Monday Morning Media Roundup: February 10th, 2020

The mystical markets of buyout guys is something the Bucks haven’t had much of a chance to tap into in the past. Between all the losing, the losing, and being Milwaukee in mid-Winter, there wasn’t much of a reason for a free agent to-be to join the Bucks. That didn’t hurt much since there weren’t many stakes involved and the talent available after buyouts was usually somewhat shallow.

Which is where Marvin Williams enters the stage.

Bought out by the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, it took all of 2.5 hours before news came across the wire that Williams would be joining the Milwaukee Bucks. He steps into what might be argued as Milwaukee’s only iffy role in the rotation: That of backup forward.

Much as Ersan Ilyasova continues to be ever-young, much as we love him and his charge-taking, much as he deserves to be here for the final run at glory, he’s still perhaps at danger of coming up short in a tight playoff series where an opponent can gameplan to take advantage of his 10-15 minutes on the court.

And so Marvin will likely step into that role as a three-point shooter with a bit more athleticism still left in his legs to paper over the cracks. The question will be how much of a step forward he’ll be and how long it takes for him to gel within the team concept. There’s a reason why most buyout guys don’t end up serving as harbingers of immortality to come; let’s hope Marvin is an exception to the rule.

Let’s roundup!

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Do Great Regular Seasons Matter Anymore In The NBA? (Asking For A Friend In Milwaukee.) - (FiveThirtyEight)

Thought this was fascinating in all the right ways: Judging the narrative, parsing out why some stat models don’t routinely place Milwaukee atop championship odds charts, and intriguing numbers (such as the fact that Milwaukee’s point differential against bad teams sits at +16.3 while that same number against good opponents drops to +4.6).

A shame, really, that this Bucks team emerged at the start of the era where the regular season is almost discounted completely, especially given the historic value placed on the 82 games over decades past.

The Bucks Make Good Passes Instead Of A Lot Of Passes (Bucks.com)

I find the idea that the Bucks aren’t a team that passes a ton pretty compelling, though it really shouldn’t be a surprise given the speed with which Milwaukee attacks (and the fact that Giannis and Khris exist). Perhaps that’s an element they can utilize in the future if the usual direct route option isn’t working to perfection?

The short, unspectacular history of Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest (Milwaukee Record)

Really, the only way for things to go for Bucks in the dunk contest is up. So, uh, good luck raising the bar Pat. You’re gonna need it.

Kyle Korver reflects on speaking out about white privilege (The Undefeated)

An interesting sit down with Milwaukee’s veteran mercenary sharpshooter about his article from a year ago in The Players’ Tribune about his view on white privilege having spent his life as a player in so many different environments. His points are cogent and coincide with a lot of the work the Bucks are doing off the court regarding the state of racial inequality in society at-large.

Vulture Talk - Was D’Angelo Russell-Andrew Wiggins Trade Really About Dubs’ Plans for Giannis?

No matter how much I wave my dumb arms wildly in the air I can’t seem to get these buzzards off of me. Shoo! Go away!

Know Your Enemy

Sacramento Kings - Sactown Royalty - We don’t need to spin the Dedmon trade

So things are going just as well in Sacramento as they were the last time we checked in, except now instead of having a disgruntled Dewayne Dedmon they have Jabari Parker, Alex Len, and some savings for ownership. Also, this is Jabari’s fourth team since leaving Milwaukee in 2018.

Indiana Pacers - Indy Cornrows - Victor Oladipo returns with a bang, lifts Pacers over Bulls

Oladipo coming back to the lineup for the Pacers was one of the great theoreticals remaining in the Eastern Conference as the regular season continues into its second half. He’s looked rusty, but who wouldn’t after suffering a ruptured quad tendon? Still, the Pacers were able to win his first game back in part thanks to some timely shooting by the rehabbing star. Will he round into enough form to push the Pacers from scrappy squad to legitimate threats?

Fan Content of the Week

Curious about that no-good, downright-brutal opponent three-point shooting the Bucks suffer from time to time? So is burt snipes.

Curious how these Bucks stack up against two of the all-time great teams in basketball history? So is munchtime.

The Social Media Section

Someone has to advocate for Giannis

This is a developing situation, so keep tuned

Good guys Lopez Bros.

True, true, true, and TRUE

Kemba may try to beat the Bucks by himself to prove a point

(Also seems like Marvin was well-liked by all his teammates)

Let’s check in to see how Christian Wood took the news that Andre Drummond was no longer a Piston

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MMMR 2019-2020 Prediction Record: 34-19

retired janitor’s 2019-2020 Prediction Record: 45-7

And we’ve now made it to the ceremonial halfway point! At least, we’ve only got two more games in the of a deserved break for the Greatest Bucks Team in Nearly Five Decades.

That starts with a hosting of the Sacramento Kings tonight at home and ends on the road in Indianapolis against the Pacers. Normally, I’d worry about malaise from Milwaukee right before taking off to a very nice coastal location to enjoy some sunlight, but the Bucks are so used to malaise before crushing their opponents through sheer mathematical logic. Add on top the inevitable reality that the Kings and Pacers are also looking forward to vacations and a 47-7 record by the All-Star Break is within grasp.

Happy Monday!