After the fifth-seeded Heat dismantled the top-seeded Bucks in the second round of the playoffs last year on their way to an NBA Finals berth, Miami will be looking to pull off another upset as the sixth seed this year. The third-seeded Bucks will be in a similar situation as the favorites once again, but many factors help support the odds that the end result could be much different this series.
Without a doubt, the Milwaukee Bucks are much better than last season. In fact, it’s not even close when comparing talent-wise. Thanks to key signings in the offseason and a big trade before the deadline, the Bucks enter this postseason with one of the most talented rosters that the franchise has ever assembled.
Milwaukee has upgraded from Eric Bledsoe to Jrue Holiday, Marvin Williams to P.J. Tucker, Robin Lopez to Bobby Portis, and Kyle Korver to Bryn Forbes since Miami burst their bubble last year. All four key additions have proved to be major difference-makers this season, and there’s no reason why that shouldn’t continue in the playoffs.
Despite having a worse regular-season record this season, the Bucks are substantially more of a threat with the reigning back-to-back MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way as a more controlled, mature initiator, and with a stronger supporting cast. Not only does Milwaukee have a favorable chance of claiming revenge against the Heat, but they have what it takes to win it all.
On the other side, the Miami Heat have switched up their roster as well. While the core headlined by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo remains intact, they have added contributors such as Trevor Ariza, Nemanja Bjelica, and Dewayne Dedmon. Unfortunately for Miami, recently acquired two-way star Victor Oladipo will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his right quadriceps tendon.
The Heat will also be without Jae Crowder, Kelly Olynyk, Derrick Jones Jr., and Solomon Hill this time, all guys that played an impactful role against the Bucks last season. All in all, we really don’t know how well this different Heat squad matches up against this improved Bucks team at full strength.
Milwaukee Bucks</a> and <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/21/nba-playoffs-storylines-bucks-vs-heat/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/miami-heat/">Miami Heat</a> will face each other in the NBA Playoffs. This time around, these two powerhouses will have to crash heads in the first-round with Game 1 beginning on Saturday at 1:00 PM CT.</p>
<p>After the fifth-seeded Heat dismantled the top-seeded Bucks in the second round of the playoffs last year on their way to an NBA Finals berth, Miami will be looking to pull off another upset as the sixth seed this year. The third-seeded Bucks will be in a similar situation as the favorites once again, but many factors help support the odds that the end result could be much different this series.</p>
<h2>The Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat will meet in a thrilling first-round matchup in the NBA Playoffs. Here’s everything you need to know about the rematch.</h2>
<p>Without a doubt, the Milwaukee Bucks are much better than last season. In fact, it’s not even close when comparing talent-wise. Thanks to key signings in the offseason and a big trade before the deadline, the Bucks enter this postseason with one of the most talented rosters that the franchise has ever assembled.</p>
<p>Milwaukee has upgraded from Eric Bledsoe to Jrue Holiday, Marvin Williams to P.J. Tucker, Robin Lopez to Bobby Portis, and Kyle Korver to Bryn Forbes since Miami burst their bubble last year. All four key additions have proved to be major difference-makers this season, and there’s no reason why that shouldn’t continue in the playoffs.</p>
<p>Despite having a worse regular-season record this season, the Bucks are substantially more of a threat with the reigning back-to-back MVP <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/21/nba-playoffs-storylines-bucks-vs-heat/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/antetgi01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Giannis Antetokounmpo</a> leading the way as a more controlled, mature initiator, and with a stronger supporting cast. Not only does Milwaukee have a favorable chance of claiming revenge against the Heat, but they have what it takes to win it all.</p>
<p>On the other side, the Miami Heat have switched up their roster as well. While the core headlined by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo remains intact, they have added contributors such as Trevor Ariza, Nemanja Bjelica, and Dewayne Dedmon. Unfortunately for Miami, recently acquired two-way star Victor Oladipo will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his right quadriceps tendon.</p>
<p>The Heat will also be without Jae Crowder, Kelly Olynyk, Derrick Jones Jr., and Solomon Hill this time, all guys that played an impactful role against the Bucks last season. All in all, we really don’t know how well this different Heat squad matches up against this improved Bucks team at full strength.</p>
<p>Milwaukee won the regular-season series 2-1, but<a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/21/nba-playoffs-storylines-bucks-vs-heat/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/butleji01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow"> Jimmy Butler</a> wasn’t active in any of those games. It’ll be interesting how this heavyweight matchup ignites right out of the gate, but without further ado, let’s examine the top storylines from this highly anticipated rematch between the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat in the NBA Playoffs.</p>
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<p>Throughout this season though, Giannis has become more accustomed to making the right decisions once the defense implements this tactic against him. He’s put in the patience and effort to make more essential improvements on strengthening his decisiveness.</p>
<p>As a result, Antetokounmpo has combined his dominant physicality with his improved awareness and decision-making to thrive in the interior, especially around the rim. While he’s efficiently getting to the rim, Giannis shot a league-best and career-high 83.7 percent within three feet of the basket during the regular season. In comparison, he shot 71.6 percent from that area in the playoffs last season, his worst percentage from there since the 2016-17 campaign.</p>
<p>Miami did an outstanding job of containing The Greek Freak in the bubble last year, but can they repeat the same kind of efforts this season? Jae Crowder was a crucial part of slowing down Giannis for the Heat, but now he’s with Phoenix. Can Trevor Ariza fill his shoes and be as impactful? Along with Ariza, Bam Adebayo, Andre Iguodala, and Jimmy Butler will surely help defend Antetokounmpo as well.</p>
<p>It’s a matchup that could define the series. The Miami Heat have proved to be a swarming defense to break down for Giannis and the Bucks, but can Antetokounmpo decisively infiltrate Miami’s wall this time now that he’s more experienced and prepared?</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA playoffs, Bucks, Heat (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>NBA Playoffs must-follow storylines: Bucks vs Heat – Who will win the 3-point shooting battle?</h2>
<p>Shooting from beyond the arc has been a common storyline, trend, and determinant in today’s modern NBA, and it will continue to be in these NBA Playoffs, especially in this series between the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat.</p>
<p>The Bucks rank fourth in 3-point shooting this season at a solid 38.9 percent. It’s consistently been a catalyst for their league-leading 120.1 points per game.</p>
<p>The Heat rank 19th in 3-point shooting this season at a 35.8 percent mark. Although, Milwaukee has been known for giving up too many comfortable 3-point attempts under head coach Mike Budenholzer’s defensive system, which teams have taken advantage of. Opponents have shot 38.4 percent from 3 against them this season.</p>
<p>To the credit of the Bucks though, they spent the regular season experimenting with different defensive tactics to help maximize their scheme heading into the postseason. They have become much more versatile as a team, and less traditional with their drop coverage scheme.</p>
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<p>We should see Milwaukee utilize small-ball lineups more often in order to switch more defensively, or other strategies such as blitzing on-ball screens that help take away open looks from the perimeter on a more consistent basis. After all, they have the right personnel to efficiently execute these tactics now with the presence of guys like Jrue Holiday and PJ Tucker.</p>
<p>Miami has one of the most lethal 3-point threats in Duncan Robinson, who’s shooting 40.8 percent from the mark this year and makes it tirelessly difficult to track his off-ball movement, so they should be attempting to get as many open looks as possible for him by utilizing screens and dribble handoffs. Tyler Herro, the young stud in his sophomore season, could also catch fire at any given point. Herro shot 42.4 percent from downtown against the Bucks in the playoffs last season.</p>
<p>Additionally, the Heat are consistently responsible on the defensive end as they only allow 108.0 points per game (fifth in the NBA), but they will also face the challenge of restraining a 3-point attack that includes Bryn Forbes (45.2 percent), Khris Middleton (41.4), Holiday (39.2), Bobby Portis (47.1!), and more that can’t be taken lightly.</p>
<p>In the first meeting of the season between these two teams in December, the Bucks absolutely lit it up from behind the arc, hitting an NBA-record 29 3’s en route to a 144-97 thrashing win. So, it’s safe to say that the Heat know what they’re in for coming into this matchup.</p>
<p>Will the Miami Heat be able to slow down the red-hot 3-point shooting from the Bucks throughout the series? It’ll be a tough task to accomplish, but something to watch for. On the other end, can the Milwaukee Bucks erase past struggles and defend the perimeter better with adjusted schemes, or will the Heat take advantage again? Limiting points from the 3-point line will be key to both teams.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-429204 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/21/nba-playoffs-storylines-bucks-vs-heat/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1298223047.jpeg" alt="Erik Spoelstra coaching Miami Heat" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1298223047.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1298223047-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA playoffs, Bucks, Heat Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>NBA Playoffs must-follow storylines: Bucks vs Heat – Which coach will make the better adjustments?</h2>
<p>Last season in the NBA playoffs, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra dominated the coaching duel over Milwaukee’s Mike Budenholzer. Spoelstra made all the proper adjustments from containing Giannis to picking apart the Bucks’ defense, ultimately leading to a relentless five-game series victory. He’s been known to be one of the best coaches in the league when it comes to adjustments, and has showcased how well he can dissect the Bucks in previous years.</p>
<p>Now, the pressure will be on Budenholzer to hold his ground as his job is reportedly on the hot seat. If the Milwaukee Bucks lose this series, Bud will likely be gone, so will he be able to adjust in a timely manner against Spoelstra this time around?</p>
<p>If the Bucks are indeed successful under Budenholzer, it should stem from the<a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/21/nba-playoffs-storylines-bucks-vs-heat/"http://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/19/milwaukee-bucks-playoff-rotation/"> rotational decisions and minutes distribution.</a> There have been countless times where he’s been too stubborn to give his best players more minutes in the postseason or doesn’t play the proper personnel at certain times like late-game scenarios in crunch time. Bucks fans will vividly remember Bud choosing Pat Connaughton over Wesley Matthews to defend Jimmy Butler in the clutch during last season’s playoff series, which obviously didn’t work out.</p>
<p>Although, the Bucks have done a thorough job experimenting with different lineups and tactics as they’ve become more versatile as the season has gone on. Budenholzer and the coaching staff deserve credit for getting out of their comfort zone and being more open-minded, but will it pay off in the playoffs?</p>
<p>It’s been a common storyline all season for the Bucks as pressure continues to mount on their head coach, and it’ll be the main topic to follow in this anticipated rematch with Miami. Will Erik Spoelstra haunt the Bucks once again with his timely adjustments, or will Mike Budenholzer bounce back and reach over the hump with his job on the line?</p>
<p>This first-round matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat is set to be a thrilling chess match, and the adjustments from the coaches will most certainly have a depicting say in the winner of this heavyweight series.</p>
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