Bucks Stock Market: The shorthanded Bucks put up a stinker in Miami.

Milwaukee was without some key players, but there's no excuse for this bad of a showing.

Welcome to the Bucks Stock Market! This 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.

Usually, here in the intro is where I would inform you of the Milwaukee Bucks final score. I cannot do that, though, because the Bucks are still playing against the Miami Heat as I write this, although the game has been over for the better part of two quarters now.

Without Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, Semi Ojeleye, Rodney Hood, and Donte DiVincenzo, it makes sense Milwaukee would lose to a motivated Heat team opening its season looking for revenge. The result didn’t have to be this ugly, though, with the Bucks down by roughly 40 for much of the second half. Let’s get through this stock update — no upstocks today.

Jordan Nwora 📉

Nwora got bullied on defense, didn’t showcase consistent effort, and didn’t make his typical scoring impact, shooting 3/12 and missing 2 of his 5 attempted free throws. This was a game where the Bucks could’ve really used Nwora’s sparkplug scoring, and he came out with a stinker.

Giannis Antetokounmpo 📉

Giannis made a lot of great passes in this game that his teammates simply failed to convert, and that’s not on him. Shooting 4/11 and generally trying to create too much from the perimeter instead of getting into the post was on him, and even with all of the missed threes there’s no way Milwaukee should ever lose Giannis’ minutes by 25 points. Bam Adebayo outplayed Giannis tonight on both ends, hitting jumpers in his face and defending him effectively on the other end, and winning that match-up decisively is what allowed Miami to build up its lopsided lead. Giannis needs to figure out better scoring counters to this Heat defense.

Khris Middleton 📉

New season, same random disappointing Khris Middleton game where his jumper isn’t falling and he fades out of the game. So much for shirking the slow start this year.

Justin Robinson 📉

I liked what I was seeing from Justin Robinson early — he hit one of the Bucks first couple jumpers, and was defending aggressively. It looked like he might be able to inject Milwaukee with some life. That didn’t last long, and he ended up with that three being his only make in seven tries.

The Bucks are back in action Saturday night when they take on the San Antonio Spurs on the road. Please, basketball gods, let us have less than 6 players out for that game.