Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks: Player of the Week (Jan 22 – 28)

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:59 p.m. ET

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Fansided, John Heffernon/FanSided via Behind the Buck Pass

Jan 28, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Boston Celtics guard Terry Rozier (12) tries to hold on to a loose ball against Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker (12) and guard Malcolm Brogdon (13) on the second quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The Milwaukee Bucks didn’t fare well in week 14. They participated in four games, losing three of them. A variety of Bucks had good performances but only three deserve serious recognition.

Another week, another losing skid. The Milwaukee Bucks actually started week 14 off admirably, beating the very good Houston Rockets. The drop off came swiftly, however. Milwaukee dropped their final three games to the Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics.

The losses didn’t drop the Bucks further out of the playoff race seed-wise, they are still the ninth seed, but it did move them a few games back from the teams holding down the lower seeds.

The schedule was grueling this week but the Bucks couldn’t afford to lose ground. Milwaukee has given themselves very little margin for error for the remainder of the season if they want to make the playoffs.

The Bucks have been playing against stout competition lately, which has been one of the biggest issues facing the team. The schedule lightens up a bit in the next three weeks. This will be the perfect time for Milwaukee to start a run and climb back into the playoff picture. If they trend in the direction they are going the playoffs will surely pass them by.

When the team loses so often the players need to accept the brunt of the blame. The quality of play has been strong at times but it isn’t consistent enough to pick up victories. Almost every player can do one or two things a bit better to help his team out.

But enough of the doom and gloom! Let’s celebrate the three players that helped the Bucks the most this week. On to the rankings!

Jan 23, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker (12) takes a shot against Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverley (2) in the fourth quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Bucks beat the Rockets 127-114. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Milwaukee Bucks Player of the Week Rankings

Major Cat played in all four games this week and averaged 36.1 minutes, 18.3 points (on 44.6 percent shooting), 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.0 blocks. He was second on the team in points and rebounds and tied for second in blocks.

Jabari Parker had an up and down week. He started with a bang, scoring 28 points while adding eight rebounds and seven assists in the win over Houston. Of course, the week ended with a whimper against Boston as Parker scored four points and grabbed eight rebounds. That Boston game was one of the worst of Jabari’s short NBA career.

Beyond the lack of consistency across games, Parker struggled to score efficiently this week. He averaged 44.6 percent from the field and 13.3 percent from three. The three-point percentage is even more concerning when you factor in that he attempted just under four three-pointers per game.

But it wasn’t all bad for Jabari in week 14. He had one of his better rebounding weeks of his career as he consistently collected boards, whether his shot was falling or not. His 8.3 rebounds per game were by far his best contribution over the past four games. It appeared Parker found himself in better positions, especially on the defensive glass.

The assist numbers fell off somewhat this week from his recent averages but Parker still put up decent numbers. Three assists per game coming from the power forward position is nothing to scoff at. His ability to facilitate as a secondary and tertiary ball handler has been noticeable.

No one will claim that this was Jabari’s best week but he did enough to beat out many of his peers for the third and final spot in the rankings. Parker’s effort on the boards was a major tie breaker over some of his teammates who didn’t have a calling card of any kind this week.

It’s nice to see that Jabari can rebound effectively. If he could just find a way to rebound and score effectively at the same time it would do wonders for him.

Jan 27, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe (15) drives to the basket as Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas (17) defends during the first quarter in a game at Air Canada Centre. The Toronto Raptors won 102-86. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Milwaukee Bucks Player of the Week Rankings

Moose played in all four games this week and averaged 27.4 minutes, 16.3 points (on 55.6 percent shooting), 8.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 block per game. He led the team in rebounds and steals, was tied for second in blocks, and third in points.

Greg Monroe has found his place in the NBA. He is a fantastic sixth man. Too bad the Bucks are struggling and will likely once again keep him out of the playoffs. That might make him not want to stick around next year. Next year would be a lot of fun for him and the team if he remains in Milwaukee. Hopefully he can stay patient.

But who cares about next year or even the playoffs this year. We are talking about now. And Monroe has been pretty darn good. In fact, Moose was the one of four NBA players to average at least 15 points, eight rebounds, and two steals over the past week.

Before this year began everyone and their mother would have told you how poor of a defender Greg Monroe is. But Greg didn’t let that get him down. He worked hard, thought deeply on his limitations, and developed some defensive talents that suit both his abilities and the Bucks defense scheme.

Monroe is a master theft. He was one of just 16 players to average at least two steals per game in week 14. Not too bad for a guy who used to be a noticeable liability on defense, game in and game out. He also swatted four shots to make for a solid all around defensive week statistically.

The team seemed to play better defense with Moose on the court as well. His defensive rating of 104.3 was the fourth best on the team and the best for players who played at least 15 minutes per game.

