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The Milwaukee Bucks received a 118-105 beating at the hands of the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of the 2021 NBA Finals on Tuesday. It was the kind of defeat that reminded fans of the lack of in-game adjustments that have plagued the Bucks since coach Mike Budenholzer took charge.
Chris Paul led the way for the Phoenix Suns with a 32-point effort to go along with nine assists and four rebounds. He made 12 of 19 field goals and 4 of 7 from the three-point arc, dissecting the Milwaukee Bucks defense like they were amateurs.
For Game 2, Budenholzer and his coaching staff have to ensure that Paul and the Phoenix Suns don’t catch them unprepared again on Thursday. Though having Giannis Antetokounmpo on the floor was inspiring (he had 20 points, 17 rebounds and four assists), even his presence wasn’t enough to keep the Suns from being effective inside and outside the painted area.
Here are 3 adjustments that the Milwaukee Bucks need to make to win against the Phoenix Suns in Game 2 of the 2021 NBA Finals:
#1 Milwaukee Bucks should take Phoenix Suns center away from the paint
Of all the advantages that the Milwaukee Bucks had over the Phoenix Suns before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, it was their size that was supposed to make a difference in their favor. However, Deandre Ayton dunked his way to 22 points and grabbed 19 rebounds as the Bucks made him look like the second coming of Shaquille O’Neal.
The Phoenix Suns scored more points in the paint, 44-42, and were only outrebounded by the Milwaukee Bucks by four boards, 47-43. The Bucks secured 38 defensive rebounds while giving up six offensive boards, which is a promising sign. However, Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton have to push their advantage on the glass.
Lopez nailed a couple of three-pointers in Game 1. If the Bucks can get Ayton out of the paint, it should allow Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday free rein inside. This could give them more offensive rebounding and second-chance opportunities while also taking higher-percentage shots.
#2 Let Jrue Holiday guard Chris Paul eight out of 10 times
With all the switching that the Milwaukee Bucks did to try and stop the Phoenix Suns’ hot-shooting backcourt, Jrue Holiday hardly guarded Chris Paul in Game 1.
On multiple occasions, the 11-time All-Star was able to pick-and-choose his opponent on switches, choosing to victimize Lopez and reserve forward Bobby Portis repeatedly.
It’s no wonder that Paul was able to pick apart the Milwaukee Bucks defense as he rained down mid-range jumpers on his opponents.
Coach Mike Budenholzer will have to find a way to keep Holiday in front of Paul and not allow the Phoenix Suns guard to touch the ball as much as possible.
Whether they have to play Paul man-to-man and stop switching on him or double-team him as soon as he gets the ball, the Milwaukee Bucks should try to give Paul a variety of looks on Thursday.
#3 Milwaukee Bucks need to contain one of the Phoenix Suns’ Big 3
The Phoenix Suns had their top three stars score at least 20 points in the Game 1 victory. Aside from Paul (who had 32 points) and Ayton (who dropped 22 points), Devin Booker scored 27 points, 16 of which came in the first half.
Normally, the best teams would pick their poison by allowing one star player to go off while they suffocated the others for even trying to get the ball. However, the Milwaukee Bucks simply gave all three Phoenix Suns stars the license to shoot, never making it a point to control and contain any one or two.
Paul is the head of the snake and the catalyst for everything the Phoenix Suns do, so he’s the priority. However, the Milwaukee Bucks will also have to frustrate and punish Booker whenever he tries to get to his spots on the floor.
Though the two-time All-Star made plenty of tough shots to get his 27, he still had a lot of easy baskets that could have been taken away had the Bucks’ perimeter defense been quick enough to recover.
Containing two of the Phoenix Suns’ Big 3 should be one of the rallying cries of the Milwaukee Bucks for Game 2.
