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1. The Bucks' young core is short on playoff experience, but thankfully Jason Kidd knows a thing or two about the postseason. (Fox Sports Wisconsin/Andrew Gruman)
"Just play, have fun and enjoy," Kidd said of his message to the playoff newcomers. "The game doesn't change. The media attention is heightened, individual performances may be heightened, but the game doesn't change.
"The rim doesn't go any higher. There aren't more guys on the floor. It is basketball. They need to keep doing what they've done the entire season, especially the last couple of weeks. We respect our opponent. They are a very talented and well-coached team. This is a tough test for us, but we have to go out there and play the way we have the past few weeks."
2. The Bucks' logo redesign began last June, was done by September, and six months later the Bucks' new look is finally here. (Maxim/Jason Feifer)
The Bucks’ request was unusual, Meyer says. Most sports briefs ask for something very modern—something aggressively now. The Bucks asked for something timeless, that plays off the team’s deep roots in Milwaukee. In particular, that meant getting rid of anything in the team’s look that wasn’t local. For example: Why was there red in the old logos and uniforms? There’s nothing red about Milwaukee.Meyer loved hearing that. "I’m thinking that the mark must still look good when I’m 80, and I tell my grandkids that I did this 40 years go," he says. "If people at first glance say, ‘That looks kind of plain and boring,’ usually for me that’s a good compliment. If it’s not over the top, I know it will last in time."
3. Bucks president Peter Feigin has big goals for the Bucks on and off the court. (WISports.com/Matt Trebby)
"We've made astronomical jumps into season tickets," Feigin said on Monday night before the logo unveiling. "We started the season with about 4,000. We'll end the year with little above 5,000. It just doesn't happen in one season."Feigin has a number in mind for what he wants to eventually get to as the team appears to head toward a new arena in 2017.
"The real goal is how to take events like (the logo unveiling), graduate partial plans into full plans and build that base," Feigin said.
"In a real world and a great strong team, you're looking for a nine to 10,000 season ticket holder base."
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo's breakout season has captured the imagination of many, including Bill Simmons. (Grantland/Bill Simmons)
With Giannis, it’s a little more under-the-radar — like it was with T-Mac in Year 2. He’s like a Durant/T-Mac scoring fetus. I can see it. How he bounces off people in traffic, how he gets his shot off from crazy angles, how he explodes to the rim, how he gets good shots off even when his opponent is playing perfect defense. I’m telling you, real stuff is happening here — glimpses, pieces, flashes, but real stuff. In his second year, Giannis isn’t even scoring 13 points a game. I bet that doubles within three years.
BONUS Link: Our friend Andrew Sharp tells us why Giannis is a Grantland Triangle All-Star!
5. Over at Milwaukee Magazine, the inimitable Eric Nehm hands out his Bucks season awards, with Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo prominently involved. (Milwaukee Magazine/Eric Nehm)