Fear The Deer -- Milwaukee Bucks Dynasty

[southernmetalhead]

Re: Fear The Deer -- Milwaukee Bucks Dynasty

Aww man, after that Mayo clutch bucket in Game 6, I was hoping you could ride the momentum into a game 7 win. Still, a great season for the Bucks making the playoffs and getting to the conference semifinals. That doesn't happen often in Milwaukee. Looking forward to your off season moves to try and take the next step.

[benrich315]

Re: Fear The Deer -- Milwaukee Bucks Dynasty

Bulls vs Blazers
NBA FINALS




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[benrich315]

Re: Fear The Deer -- Milwaukee Bucks Dynasty

Aww man, after that Mayo clutch bucket in Game 6, I was hoping you could ride the momentum into a game 7 win. Still, a great season for the Bucks making the playoffs and getting to the conference semifinals. That doesn't happen often in Milwaukee. Looking forward to your off season moves to try and take the next step.

Me too dude. Was a really fun series though. The Bucks have only been to the semifinals six times in their 30 years as a team. Thanks for reading man, much appreciated!

[benrich315]

Re: Fear The Deer -- Milwaukee Bucks Dynasty

Chicago Bulls NBA CHAMPIONS










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[benrich315]

Re: Fear The Deer -- Milwaukee Bucks Dynasty

Off-season updates coming tonight or tomorrow!

[benrich315]

Re: Fear The Deer -- Milwaukee Bucks Dynasty

NBA Offseason Report

Player Retirements



Hall Of Fame Inductees



NBA Draft





Top 10 Picks




Bucks Pick



Free Agency







Bucks Signings



Bucks Roster Changes

-Bucks released PG Nate Wolters (free agent)
-Bucks released SF Khris Middleton (signed with Indiana Pacers)
-Bucks released SF Damien Inglis (free agent)
-Bucks released PG Kendall Marshall (free agent)
-Bucks trade C Larry Sanders and '15 1st Round Draft Pick to Portland for SG Wesley Matthews, PF Joel Freeland, '16 1st Round Draft Pick and '17 2nd Round Draft Pick
-Bucks released PF Joel Freeland

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[pfeifere1]

Re: Fear The Deer -- Milwaukee Bucks Dynasty

I finally caught up in this! By far my favorite nba 2k thread to read, everything is so well done.

As for your season, DAMN! What a year it was. Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals is no small feat. Well done benrich!

I like your offseason moves as well. BUT it looks like the Lakers are back in business with their 2 solid acquisitions, which I like to see.

Best of luck as you move towards season 2

[southernmetalhead]

Re: Fear The Deer -- Milwaukee Bucks Dynasty

Nice offseason moves, and I see you stuck to your Syracuse roots in the draft.

[benrich315]

Re: Fear The Deer -- Milwaukee Bucks Dynasty

Milwaukee Bucks 2015-16 Season Preview







Bench
PF Nerlens Noel | PG Reggie Jackson | SF Jerami Grant | SG O.J. Mayo | C John Henson
PG Isaiah Canaan | PF Rakeem Christmas | PF Johnny O'Bryant

Last Season: 42-40
Average Age: 23
Head Coach: Jason Kidd

Milwaukee, WI -- The Milwaukee Bucks finished the 2015 season by exceeding the expectations of every NBA analyst or fan of the game. With a record of 42-40, the Bucks rode late season momentum all the way to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

They took the six seed Atlanta Hawks to a brutal game seven and lost by six points. It was heartbreaking for Bucks fans, but it was motivation for the players.

This season, expectations are even higher for this young Milwaukee Bucks team. With an average age of 23 and a few new additions, they look shaped up to make a nice playoff run as a middle of the pack seed.

Farewells
The Bucks saw quite a few players depart this offseason. The two most important are C Larry Sanders and SF Khris Middleton. Sanders is coming off a solid year all around for him. He averaged 8.4 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 1.9 BPG. His defensive presence will be missed in Milwaukee, but his $11M/yr contract and big personality will not.

