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ILYASOVA! PACHULIA!
ANTETOKOUNMPO
INCORPORATED!
ANTETOKOUNMPO
INCORPORATED!
-VS-
Game Time Start: 8:30 PM ET
Where: BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
Officials: M. Davis, P. Fraher, JT Orr
Media Notes: Indiana Notes, Milwaukee Notes
Television: FOX Sports Indiana / FOX Sports Wisconsin
Radio: WFNI 1070 AM, 107.5 FM / WTMJ 620 AM
NBA Feeds:
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REMINDER: Per PD policy, please do not share a link to, describe how to search for, request a link to, or request a PM about streaming video of a NBA game that is not coming directly through the NBA. Not even in a "wink-wink, nudge-nudge, know-what-I-mean" round-about sort of way. Thank you
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 PACERS Paul George - Fractured Right Tibia/Fibula (out) Ian Mahinmi โ Torn Left Plantar Fascia (out) BUCKS Jerryd Bayless - Sore left knee (Probable) Ersan Ilyasova - Concussion (Out) Damien Inglis - right ankle (Out) Jabari Parker - ACL injury (Out) Larry Sanders - Illness (Out) |
| Jeremy Schmidt: The struggle at the hoop is real for Larry Sanders Honestly, there was no need to worry. There was only about a 50/50 chance he was going to make that shot anyway. Heyyoooo. But really, thatโs the problem with Larry Sanders right now, and his biggest problem is a problem for a team that could be counting on his development going forward. There are a handful of youngish players on the Milwaukee Bucks. To varying degrees, the development of these players is crucial to the success of the Milwaukee Bucks in the coming years. Regardless of how well the likes of Jared Dudley, Jerryd Bayless and Zaza Pachulia play over the next few months, they wonโt be the players that decide if the Bucks will be prosperous or poor when the team rolls the ball out for the first time in the yet to be located, yet to be financed, yet to be named new Milwaukee Arena. If weโre ruling those guys out as potential contributors, itโs at least fair to wonder about guys like Sanders and Brandon Knight and just how attached to their respective futures the Bucks are. Maybe a lot, maybe not at all. Itโs not hard to imagine either of them playing with a different team as early as next season. For now, letโs assume the $33 million owed to Larry Sanders after this season will be paid by the Bucks. If thatโs the case, how can he start to show more return on investment? Itโs difficult to judge whether or not Sanders is having a โdownโ year right now. His PER is a league average 15. Heโs only playing 21 minutes a night, but still averaging 7.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. All of these numbers are down โ per game and per 36 minutes โ from his breakout seasons in 2012-13, but theyโre at least comparable to slightly better than his numbers from last season. And while heโs still a difference maker defensively, he hardly seems like the barrier he proved to be two season ago. Among regulars who are defending at least five shots per game at the rim, heโs 11th in defensive field goal percentage, allowing opponents to shoot 45.8%. Despite last yearโs mess of a season, Sanders finished second in defensive field goal percentage with the same variables applied, allowing opponents to shoot just 41.5% at the rim. Among those who qualify for the blocks per game leaderboard this season, Sanders ranks 16th in defensive rating, helping to limit opponents to 100 points per 100 possessions while heโs on the court. Last season, one that seems more and more to have been without much of a defensive strategy, his defensive rating was 107. So heโs probably fallen off a bit from his peak in 2012-13 as a defender, but heโs still definitely a plus there. If he can maintain this level of defense over the next three seasons, itโd be difficult to complain about that. But itโs easy to complain about Sanders on the other side of the ball. Among the 48 players who attempt at least five shots within five feet per game, Sanders ranks 37th in field goal percentage, converting on just 56% of his shots. Why so low? The best explanation is simply that Sanders canโt finish in traffic. Letโs compare Sanders numbers when heโs closely guarded this season to some of his athletic, shot-blocking, finishing big man brethren. Iโve pulled numbers for Sanders, Tyson Chandler, DeAndre Jordan and Andre Drummond, three other bigs with comparable money and skillsets:  Each of these players shoots the vast majority of his shots within five feet of the hoop and typically each player is well guarded when heโs trying to finish whether heโs fighting off defenders as heโs trying to putback an offensive rebound or trying to loft in something inside the charge circle. Basically if someoneโs right up on any of these guys, itโs a 50-50 chance โ a little better in Chandlerโs case โ that heโll finish. But when they have some space, Chandler and Jordan are almost automatic, hitting roughly 75% of shots when defenders are not within two feet. Sanders and Drummond are still working to master the open finish, though Drummondโs numbers indicate heโs getting more looks than just putbacks. Sanders was even worse with defenders โvery tightโ on him last season, making just 34% of his shots. So at least heโs showing progress? But right now, it isnโt enough. Heโs just getting putbacks and rim runs and he isnโt finishing anywhere near enough of them to be a contributor, even at the most basic level... READ MORE AT BUCKSKETBALL |
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Pacers Candace Buckner @CandaceDBuckner Jared Wade @8pts9secs Tim Donahue @TimDonahue8p9s Tom Lewis @indycornrows Ian Levy @HickoryHigh Whitney @its_whitney |
Bucks Charles F. Gardner @cf_gardner Jeremy Schmidt @Bucksketball K L Chouinard @AnaheimAmigos Frank Madden @brewhoop Dan Sinclair @dan_sinclair Steve von Horn @StevevonHorn |
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