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Monday Morning Media Roundup: May 13th, 2019

The “Redemption Tour - Part 2” Edition

NBA: Milwaukee Bucks at Toronto Raptors John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Oh how poetic it may prove to be.

The Milwaukee Bucks will face the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals in a rematch between two teams with very different paths to this destination. For Milwaukee, the buck (sorry) stops with Giannis Antetokounmpo and everything that has grown up around his shining star. For Toronto this trip to the ECF is not a new experience, but the presence of Kawhi Leonard makes this Raptors team something potentially unlike those units of years past that couldn’t get by LeBron James.

This is a title fight between a storied franchise reawakening from decades of torpor and the new kid on the block still hoping to break through the highest of glass ceilings. The NBA playoffs often sifts the wheat from the chaff by design so it feels right to have the East’s top two seeds on the cusp of locking horns. That the series will feature a pair of basketball’s preeminent stars is a cherry on top of all the built-in drama.

A final hurdle stands between the Bucks and a shot at immortality and there’s no guarantee it’ll be as easy to vault as the two before it. Storm clouds gather on the horizon and it’s Milwaukee’s turn to persevere through them.

Let’s roundup!


How many times in the entire storied history of the NY Times have the Bucks featured in back-to-back weeks? -100?

Fresh off a look at Giannis’s complex place in the world of immigrants scraping out a living in Greece, the Times gave the Bucks a proper bit of hype after the dispatching of the Boston Celtics. If you weren’t convinced Milwaukee has a shot at a title after their dominant regular season, you’re rapidly running out of earth to stand on as the Bucks inch closer and closer to the Finals.

Not just Giannis: Deep Milwaukee Bucks roar into East finals (Washington Post)

Old friend of the program Charles Gardner is right back into the thick of things shining a spotlight on the crucial role Milwaukee’s depth has played in getting the team to the Eastern Conference Finals. The beauty of the series against Boston wasn’t just seeing Giannis visibly adjust from game one onwards, but to also have the likes of George Hill, Pat Connaughton, and a returned Malcolm Brogdon turn in unlikely performance after unlikely performance.

GM Jon Horst will get a lot of acclaim for the players he assembled in such a short period of time, but even an Executive of the Year nod wouldn’t feel like enough credit.

Khris Middleton is the teammate every superstar needs (SB Nation)

I’m aware that the Middleton Fault is the single point that routinely sends shockwaves through Bucks fans’ discussions, but I think I’ve reached a state of zen regarding the situation thanks to many of the arguments Paul Flannery sets out in this piece.

He is the epitome of the type of player who thrives in a Giannis-led environment in nearly every facet through his play and off-court demeanor. Meanwhile the front office has shown itself capable of defusing even the nastiest of traps with a deft hand. A positive resolution feels in the offing, even if we have to wait a few months to hear the details.

No guarantee Brogdon starts for Bucks in ECF (ESPN)

The conundrum of finding Malcolm Brogdon minutes got a whole lot less threatening with how positive his return against the Celtics was.

With Toronto routinely trotting out a five-man group of Kyle Lowry, Danny Green, Pascal Siakam, Kawhi Leonard, and Marc Gasol, it feels like coach Mike Budenholzer could go numerous directions. Nikola Mirotic provided the spacing that unlocked Boston’s defense, and not rocking the boat unless necessary may be the initial strategy, especially as Malcolm continues to work his way back into the fold.

10 not-that-interesting facts about Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Record)

At first I was a little skeptical that they’d be able to find enough ordinary Giannis facts to pique my interest, but then I read this:

3. Giannis made his first career three-point shot in a 118-95 loss to the Miami Heat on November 12, 2013. That same day, Season 8 of Deadliest Catch came out on DVD and Blu-Ray.”

It only gets more inane from there.

The Social Media Section

It’s that time - Farewell to the Boston Celtics!

...AND HELLO 2019-2020 LAKERS!

This feels oddly relevant this morning

When two of sport’s greatest collide


All that’s left is to mention that the Bucks will return to play three times this week. As usual the first two will be at home Wednesday and Friday followed by a trip east to play in Toronto on Sunday.

The cherry on top? No mid-day games to throw off Giannis’s very particular routine which automatically guarantees a sweep for the good guys.

Somehow, someway, the Milwaukee Bucks are back in the Eastern Conference Finals. 48 hours separates us from a return to the path of glory and they can’t go by fast enough.

Happy Monday!