Middleton's offensive ability made him a great bench option. He can shoot from anywhere on the court, but what he lacked on defense really overshadowed his offensive game. He is not a very good one on one defender and isn't a strong rebounder. He was asking for more money and he got it from the Pacers at $6M/yr.

Less notable departures are guards Kendall Marshall and Nate Wolters. Also, SF Damien Inglis was waived prior to free agency. None of these players contributed enough to be considered valuable.

Newcomers
The Bucks made some nice moves during free agency. The biggest being center Roy Hibbert. Larry Sanders was a great defensive big man, but he was never strong on the offensive side of the ball. Hibbert brings the best of both worlds. Standing at 7'2'', 280 lbs, his inside presence will give the Bucks another option down low.

Reggie Jackson will be playing backup to Michael Carter-Williams. He is an exciting player and the winner of 2015 Sixth Man Of The Year while playing for Oklahoma City last season. His speed and decision making skills will make for a great addition in Milwaukee.

The Bucks also made some waves in the world of NBA trades. Pleasing most fans, the Bucks shipped Larry Sanders for Wesley Matthews and some draft picks. This is an exciting move as Matthews is deadly from long range. With O.J. Mayo seeming to be regressing, it's prime time for the Bucks to bring in another strong shooting guard to help carry the offensive load.

In the draft Milwaukee acquired yet another Syracuse alum in Rakeem Christmas. He averaged 18 PPG, 9 RPG, and 2.5 BPG. He has a 7'3" wingspan and is in exception shape playing over 35 MPG his senior season. He will be a nice addition to the young team as he rejoins old teammates Jerami Grant and Michael Carter-Williams.

Backcourt
The addition of Matthews only helps Milwaukee. The duo of Mayo, who had a great 2015 season, and Matthews at the shooting guard position may prove to be one of the best in the league. The two have eerily close stat lines. PPG (Mayo 15.5/Matthews 15.8), RPG (Mayo 3.4/Matthews 3.5), APG (Mayo 3.9/Matthews 4.2), and SPG (Mayo 1.1/Matthews 1.3). Hopefully they can live up to the hype they bring into this season.

Carter-Williams is coming off a solid season. He averaged 12.5 PPG, 5 RPG, 6.4 APG, and 1.9 SPG. All season MCW showed signs of improvement in all facets of his game. His shooting percent has increased, his turnovers decreased, and his assists rose. It seems the Bucks made a solid choice in trading for the young guard.

MCW's backup is now Reggie Jackson. Coming off his best season and the 6th Man Of The Year award, the Bucks have high hopes for the young guard. He played behind one of the best in the league in Westbrook last season. This season he is hoped to be even more of a contributor in rotation with Carter-Williams who played a lot of minutes last season and was in need of a solid backup.

Frontcourt
With one of the youngest and most interesting front courts in the league, Milwaukee has heads turning with the play of their two young stars in Parker and the Greek Freak. Parker is proving to be one of the best young talents in the league. Coming off a great rookie season, many expect him to lead this Bucks team even farther than last season.

Antetokounmpo also had a great season in 2015. He is coming off his sophomore season and he is ready to step up and show the league what he and this team are bringing to the table. Doctors report that he could be seven feet or even seven one by the end of the 2016 season and that only makes the Bucks owners and coaches grin from ear to ear.

Jerami Grant provides solid depth at the SF position. He has improved his jumpshot quite a bit this offseason and added on 10 pounds of muscle. He continues to impress with his hard work and athleticism.

Down low, Roy Hibbert leads the way at the center position. Coming off a solid season in Indiana, many were surprised his bailed out. But lucky for the Bucks he did. He will add a great presence in the paint both defensively and offensively. He is a dual threat which is an upgrade from the one-dimension Larry Sanders.

Backing up Hibbert is Nerlens Noel. He is an exceptional defender and steadily improving on the offensive end. With such a great frame and athletic build, Noel will will in the paint nicely when Hibbert is on the bench.

