NBA Week 9 Rewind: Warriors show grit behind the spectacle
By Tom West
Who’s Struggling?
The Milwaukee Bucks have been no more than a disappointment so far this season. With the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, the return of Jabari Parker and the arrival of Greg Monroe, they’ve had what was a formidable defense to work with and increased offensive firepower. Together, that should have led them to a solid standing in the Eastern Conference. At the very least, a spot in the early playoff picture. As the weeks go by, though, it becomes clearer and clearer that the offseason hype was misguided.
After defeating the Warriors, it was fair to expect the Bucks to go on and win their next game against the lowly Lakers. As they lost 95-113, though, it was apparent that defeating the champions wasn’t much of a turning point. In their most recent loss (111-90) to the Toronto Raptors, they shot just 42 percent, allowed 13 threes, and were out-rebounded 38-44.
Even with Jabari Parker’s return, we know the Bucks don’t have a great offense. That largely stems from their questionable and inconsistent point guard situation. However, their defense should have been far better.
As they rank 27th in the NBA for defensive efficiency and 23rd for opponent three point percentage, though, that’s been far from the case (per ESPN.com). Despite Monroe’s lack of tough defense inside, the Bucks should still be better from the perimeter with the length of Giannis, Michael Carter-Williams, and Khris Middleton, just to name a few.
The Indiana Pacers are coming off a tough week after going 1-3 in their last four games. A loss to the Spurs is expected for almost any team in the NBA, but games against the troubled Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings should be far more winnable. If the Pacers hope to be a top playoff seed, they need to be.
The return of Paul George has been nothing short of spectacular. After coming back completely healthy to participate in his first full season since his gruesome leg break, George has been playing the best basketball of his career. Instead of simply trying to find his past form, he found it and went above and beyond what anyone expected.
It’s not all bad to rely on a star as that’s what most teams do. For teams who aren’t lucky enough to have multiple All-Stars like the Oklahoma City Thunder or Cavaliers, that’s just the norm. Yet, as the Pacers rely on Paul George’s perimeter shooting and lack much interior frontcourt scoring, the Pacers can struggle with scoring easier points in the paint. Which, considering those are the highest percentage shots in the game, makes it tougher to win if you aren’t as prolific as a team such as the Warriors.
So, as Indiana rank 24th in the NBA in points in the paint (per TeamRankings.com), their reliance on perimeter play and small defense may be a little too high.
Even though the Pacers weren’t expected to be a top team in the East this season, their surprisingly strong start must have left fans slightly frustrated over these recent losses.
Next: The Best Highlights of Week 9