The rest of Monroe’s game bore out like it typically does. He attempted 11.3 shots per game and sunk 6.3 of them. Moose is always shooting great percentages from the field. Couple that with solid quantity and quality from the charity stripe, 75 percent shooting on 5.0 free throws per game, and it makes for an efficient and effective offensive week for the man from Georgetown.

Greg’s rebounding was also a boon for the Bucks. He led the team in rebounds on the week in large part to his effort on the offensive glass. 16 NBA players averaged at least three offensive rebounds per game this week including Monroe. Of those 16 players only four averaged fewer minutes per game than Moose.

Strong all around performances are something Monroe puts up relatively frequently now. Everyone notices when Giannis Antetokounmpo does it but when Monroe makes it happen people rarely give him recognition. The second spot in these rankings will hopefully suffice Monroe for this week. It is a great honor after all!

Jan 28, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) passes the ball away from Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder (99) in the first quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Milwaukee Bucks Player of the Week Rankings

A bad week for Giannis is still a fantastic week overall. And this week was bad by Antetokounmpo’s standards. His points, shooting percentage, rebounds, and steals were all below his season averages.

As is tradition, let’s see how Giannis’ week stacks up to his peers across the NBA. Here are some statistical thresholds Antetokounmpo maintained over his past four games along with the number of other players who did it with him.

Like usual, the Greek Freak does rare things. Even the elite players in the NBA have a difficult time matching his statistical output over a three, four, or five game sample size. Giannis’ versatility is out of this world.

Antetokounmpo found ways to impact every game this week. He was all over the court on both ends making things happen. But once again his defense finds a way to stand out beyond his offense. Only six NBA players had more combined steals and blocks than Giannis this week. He continuously eliminates easy scoring opportunities both near the hoop and on the perimeter. His length, energy, athleticism, and defensive positioning have created a force to be reckoned with. It is a shame he isn’t getting much love in the Defensive Player of the Year race because his play has been good enough to garner at least some attention.

Offensively, Giannis was a bit off in week 14. Yet he still led the Bucks in scoring on decent shooting percentages. The best thing Giannis did while on offense was not force it. He wasn’t having his best scoring week so he took a step back sometimes and let his teammates pick up the slack. However, they were not up to the task either. It seems like Giannis is better at recognizing when he has it going on and when he doesn’t. When he doesn’t his play style changes appropriately.

The way Antetokounmpo combines rebounds and assists is magical. In a porous week he contributed well in those two important categories for the Bucks. Milwaukee is not an elite rebounding team and, even though they are above average in assists, they aren’t the best passing team either. But without Giannis the Bucks would certainly be significantly worse in both statistical categories.

It was nice to see Giannis keep his high standard of play up this week after being voted onto the Eastern All Star team.

Antetokounmpo is having a masterful season. In a down week he still was an elite player around the association. The Bucks need a lot from him and he seems to always answer the call. That is very impressive coming from a 22-year-old. Milwaukee will need even more from him in the coming weeks in order to make a playoff push. He might not answer the bell accordingly but that won’t be a reason for disappointment. It will be even more reason for the Bucks to come back hungry next season. Led by an even hungrier force of nature.

Jan 28, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) takes a shot against Boston Celtics forward Amir Johnson (90) and guard Marcus Smart (36) in overtime at BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Celtics beat the Bucks 112-108 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Week 14 Wrap Up

The Milwaukee Bucks slipped again this week. The blemishes are starting to take their toll. Turning the ship around will be challenging but it certainly can be done.

If Milwaukee’s best players can find a way to get back to playing consistently well the Bucks might just figure this out. But in the dog days of the NBA season figuring things out is easier said than done. Coach Jason Kidd will continue fiddling with lineups until something starts working. So hopefully he finds the correct recipe sooner rather than later.

Thon Maker got his first start of the season in week 14 and he played as one might expect. Jaw dropping plays were mixed with rookie mistakes. If he continues to see bigger minutes he will need to take a page out of Malcolm Brogdon’s book and really limit his mistakes. Playing Maker right now is a way to hopefully inject some fire into the lineup. If it succeeds, he builds confidence and the team’s confidence in him grows. If it fails, he gets valuable playing time and the Bucks lose some additional games that get them closer to a lottery pick.

Obviously the Bucks want to make it to the playoffs. But if they don’t they might luck in to some good fortune. The upcoming draft appears to be full of great talent and having a early pick could make a potentially bad season worth it. There is a lot of time from now til the end of the season but if the wins just don’t come Bucks fans won’t need to despair too much.

Tune in next week to see if the Milwaukee Bucks can turn this thing around!

Player of the Week Rankings over the course of the season

Giannis Antetokounmpo (13), Michael Beasley (1)
Jabari Parker (10), Greg Monroe (3), John Henson (1)
Greg Monroe (4), Malcolm Brogdon (3), Jabari Parker (2), Matthew Dellavedova (2), Michael Beasley (2), John Henson (1)

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