Bucks Stock Market: Taking flight against the Pelicans
Milwaukee managed to overcome a slow start and dominate the Ingram-less Pelicans
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.
The Milwaukee Bucks rang in 2022 with an emphatic win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Without Khris Middleton for personal reasons and Donte DiVincenzo being a late scratch after spraining his ankle in warmups, the team still had enough big time talent to get the win. Though New Orleans kept it close in the first half, Giannis and the Bucks were able to power through and dominate in the second half. Let’s talk movements!
Giannis Antetokounmpo 📈
While it was snowing outside Fiserv Forum, it was thundering on the court as Giannis decided to put the entire big rotation of the Pelicans in the weight room. I mean, this type of stuff is Shaq-esque power:
If you were wondering, Willy Hernangómez is listed at 250 lbs.
Aside from causing nightmares for his opponents, Antetokounmpo racked up his second triple-double of the season, finishing with a line of 35 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals. He took over the game (again) to the point where he was shimmying after hitting deep threes. Giannis might find himself with a third MVP award at this rate.
Jordan Nwora 📈
With Khris and Donte out, Nwora was able to find some backup wing minutes tonight, and he seems to finally be bridging the gap between featured offensive player and role player. In this game, the majority of his shot attempts came on catch-and-shoot opportunities that were a result of him relocating following dribble penetration. He finished with 23 points and was red-hot from deep, shooting 5-7 from beyond the arc. If performances like this from Nwora become a trend, the rotation might have to be re-evaluated.
Mike Budenholzer 📈
Bud picked up his 400th career win in style, as he did his best to get the team out of their sluggish state and get the win. It is New Years Day, and the play of the team during the first half indicated that they may have been engaging in certain activities on New Years Eve. It takes a strong coaching performance (or perhaps some electrolytes) to get the team going in the second half the way Bud did.
The Milwaukee Bucks play the second game of this three-game home stand on Monday as they take on the Detroit Pistons at 7:00pm central.