Milwaukee Bucks Vs. Utah Jazz Q&A

Mar 3, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dunks against Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) in the 4th quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Our Fansided sister site Behind the Buck Pass‘s Managing Ed, Adam McGee, and I exchanged thoughts ahead of Thursday evening’s tilt in Milwaukee where the Utah Jazz will be on a back-to-back after taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Here’s my half of our Milwaukee Bucks vs. Utah Jazz Q&A.

Adam is a graduate of Multimedia at Dublin City University, Ireland. Fanatical about sports in general, he has a particular love for soccer and the NBA. He is the Editor-In-Chief of Behind The Bucks Pass, while he also writes about the Atlanta Hawks for HoopsHabit.

The J Notes: Wow, where did you guys suddenly come from?! Above .500 and sixth in the Eastern Conference standings? What’s made the biggest difference in this unexpected explosion into playoff position?

Adam McGee: It would be pretty hard for any true Bucks fan to tell you that this was part of the plan for this year, as quite simply; it wasn’t. In terms of roster building, another year around the lottery may not have done any harm, but winning breeds winning as the old adage goes.

There’s a couple of factors that have definitely had an effect. First of all, although the gap between the top of the East and top of the West may have narrowed, below the cream in the East there are some really bad teams. More than anything though, the success is down to these two factors. The team is well coached, and they play for each other. It may be a feature that often goes unrecognized in modern NBA team building, but this Milwaukee group has great character and can genuinely fight back from almost any deficit.

PnB: How many drinks has Jason Kidd spilled on the court this season, intentionally or not? I kid, but seriously, how much of an impact is he having? The Milwaukee Bucks were supposed to be even lamer ducks this season than last.

AMcG: None yet anyway, let’s hope he’s saving it for a big game though!

For a long time, Larry Drew had probably gotten a slightly raw deal around the NBA, but there’s no doubt that the Bucks’ decision to replace him with Jason Kidd proved a good one.

Kidd has his players focused and engaged, and seems to be in the early stages of adopting an unselfish passing philosophy in the same vein as San Antonio and Atlanta. The situation that led to Kidd arriving in Milwaukee may have raised some significant concerns, but it’s a testament to his coaching talents that the Bucks have put all of those issues out of people’s minds already. Without a doubt, Kidd’s name has to be in the Coach of the Year mix.

PnB: Which players are keepers, and which do you see possibly being traded by the deadline with the unexpected success of this season?

The simplest way of describing (Jabari) Parker’s impact is that all of the pre-Draft scouting reports seemed to have him pretty well nailed down

AMcG: That’s a really tough one. The Bucks situation is unlikely to be quite that proactive, and I’d expect any deals they do to be of a reactionary nature.

For example, although his form has been excellent of late, if O.J. Mayo‘s play stays this consistent, I could easily see Milwaukee testing his value on the market in an attempt to strike when the iron is hot.

The Larry Sanders‘ situation and the recent injury to Kendall Marshall could force something though.

Another player who may not necessarily mesh in with the #OwnTheFuture vision going forward is Ersan Ilyasova. As his contract isn’t quite so appealing, the Bucks would need his form to pick up for any deal to be likely though. That is unless they want to offer Hinkie some second-rounders…

PnB: No one got to see much of Jabari Parker before he was lost for the season, sadly. He has a lot of fans in Utah, his being Mormon and all. What positives did you see from him before he was hurt?

AMcG: When he’s on the court there’s something a little bit care-free about him, and in a young player that’s a real positive. He never really looked overawed by the whole NBA experience, in fact he probably even had his best game facing off directly against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers (22 points, 8 rebounds, 11/15 shooting).

I suppose the simplest way of describing Parker’s impact is that all of the pre-Draft scouting reports seemed to have him pretty well nailed down. He’s got a very well-rounded offensive game for a man of 19 years of age, and his rebounding is much better than many would have anticipated.

PnB: What does Parker still need to work on?

AMcG: He definitely needs to improve both his awareness and focus, particularly on defensive possessions, but you’d have to feel that will only come in time.

For me, one of the biggest questions on Jabari remains what his strongest position is going to be. Sure he’s got a great skill set for a power forward, but will his body fill out to allow him to battle with some of the bigger and more physical guys in the league (like Derrick Favors) at that spot?

In reality this will probably only be decided when the Bucks settle on Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s long term position too, and eventually find a stable center to pair up with them both.

PnB: And-1: What/who on the Bucks could disrupt the Utah Jazz in this tilt, and how?

AMcG: A player I’d warn Jazz fans to be careful of is Khris Middleton. He flies under the radar, but just like the rest of this Bucks’ team he’s seriously long. He came to Milwaukee as part of the Brandon Knight – Brandon Jennings trade, and Detroit’s loss has been the Bucks’ gain.

He’s got strong defensive fundamentals, making him a pesky customer defending in both on and off-the-ball situations, while he has no problem knocking down the open shot either. He may not grab the limelight, but just like veteran center Zaza Pachulia, he is one of the glue guys on this squad.

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I spoke on the Jazz for Adam and BTPP.

"Adam: How are you finding new Jazz head coach Quin Snyder?Clint: Snyder is non-traditional. From unique lingo for specific things basketball-related to his approach. Already as an NBA head coach he’s made internet headlines in ways that are polar opposites.How cool is this guy?!"

Read the rest here.