and was elected the best coach. Coach Budenholzer, who led the team to the conference finals for the first time in 18 years, is considered to be the five most likely to be in trouble or even dismissed in the new season.
One of the NBA coaches.
What kind of existence is a stag?
Keeping the basic set, the Bucks gather strength and rush to the championship
If it weren’t for the renewal of the contract with the main point guard Bledsoe in the middle of last season, this summer the Bucks will face the complex situation that the team’s five players with the highest comprehensive quality except Antetokounmpo will all return to free agency:
It is difficult to decide whether Ledsoe, Middleton, Brook Lopez, Brogdon and Mirotic will stay or not.
In the end, the Bucks left No. 2 Middleton with 178 million in 5 years, and renewed the contract with 3D center Lopez with 52 million in 4 years.
Abandoning Mirotic was not a particularly difficult choice, and the Spaniard finally chose to return to the Europa League and did not become the opponent of the Bucks in the new season.
And when the Pacers offered a high price of 85 million in four years, the Bucks could only say goodbye to this combo guard with excellent skills in both offense and defense.
It is not bad to be able to get a first-round pick and two second-round picks by signing first and then changing. After all, for such a small ball market, the high luxury tax is really unbearable.
Judging from the team’s current lineup, veteran George Hill is undoubtedly the best candidate to replace Brogdon.
Therefore, although the Bucks gave up George Hill’s non-fully guaranteed contract in the last year as expected, they immediately re-signed the contract with 29 million for three years (of which 20 million is fully guaranteed).
And finding a space-type fifth position that can protect the penalty area is much more difficult than finding a small combo guard.
Therefore, it is definitely a good move for the Bucks to keep Lopez at an acceptable price.
As for Middleton, you may think that he is not worthy of the quasi-maximum salary, but he can shoot three-pointers, can shoot mid-range and play low singles, and he is one of the most reliable backup plans for the Bucks when their offensive tactics can’t run.
In addition, Middleton is also one of the main starting points of the team’s offense and an underestimated organizer. His assist rate exceeds 90% of the strikers in the league.
The pick-and-roll tactic of Middleton holding the ball Antetokounmpo covering is one of the most powerful killing moves of the Bucks.
Moreover, Middleton’s defensive rebound rate also exceeded more than 90% of players in the same position.
Although affected by serious injuries, Middleton’s individual defensive ability has declined, but he is still a reliable defender at critical moments.
Middleton may not be a top player in any way except shooting, but he can pretty much do what his coaches and teammates give him.
There are really not many second masters who clearly understand their position in the tactics and do not occupy too much usage rate.
“He is a chameleon in the Bucks system and can change as needed: scorer, organizer, defensive gate… He is the perfect template for modern NBA players.” Forbes sports reporter Brian Sampson commented.
Antetokounmpo Middleton Bledsoe Brook Lopez, the Bucks left four of the five main players; plus George Hill, the Bucks averaged 6 points per game in double figures in the playoffs last season.
players, only Brogdon left the team-as the best general manager last season, Horst said he had done his best.
“The last few weeks have been the craziest I’ve ever been. I don’t want to judge my job as hitting a home run because we value Brogdon so much and we know what he means to the team. But
Overall, we are very happy with the current state of the team.”
Increase experience points, the team becomes more stable
38-year-old Korver, 32-year-old Wesley Matthews, 31-year-old Robin Lopez…Constrained by the limited salary space, the new aid introduced by the Bucks this summer is mainly to seek the championship without asking for high salaries
The veterans are the main ones.
Horst believes that if they want to win the first championship in nearly half a century, what the Bucks lack the most is the experience of playing key games, and several new aids can effectively make up for this.
Like Korver.
He has represented the 76ers, Jazz, Eagles and Cavaliers in 135 playoff games, equivalent to 1.7 NBA seasons; his three-point shooting percentage in the playoffs was 39%, not worse than the regular season at all,
Moreover, since the age of 34, he has averaged 4.4 three-pointers per game in the playoffs, and his shooting percentage has increased to 41%.
As one of only two players in the Bucks to play in the finals (the other is George Hill), Korver’s big heart is beyond doubt.
“Korver is a top three-pointer and will play a very influential role in our team. He is a very respected coach and has great prestige on and off the court.” Horst said, “In addition to the rich
With experience, he also knows Budenholzer’s tactical system very well.