Raptors vs. Milwaukee Bucks – Playoff questions

The post-season is upon us, and the Raptors will face the Bucks in Round 1. Let’s talk to experts about Milwaukee’s players.

As always, we’ll start our playoff coverage with an in-depth look at the Toronto Raptors opponent, the Milwaukee Bucks. I’ve asked for help from my colleagues at FanSided’s Bucks site. Happily, Ti Windisch and Adam Mc Gee have stepped up to provide answers to my questions.

1. The conversation about the Bucks has to start with Giannis Antetokounmpo. In a season where he’s being discussed as the NBA’s Most Improved Player, which element of his game has improved most? As strange as it may sound considering all the great things he does on the floor, personally I think Giannis’ attitude is the biggest change for him this season. It was easy to tell that Antetokounmpo might be special last season and even before then, but this year he really stepped up and became a leader on this team. His hunger to score the ball and impact all aspects of the game has manifested itself in one of the finer seasons any Buck has ever had, a start in the All-Star Game and a likely All-NBA nod. Giannis is getting better at a lot of things, but his ability to go get buckets and lead Milwaukee is what’s taken the biggest step forward this year. 
2. When the season opened, I thought Jason Kidd was likely to be on the coaching hot seat. Yet here he is, leading a team with serious injury problems into the playoffs. What has he done best this year?  One of the better things Jason Kidd has done this season is letting the younger guys play. Many NBA coaches don’t like giving rookies a lot of playing time, and although only one of them typically sees starter’s minutes Thon Maker and Malcolm Brogdon have both become starters on the Bucks. In addition to helping develop those guys for later seasons, both of them have been able to help Milwaukee more than just about anybody anticipated this season. 
3. Khris Middleton’s return provided the spark the Bucks needed to overcome the loss of Jabari Parker. We all know Middleton as an excellent mid-range scorer. How’s his defense?   When he’s fully healthy, Khris Middleton is an excellent wing defender. He earned his current contract for being a three-and-d guy, although he’s since proven he can do a lot more than shoot corner threes and play defense. That being said, Middleton has hit somewhat of a wall recently as he gets back to NBA speed since returning from his torn hamstring. Middleton will likely ramp it up in the playoffs though, and being rested against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday should help too. Middleton might find himself on DeMar DeRozan at times throughout the series, because he’s a standout defender, although Tony Snell is no slouch on that end either. 
4. I saw John Henson as a rookie, and he showed me flashes of talent. Yet he’s clearly taking his time to emerge as a bona fide NBA player. Has he arrived – will he get much playing time?  If John Henson were consistently at or near the highest level he can reach, he would doubtlessly be the starter in Milwaukee. At his best, Henson is a shot-blocking menace who doesn’t miss with his smooth hook shot. Unfortunately, he can struggle to be consistent. One night Henson will put up 16 points and nine rebounds, and the next he’ll post two points and two boards. It’s yet undetermined how Jason Kidd plans to manage the center rotation in the postseason, although with Kidd anything is possible. 
5. Who is the Bucks’ most underrated player, and why?  There are a lot of underrated Bucks, as nobody watches this team play as far as casual NBA fans go, but Tony Snell has to take the cake. He’ll end up guarding both Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan at times in the playoffs, and he’s a consistent and dangerous three-point threat on the other end. He’s also taken to trying to dunk all over guys this season–Snell has been quietly fantastic in Milwaukee all year, and the Bucks certainly hope that carries over to the playoffs. 
6. How optimistic are you and your readers about your team’s chances against the Raptors?   I think most everybody in Bucks nation would’ve preferred drawing the Washington Wizards in the first round, but there’s certainly a lot of excitement brewing about this series. Giannis and the Bucks made the playoffs two years ago, but that Giannis scored less than 13 points per game in the regular season and less than 12 per game in the postseason. That wasn’t Giannis’ team–this is. Although anybody who knows anything about the NBA this year recognizes Toronto as a dangerous opponent with a deep bench and two legitimate star guards, Milwaukee believes as long as we’ve got Giannis, we’ve got a shot against anybody.