Rookie Christmas will likely not see too much playing time his rookie season. It will be a season of learning and growing for the young forward and he is excited to have the opportunity. John Henson is the third string center and brings a nice balanced skill set to the team.

Worst Case Scenario
Taking the pessimistic view on things, the worst case scenario is that the Bucks are too inexperienced to win the big games over more experienced teams. They have a great roster and coaching staff, it just all comes down to how they play and stay composed in the games that matter.

Worst case record prediction: (32-50)

Best Case Scenario
If all goes according to plan, Parker and the Greek Freak continue to grow their game (and bodies), the additions and roster moves pan out and chemistry is developed, then I think we have a 4/5 seed team here. They have strong depth at all positions and with such a young team, they are all constantly growing and becoming better, and molding into a strong team.

If it all works out, I can see this squad reaching a strong (48-34).

Record Prediction: (45-37)

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[benrich315]

Re: Fear The Deer -- Milwaukee Bucks Dynasty

I finally caught up in this! By far my favorite nba 2k thread to read, everything is so well done.

As for your season, DAMN! What a year it was. Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals is no small feat. Well done benrich!

I like your offseason moves as well. BUT it looks like the Lakers are back in business with their 2 solid acquisitions, which I like to see.

Best of luck as you move towards season 2

Glad you checked back in! Thanks for the kind words. Was a fun offseason, my new additions got me excited for the season to begin. LA is no joke now. Rondo Kobe and Jefferson will be a beastly trio.

Nice offseason moves, and I see you stuck to your Syracuse roots in the draft.

Thanks man, was trying to trim the team while adding depth all around. And yeah he was the best available but I may have been a little biased since he's from Cuse


Thanks for reading guys!

[benrich315]

Re: Fear The Deer -- Milwaukee Bucks Dynasty

Celtics No Match For Bucks


The Greek Freak slams one down over three defenders

Milwaukee, WI -- For the first time in a long time, Milwaukee has high expectations for the beginning of the season. After a well executed off-season, the Bucks look like a solid team geared to make a strong showing.

Tonight they did just that. Boston showed up to a hostile environment as they entered the Bradley Center. With a packed house and free "Fear The Deer" T-Shirts with a ticket, the Bucks played well in front of their home crowd.

It wasn't all good, as the Bucks started the game out down by 9 points. Boston was firing on all cylinders right out the gate. Marcus Smart played well scoring 28 points in the season opener.

Milwaukee would answer in the second quarter, outscoring Boston 36-27 to take a three point lead at the half.

The new look Bucks seemed to gel together despite only a few months to get acquainted. The addition of Matthews looked to be a solid one as he scored 20 points in his Milwaukee premier. "I like the mindset here. Everyone is here for the team and it shows in practice and it will show on the court all season" said Matthews at halftime.

Hopefully it can continue as the Bucks outplayed Boston in the second half on way to a 15 point win to start off the season.

Big man Roy Hibbert pulled down 16 rebounds in his debut, and scored 10 points. He seems to be adjusting well, but he will need to hit the gym as he was slow getting up the court at times in this high paced offense.

Milwaukee stays home to take on the Mavericks (1-0) this Friday, October 30th. Tune in to TNT @ 7:15 PM EST to see the game.

Box Score

Bucks


Celtics



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[pfeifere1]

Re: Fear The Deer -- Milwaukee Bucks Dynasty

Is OJ Mayo relegated to competing for the 6th Man of the Year award this season?!?!?!

[benrich315]

Re: Fear The Deer -- Milwaukee Bucks Dynasty

Is OJ Mayo relegated to competing for the 6th Man of the Year award this season?!?!?!

Yup!! He dropped from a 76 to a 72 overall this offseason and Matthews tops him in every attribute so he's gonna have to work for it! I like him coming off the bench though, brings a big spark for the second string.

[benrich315]

Re: Fear The Deer -- Milwaukee Bucks Dynasty

Bucks Survive 4 OT Thriller!


