NBA Playoffs 2017: What We Learned Over The Opening Weekend
By Mason McFee
The Kids Can Play
Let the kids play!
If you went to literally any sporting event in your entire existence as a human being, then you have probably heard those words uttered by some way too passionate parent in the stands. While it can be funny the first one or two times, it loses its luster after the 27th time. Fortunately for Milwaukee, Jason Kidd’s, uh, kids can play.
More from Sir Charles In Charge
- LeBron James working to assemble super team for USA Basketball in 2024
- Dillon Brooks proved his value to Houston Rockets in the 2023 FIBA World Cup
- NBA Trade Rumors: 1 Player from each team most likely to be traded in-season
- Golden State Warriors: Buy or sell Chris Paul being a day 1 starter
- Does Christian Wood make the Los Angeles Lakers a legit contender?
The Bucks trotted out a starting lineup on Saturday featuring two rookies, the first team to do so since the Warriors a few postseasons ago. While Brogdon is in contention for ROTY (and for good reason, he’ll probably be the POTUS someday), we still don’t know Thon Maker’s age; so it was understandable for skeptics to raise their eyebrows.
Despite all that, they did it! In the playoffs, it’s almost a guarantee for every writer, analyst, coach, and their mother to talk about how many switches occur on a game-to-game basis. It’s pretty simple in concept, as it makes sense to want to get your speedy guard/wing being guarded by a lumbering big man, but it’s not as simple as that. (See: Bucks, Milwaukee).
Speaking of those young Bucks though, Brogdon was guarding many of Toronto’s top players throughout the game, and only finished with three personal fouls for the game – which indicates that he never got flustered guarding someone that might have had a height or scoring advantage.
Maker, on the other hand, is just so freaking long despite looking like a rail compared to Toronto’s bigs like Ibaka and Valanciunas, but again, it didn’t matter. He got switched a lot, which I’m assuming was a big part of Toronto’s game plan to try and expose the rookie, but he rose to the challenge (as best as a 7’1″ young man can).
Milwaukee’s starters have a combined wingspan of 6 million feet, so trying to get an entry pass down low is almost a guaranteed to yet another monster jam from Giannis, or a transition bucket by Middleton, or a spot-up three for Snell or Delly or (I’m assuming later in the series) Hawes or Teletovic….. you get the idea.
The Bucks might be one of the youngest teams in the league, but they handled the pressure of the playoffs pretty well for many of its player’ first time; so get used to it people. The Bucks aren’t going anywhere.