MILWAUKEE — The homework is being handed out.
It’s just not always being finished and turned back in.
That’s fine against the Pistons, a team that’s equivalent to lunch or gym class, but against Professor Antetokounmpo and the Bucks — even with their 6-9 underachieving start — it’s a recipe for defensive failure. It was an all-too-familiar storyline for the Bulls this season in their 122-106 loss at Fiserv Forum.
“Experience is the best teacher,” Bulls guard Zach LaVine said when asked about the defensive breakdowns. “For us right now, it’s defense by committee. It’s not like we’re trying to give up certain plays or mess up certain things. I think you’ve just got to go through it, then keep hammering away with film, teaching points. We all make mistakes out there. It’s the ones that are costly. If you see Giannis [Antetokounmpo] in the post, and we’re supposed to be doubling, it’s like, ‘OK …’ That happened a couple of times.”
Probably more than a couple, and Antetokounmpo seemed to take advantage of it every time on his way to 41 points.
It was just one of the frustrations for coach Billy Donovan on the night as he watched the Bulls slip to 6-10. Sure, the 20-0 free-throw discrepancy in the second half didn’t help Donovan’s mood, but the defensive breakdowns have been an ongoing issue.
“We have to have much better game-plan discipline,” Donovan said.
That was evident early on, which led to Donovan simplifying the offense at halftime and switching everything on defense. The problem with that is the Bucks figured that out quickly and had a whole bunch of Giannis-on-LaVine and Giannis-on-Coby White moments, with the double-team not always getting over quick enough.
No wonder Antetokounmpo had 25 points on 11-for-13 shooting in the third quarter.
“There’s a youthfulness to us in these situations,” Donovan said. “Things happen so fast and it’s like, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ We have to have a better awareness of personnel. You’ve got to randomly and very quickly make decisions. This is part of the learning and growing process for a lot of these guys where they’re now playing meaningful minutes.
“A lot of the younger guys have to understand the importance of the work that goes in away from the practice facility, in your hotel room, at your house at night, going through personnel, watching and studying, doing all those things.”
It didn’t help that the Bulls were without Patrick Williams (left foot), who was back in Chicago getting an MRI exam, which left no other physical presence at the wing in the rotation besides Torrey Craig.
What they did have was the three ball. And they weren’t afraid to use it.
The Bulls went 5-for-12 from three in the 30-point first quarter, slipped a bit in volume in the second (3-for-8), then kept the “Greek Freak” within reach in the third by shooting a ridiculous 7-for-12 from long range.
Three quarters in the books, and they were 15-for-32 from three-point range. That’s how an 18-point deficit was whittled to eight heading into the fourth quarter.
But with the score close midway through the fourth, Antetokounmpo reentered and showed why he is a league MVP and NBA champion.
So what did he do to finish the game off? He rebounded and found wide-open teammates. Two of his assists led to uncontested threes, and then Antetokounmpo hit AJ Green with a pinpoint pass off the backdoor cut, which Green missed.
Not that it mattered as Milwaukee’s finest went a plus-12 in just under six minutes in the fourth, putting the Bulls on ice.
“[Antetokounmpo] had a hell of a game,” LaVine said. “It was just a tough game.”