Matthews barely gets the shot off to send it to another overtime

Milwaukee, WI -- A few times a season there are games that have the feeling of a title match. It's as if you're in game seven of the finals, the tension is high, and everyone can feel it in the air. Tonight was one of those games and it came in the second game of the Bucks season.

To begin the game, Milwaukee's Carter-Williams tossed a beautiful alley oop to the Greek Freak who slammed it home and got the crowd pumped up early. That momentum carried for Milwaukee as they would shoot 52% for the game. An impressive number given that Bucks have the 19th ranked offense.

Dallas wouldn't allow the Bucks to ever pull away though. Strong play from their experienced roster would keep them in it until the finals seconds of the game. Nowitzki led all scorers with 45 points as Dirk dominated the low post and perimeter.

Jabari Parker played the four opposite of Dirk. It is evident his defensive game needs work as Dirk owned him down low. Parker was no slouch on offense though, scoring 30 points.

The second half would start with a tie score. Dallad played a strong third quarter and pulled away to a 12 point lead heading into the fourth. Dirk was helped out by Ellis and Parsons who combined for 49 points in the game.

In the fourth, Ellis would go cold and Milwaukee took advantage. They would mount their comeback early and on the backs of guards Carter-Williams and Reggie Jackson. The duo is impressive as they both cover each other's weak spots and make it hard for the opponent to really lock in on them both.

They combined for 20 points in the fourth quarter, as the Bucks tied the game with under six minutes remaining.

As the clock approached 0.0, Dallas had the ball for the last shot. They dribbled down the clock, and passed it into Dirk in the paint. Hibbert fouled out half way through the fourth, so Noel and Parker double Dirk, forcing him to kick it out to Ellis. He put up the three to win the game, but it clanked off the rim. To overtime we go!

The first overtime didn't look good for the Bucks. They missed their first few shots while Dallas started 4/5. Milwaukee managed to sink a couple of big shots and forced a couple turnovers and was back in the game.

Again, Dallas had the ball as the clock ticked away. Dirk got the ball with no double team this time. He backed down, and put up the fadeaway. The ball would rim out and we would head to overtime yet again.

In the second overtime, Wesley Matthews found his shot and knocked down two of his four threes to start off. Dallas would fall behind but managed to rattle the young Bucks squad and made a comeback. Milwaukee had a chance to put it away, but MCW missed an easy layup down the stretch of the OT and Dallas got a chance to tie the game.

Dirk would take another fadeaway over Parker with the clock around six seconds, and he nailed it. Milwaukee would miss a forced three pointer from Carter-Williams and to overtime three we go.

In the third overtime, both teams fought hard for the win. Neither would give much room for the other to take a lead as the overtime saw six lead changes. With about 8 seconds left in the game, Dallas got a big rebound off a missed layup, and kicked it to Chandler Parsons who nailed the huge three pointer to take a three point lead.

Milwaukee got the ball with 5.3 on the clock. They passed it in to Parker but he was covered tight by Nowitzki. He dished it over to Matthews and he launched the shot just as the clock expired. The shot sailed and dropped into the rim.

The Bradley Center was crazy as the fans exploded with cheers and claps. After a short review, it was apparent that Matthews got the shot off in time and forced overtime number four.

In the fourth overtime, the Mavericks seemed tired. Milwaukee players were too but had a little bit more in the tank and they used that to their advantage. They started off with two big steals by Jackson and MCW. Those steals led to big fast breaks buckets and a four point lead.

Milwaukee was able to hold onto the lead as the game came to a close, beating the Mavericks 170-165 in 4 OT.

"This was a great experience I never want again" said head coach Jason Kidd. Games like this are what makes this league amazing, but it's also what makes me almost have a heart attack"

It was quite a game, and will be remembered in the years to come. The Milwaukee Bucks, now 2-0, get the pleasure of heading to Miami to take on the Heat (1-0) who they knocked off in last year's first round of the playoffs.

Box Score

Bucks


Mavericks



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[southernmetalhead]

Re: Fear The Deer -- Milwaukee Bucks Dynasty

A 170-165, 4 overtime game. That is awesome.