Bucks Stock Market: Routed in Finals rematch
With no title on the line, Phoenix was able to take advantage of a short-handed Milwaukee squad.
The Bucks Stock Market is a fictitious market run by the GSPN crew that tracks player stock “movement” following the conclusion of every game. Here’s the spreadsheet logging the game-by-game results.
For the first time since they hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy for the second time, the Milwaukee Bucks faced off against the Phoenix Suns in a battle of two of the association’s heavyweights. However, this was a game that Milwaukee was doomed to lose from the start. After trading away Donte DiVincenzo, Rodney Hood, and Semi Ojeyele, Serge Ibaka not yet with the team, and George Hill missing his sixth consecutive game due to injury, the Bucks were left with only seven members of their normal rotation available to play, with one of them leaving due to injury.
This lack of size for Milwaukee allowed the Suns to take advantage of the Bucks switching, as Phoenix’s bigs would slip the switch and deep seal for easy layups over smaller defenders. Let’s talk movements.
Jrue Holiday📈
Jrue was outstanding on both ends of the court against the Suns. Not only did he have 21 points on 12 shots (including 3-4 from beyond the arc), but he was playing absurd defensively as well. He was getting bump steals on Chris Paul and using his patented active hands to wreak havoc overall.
Pat Connaughton📉
BEFORE YOU GET MAD AT ME, I HATE THAT I’M DOING IT TOO. Unfortunately, Pat Connaughton left the game in the third quarter and was ultimately diagnosed with a right fourth metacarpal fracture, which will see him sidelined for the foreseeable future. He still gets a down stock though because his shooting was awful before the injury occurred. All the shots he took in the game were wide open threes, and he went 1-7 in a game where the Bucks desperately needed shots to go down. Please get well soon so we can get your stock back up, Pat.
The Bucks return home and hopefully will have the newest member of the team, Serge Ibaka, for their next game on Monday, February 14th as they take on the ghost of the Portland Trail Blazers at 7:00pm central.