Britts Blog: Bucks vs Nuggets - 11/10/09

By Britt Clement
November 10, 2009

Wednesday’s game between the Bucks and Nuggets pits one of league’s top defenses against one of the top offenses. Assistant Coach Bill Peterson talked about Milwaukee’s franchise-best start on D and playing an offense like Denver’s.

The Bucks have allowed 426 points (85.2 per game) through their first five tilts, the fewest in the franchise’s 42 years. They’re also the only club in the league that has yet to give up 100 points this season. On top of that, they’re among the league leaders in defensive field goal percentage (41.7) and turnovers forced (19.4).

Peterson said the club has been playing good, team defense with teammates covering for each other. “I think we’re doing a pretty good job of pressuring the ball and contesting shots,” Peterson added. “Our shot challenges are way above what they’ve been in the past. It’s been proven, and Scott (Skiles) has talked about it a lot in meetings, that contested shots percentage-wise are made much, much less than uncontested shots.”

Last season, in Skiles’ first as the Bucks head coach, the club had allowed 476 points (95.2) in the team’s first five games. So in just one year the team has shaved 10 points off that average, albeit in a limited sample.

Peterson said the players who were here last season have really grown in the system.

“I think the guys that have been here really understand the system more,” Peterson said. “Now we have guys saying ‘you didn’t stunt here’ or ‘we were in a blue call.’ Those are the calls that we’re supposed to be doing and last year it was the coaches saying it, now you see the players doing it. When the players own it and start to realize what’s going on, the team grows by leaps and bounds. They’re basically policing themselves. That’s what you want. We have a chance to be a very good team defensively.”

The aforementioned defensive stats were brought up and Peterson said it’s a little early to make judgments on a five-game sampling. “First off, those stats are great, but it has only been five games. Lets look at those stats 18 or 20 games in and see where we are then. That’s a better gauge of how we’re doing. Anyone can come out and have a three or five game stretch where they’re really good. Lets see us do it consistently over 18-20 games.”

The Bucks defensive effort has been covered, but what happens when they meet a team who, through Monday, was fourth in the league at 109.3 points per game, seventh in field goal percentage (47.8 percent) and seventh in three point percentage (40.2)? 

“The thing we’ll have to focus on with Denver is that they’re good in transition,” Peterson noted. “We’re going to be really tested to get back on D and make sure that we’re contesting their shots and not giving them a lot of easy baskets. Any team that scores a lot of points, like the Nuggets do, they get a lot of easy baskets. They get easy layups, put-backs and wide open jumpers. We have to take that away. If you can limit some of that, obviously, they won’t get as many points. Most teams struggle a little in half court offense. We want to take away a lot of those easy looks in transition if we can.”

The Nuggets score a lot of points, but they’re also giving up 104.3 points per game, 22nd in the league. Is there a possibility that the Bucks would put more emphasis on offense in this game? Peterson says no.

“We’ll play our game,” Peterson said. “Scott isn’t one to change things like that. We’ll be sound in our system and if we have the break, we’ll run it and run our push/fast break game to see if we can get some easy baskets and then execute in the half court. Hopefully we can get them to turn it over a little bit and get some easy baskets. We’ll just play the way we have been the last couple games and try to be consistent.”

Check back with Bucks.com for post-game stats and analysis from what could be their biggest test of the season as the Northwest Division-leading Nuggets drop by the Bradley Center Wednesday night for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.