One could unearth dozens upon dozens of insights to explain how the Bucks have fallen into a ditch against the rising Suns, but these three do a reasonably good job of providing an overview of the situation:
The Bucks would be well served to get better rotations on the floor from Budenholzer. There’s really no excuse to not put his best five players on the floor for more extended minutes. That said, this series is a lot less about Bud and a lot more about Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton not giving Milwaukee what it needs.
The numbers sometimes lie, but not in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Holiday (7-21 from the field) and Middleton (5-16) were a combined 12 of 37, under 33 percent. They were a combined 2 of 9 on 3-pointers and got to the free throw line a total of three times in a game the Bucks lost by 10.
Imagine if they shot 16 of 37 (still well under 50 percent), were 3 of 9 on 3-pointers (33 percent), and scored a combined eight points at the foul line. Their statistical profile would hardly rate as spectacular, and yet the Bucks would have had 17 more points: one more 3-point make, three more 2-point makes, and the eight foul shots.
This is what has to be crushing for the Bucks and their fans: They don’t need Middleton and Holiday to be saviors in this series. They just need them to be moderately above average. B-level or B-plus basketball might be enough to grab wins, but Middleton and Holiday aren’t playing anything better than a C-level brand of ball.
Criticism of Budenholzer has its place, but if Michael Jordan couldn’t win NBA titles until Scottie Pippen evolved and the Chicago Bulls built a better supporting cast around His Airness, it’s not that different with Giannis Antetokounmpo. The man who hyperextended his right knee just a week and a half ago went off for 42 points in Game 2, 20 in the third quarter. He made 15 of 22 field goal attempts.
It’s scary that Giannis dominated this game despite going just 1 of 5 on 3-pointers and only 11 of 18 at the foul line. Imagine if he could shoot better from long range and at the charity stripe. Nevertheless, he carried this team while far less than 100-percent healthy. It is a shame his Milwaukee teammates couldn’t do their part against the Suns.
That, not anything else, is the main storyline of the series for the Bucks.
If one was to identify non-Holiday, non-Middleton reasons for this 2-0 series deficit, the Donte DiVincenzo injury is a good place to start. DiVincenzo would be the perfect boost for a team which has not shot 3-pointers well for most of the playoffs, and which labored through a 9-of-31 effort from the arc in Game 2 against the Suns. DiVincenzo won a national championship for Villanova in 2018 with his 3-point shooting. One can clearly see how much the Bucks miss his offense. DiVincenzo could come in for Holiday, whose offense has been abysmal in the postseason. Budenholzer doesn’t have that option. He faces a lot of limitations at the moment, though he certainly should put his best five on the floor more often.
The Milwaukee Bucks will return home on Sunday for Game 3 of the NBA Finals. They will play their first NBA Finals home game since May 12, 1974. If the East champions want to treat Milwaukee fans who have waited nearly half a century for this moment, it’s clear where a revival has to begin. Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton need to lead the charge, and the supporting cast has to make timely 3-pointers.
