Bucks Zone

"It was a tough spot to be in" – Brook Lopez on having to constantly defend against the Golden State Warriors transition

The Bucks' defense was in disarray against the Warriors.

Jonas Panerio

© Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
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The Golden State Warriors have had a rough couple of seasons after winning the 2022 NBA title. That’s not to say they won’t burn an opponent’s defense with their incendiary shooting when given clear looks at the basket.

That’s what the Milwaukee Bucks learned on Wednesday as they struggled to contain the Warriors in transition, giving up one open triple after another in the crushing 125-90 defeat that snapped their six-game winning streak.

Bad offense led to abysmal defense

An issue that plagued the Bucks earlier this season was awful floor balance that led to subpar transition defense. Teams regularly ran the ball up the floor and attacked before the Bucks had time to set their defense. Improving in those areas was a major point of emphasis for head coach Doc Rivers and his staff. But on Wednesday, that progress seemed to have disappeared.

The Bucks looked lethargic on offense, settling for contested shots and turning the ball over, which led to easy fastbreak opportunities for the Warriors. As the Warriors pushed the pace, they consistently found open shooters in transition, leading to a barrage of three-pointers that buried the Bucks early in the game.

“It kind of just built, possession on possession,” Lopez said.

“It gets to a point where you start almost overthinking it. Obviously, one sole possession isn’t the end all, be all. It (was) a tough spot to be in. There were a lot of possessions where we could have done better preparing ourselves on the offensive end of it on our part and then obviously getting back as well.”

Defensive breakdowns

Rivers added that the Bucks’ stagnant ball movement led to awful floor spacing, which led to numerous defensive breakdowns on the other end where players got caught up in unsuitable match-ups. In the case of Lopez, he often had to stay in front of guards like Stephen Curry and Gary Payton II, who exploited their speed and agility to drive to the rim or create open shots for their teammates.

“We had a lot of defensive breakdowns, for sure, but a lot of them were in transition when we weren’t matched up because our floor balance was so bad tonight,” Rivers shared.

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Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO