What’s up with the Bucks? Anyone who follows the NBA will have noticed this team of misfits coached by Scott Skiles is making some noise since mid-season. They are 9-1 in March, 14-2 since the arrival of Jon Salmons from Chicago and poised to clinch 5th spot in the East.

However, despite all this, there are still doubters out there. Some of my favourite basketball media such as the Baseline and the Basketball Jones have put forward suggestions that while it’s easy enough to win lots of games at this stage of the season, come playoffs, the real Bucks will be exposed for who they are. Namely, a team which struggles to score lots of points and without a go to guy who can get it done.

All season this squad have been bucking–sorry, couldn’t resist–traditional wisdom (just take a quick peek at pre-season predictions). So let’s take a look at a couple of reasons why the Bucks can, and will, make some significant noise this season.

1. Defense. It’s the biggest cliché in NBA playoff dialogue but defense becomes even more important in the playoffs. The Bucks know how to play defense. Their 6th  in the league according to John Hollinger’s defensive efficiency rankings. With three athletic wing men in Delfino, Mbah a Moute and Ilyasova, they have the size and speed to cover a combination of many different types of scorers, think specifically Celtics, Magic and Hawk teams, and they have one of the best centers in the game to patrol the paint. It’s good news when you hold teams to 45% from the field but even more important? The really good defensive teams keep opponents 3P% down and the Bucks rank 7th in NBA there. You can very easily imagine Paul Pierce, Rashard Lewis or Joe Johnson going 6-19 against this Bucks team.
2. The Bench. Did I hear laughter? Ridnour, Stackhouse, Ilyasova and even Kurt Thomas are having a much bigger impact that you would think. Ridnour is a solid backup point guard who provides excellent insurance for the erratic Brandon Jennings. He has seen significant minutes in the past month and has not disappointed. He is shooting a career high 47.9% from the field this season, including 39.2% from downtown, and more importantly, only commits 1.3 turnovers in his 21 minutes per game. While he struggles on defense, this is negated by his surrounding environment. Jerry Stackhouse was a bit of a joke until he turned up in Milwaukee but he brings some serious playoff experience to a team which will need it in a 7 game series. Ilyasova is one of those valuable commodities, a big with an outside shot. Watching him patrol the paint with Bogut is ghastly for opposition coaches while his ability to hang around the 3 point line then dart anywhere on the court will cause headaches.
3. Away Games. While the Bucks are 15-21 away from home this season so far, things have been on the serious improve in the second half of the season. Since the start of 2010, they are 12-10 and against playoff bound teams in the East, it’s 2-2. Something clicked and the massive win on the road in Denver last week demonstrated how even against really good teams, the Bucks can get it done.
4. Teamwork. Notice those impressive wins against the Nuggets and Hawks? Well what if you chuck in the fact that Andrew Bogut only had 11 points combined while Brandon Jennings played 46 of a possible 96 minutes. The bench players mentioned above make a big impact here, but more so is the ability of other players to step up. John Salmons is the man who stands out, averaging 20.5 points per game since coming across. Carlos Delfino has the ability to seriously light it up (as most fantasy owners will know all about since last December). This is a team which ranks 7th in the NBA for turnovers committed per game (13.5). It is also a team which only has a total of three players with above-average PER numbers (Bogut 20.8, Ilyasova 15.97, and Ridnour 17.86). This ranks last against  other elite East teams — Boston (6), Atlanta (5), Orlando (4), and Cleveland (6). Finally, they will not be out coached in the playoffs. There is more talent in Scott Skiles’ little finger than the entire collection of teams coaches just mentioned. This will be a difference maker in at least one close game in the first round.
5. Andrew Bogut. Finally shaking the label of draft bust, Bogut came to play in 2010. He is averaging career highs in points, boards, blocks, free throw percentage and committing the least amount of turnovers since his rookie year. In Skiles, he has a coach that isn’t afraid to run plays through him and in Jennings, he has a point guard who can get him the ball. While he has some issues against quality teams (he has only managed 13.7 points at  46% from the field against the East’s top four teams this season), the mere fact there is a massive, 7’0 monster in the middle at both ends makes the Bucks that much more dangerous. With his slick ability to pass (see this from the other night against the Hawks), it is difficult to double team him in the post. You give him time to find his groove in a 7 game playoff series and it will be awesome to watch.

These are just a few of the many reasons why the Bucks should not be written off against higher ranked opponents come NBA playoffs. While they do lack playoff experience and Brandon Jennings is currently playing his own personal version of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, there are bigger factors at play to get them across the line against elite opponents. I don’t necessarily think the Bucks will make the NBA Finals, I just think that the now standard line being trotter out by many that no team can play with the Hawks, Cavs, Magic and Celtics in the East is a fallacy. The Bucks are for real and they don’t care what anybody else thinks. Get on board.

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