Monday Morning Media Roundup: November 8th, 2021

Normally, you’d wake up on your Monday morning, boot up your phone/laptop/tablet, and race to my MMMR to see what boilerplate takes I have about the state of the team. I’m going to eschew that routine this week because the team sucks and won’t be getting radically better until either injuries begin to heal or roster shakeups start to happen. There’s no need for me to pile on just yet.

Instead, I’d like to put out there two points of order I’d appreciate readers’ input on. Last week I posted a proposal in the comments section of Kyle’s podcast article which was the equivalent of shouting “FIRE!” in a completely empty theater. My friend and yours stoneAge gave some input, but it makes more sense for me to publicize it here. What follows are my proposals:

1. Is there interest in our publishing a weekly general NBA game thread again? Previously, I would post it before games kicked off each Monday evening and then we’d pin it on the homepage somewhere. Engagement was patchy, and while putting it together doesn’t take much effort, taking up homepage space needs a rationale. So I submit to thee, the readers, this poll:

2. I often hear about how you’d like to see us, the elusive and often reticent staff of this site, join the readers “below the line” in the comments section. To that end, I’d like to launch a weekly staff/reader/commenter hang out. My inclination is to run it Friday afternoons (Central). I want to tinker with the Q&A functionality in Coral or even just set aside a designated post most weeks so we can have a live discussion about whatever (Bucks, NBA, life, etc.). Gives the staff a chance to go beneath the comment line more deliberately. I have to check with other staff members to see if there’s a time each week that would work best of them, but I really hope we can pull this off.

So... those are my latest ideas. I’m happy to hear any feedback you may have, and suggestions are always appreciated.

Let’s roundup!

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Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton tests positive for COVID-19, says Mike Budenholzer (ESPN)

Not exactly the kind of news we’d all been hoping to hear since the team is already ravaged with other ailments. With the Bucks now hitting the road on a week-long road trip, I’d assume Khris will wait to return (pending how he’s feeling post-Covid) until after the team is back in Milwaukee. Of course, we can’t be sure how long he’ll need to deal with lingering symptoms, so even having him back may not mean we have him back back.

Feel better, Khris.

Big Men Control the Balance of Power in the NBA Again (The Ringer)

Well... technically per this piece, two big men control the balance of power in the NBA again. This mostly reads as a piece in praise of Anthony Davis, with Giannis tossed in as a “he sort of does Anthony Davis stuff” comparison. Besides, I’m not sure big men ever stopped holding the balance of power in a sport where being tall is often a prerequisite. Sure, a “retro” center won’t cut it these days, but it was only a matter of time until the wider forces around basketball forced an adaptation to big mens’ games.

Giannis Antetokounmpo went to the Harry Styles concert, and loved it (SB Nation)

Giannis is the kind of guy who recruits his significant other to drive him around to various Milwaukee-area events. Riots he starts at local fast food drive thrus, Harry Styles concerts, a Starbucks for frappuccinos with the guys, etc. We salute Mariah for tolerating her gigantic preteen of a significant other. We also salute Bud for attending the same concert with not one, but two White Claws.

NBA Champion Jrue Holiday is helping 14-year-old boy search for a lifesaving gift (Good Morning America)

Good guy Jrue Holiday is working to get the word out about good organization Be The Match. As I can attest from first-hand experience, registering is a very simple process, and you’d be amazed at the number of times the organization is able to find a match who falls through for a variety of reasons. The more folks they can pull from, the more donations they can make happen.

Chaisson Allen excited for opportunity to coach Wisconsin Herd in NBA G League (The Post-Crescent)

Always a challenge to slap together a makeshift roster out of whole cloth and hope it works. Coach Allen will have a few returning Herd players (shoutout Jemerrio Jones and Rayjon Tucker) who should have some rudimentary chemistry, but winning in the G-League after they skipped an entire year will be a tall task. Good luck to ‘em.

Milwaukee Bucks City Edition Uniform: defending a title (NBA.com)

Uniform talk for those who are into it. I know I keep plugging it, so this will be my last little go about unis for awhile. The team also has their own piece officially revealing the uniforms. Also, some neat pictures.

Fan Post of the Week

I’ve seen nothing new except that one guy is back plugging European betting sites again. We’re working on re-banning the account and getting those taken down. That means this week’s winner is the moderation tools here at Brew Hoop!

Know Your Enemy

• Philadelphia 76ers - Liberty Ballers - The Sixers are having — and are! — fun

It’s a cold dark world where the Sixers are rising above the offseason drama and playing good basketball. It’ll be even colder and darker when they cream us by 45 this week.

• New York Knicks - Posting & Toasting - Knicks 113, Bucks 98: “No hustle or urgency that they had last year”

When you’ve just played a team, it’s often wise to go back to that latest result to get some insight about what their fans thought worked and didn’t work against you.

• Boston Celtics - Celtics Blog - Celtics development power rankings: finding more time for the kids

The Celtics are right there with us when it comes to underperforming teams who sit at 4-6 early in the season. A series of “development tracker” articles isn’t Celtics Blog waving the white flag, but we’re already pretty familiar with Boston’s top-line guys, so why not get acquainted with Misters 10-15 on the roster?

• Atlanta Hawks - Peachtree Hoops - Hawks are sunk by Clarkson, Jazz late surge 116-98

And Atlanta is also right there with us at 4-6! Turns out maybe we all suck to varying extents. A fact which keeps things interesting at a minimum.

The Social Media Section

Man...

Antetokounmpo for America: 2024

Delighted to live on the timeline that will see Giannis morph into the league’s best three-point shooter

Very cool opportunity for Melanie in Zora’s absence

Jemerrio is just honest

It’s time we make a change

Greg Monroe back

54 > 1

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retired janitor’s 2021-2022 prediction record: 4-6

Riley’s 2021-2022 prediction record: 6-4

How bad can it get? With four games left on this East Coast road trip, Khris out with illness, Brook a complete unknown, and Donte just vibing, I’m sure it can get pretty bad.

Milwaukee continues their path towards limited relevance on Tuesday in Philadelphia, followed the next night in New York against the Knicks. Then it’s a final stop in the northeast on Friday against Boston before heading down to George to face Atlanta on Sunday. Should I push against rj’s maxim? Can rj’s maxim be turned on its head given the team’s state? I think it may. Put me down for an imperfect 0-4 week which will get us in the perfect mood for some good old-fashioned intrafanbase confrontations.

Happy Monday!