End of season thoughts:
1️⃣ With the injuries to Giannis & Dame, Bucks get a hall pass after an up and down season with a lot of change.
2️⃣ Unfortunately with the current luxury tax rules, there is little wiggle room to adjust the roster.
3️⃣ Doc will get much needed off-season to figure out how to make this team cohesive & dominant again.
4️⃣ Lillard under contract until 2027. Giannis under contract until 2028. Both have player options their final season. Assuming Dame picks up his player option at ~$59M, guaranteed 3 seasons to climb back to the mountain top.
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and Damian Lillard (Achilles) are both working to try and make a return vs. Indiana for Game 6 tonight, but still unclear if either will be able, sources tell ESPN. Bucks are trailing 3-2 in series.
Can’t overstate the importance of Pat Beverley in game 5.
73 touches in the game, second only to Middleton (76). Season avg was 37.9, nearly double with our two primary ball handlers out. 2 turnovers in 36 minutes.
#Bucks in 7
Brewers team rankings through March & April:
Record: 18-11 (1st in NL Central)
BA: 4th at .257 (23rd in 2023)
OBP: 3rd at .338 (17th in 2023)
HR: T-4th at 36 (24th in 2023)
RBI: 6th at 142 (18th in 2023)
SB: 3rd at 40 (18 SB in 2023 to date)
With Yelich playing 11/29 games (lower back), this young offense has stepped up in a big way. Here are a couple notable players off to a hot start.
1️⃣Catcher William Contreras ranks 7th in MLB BA at .345.
2️⃣Brice Turang ranks 19th in MLB BA at .312 (3rd at 2nd base). Brice also ranks 2nd in MLB SB (14) behind Elly De La Cruz (18).
With the loss of all-star pitchers Corbin Burnes (Orioles), Brandon Woodruff (out for season), and closer Devin Williams (out for ~3 months), pitching was bound to decline in 2024. To make matters worse, the Brewers have injuries to 3/5 starting pitchers. Here is where they rank up:
ERA: 20th at 4.08 (1st at 3.71 in 2023)
SO: 25th (14th in 2023)
BAA (batting avg against): 16th at .243 (1st at .226 in 2023)
WHIP (walks+hits per inning pitched): 21st at 1.31 (2nd at 1.19 in 2023)
Freddy Peralta has gone from our 3rd starter to our Ace in 2024, here is where he stands out among MLB ranks.
1️⃣5th in WHIP at 0.86
2️⃣5th in hits allowed
3️⃣7th in SO (4 pitchers ranked above started 1 more game)
4️⃣10th in BAA at .171
Bucks v Pacers Game 5 recap:
1. Pat Beverley: 13pts 12ast (+36 +/-). Played 36/48 mins taking the ball up against full court pressure.
2. Bobby Portis answers the bell with 29pts 10rbs on 14/24 (+30 +/-).
3. Role players show up in a big way at home. (Beasley 18 on 7/11 shooting, PC 9/4/4).