Knocking off the reigning NBA champions is never a simple task. The Chicago Bulls don’t have an easy road to a first-round playoff win against the Milwaukee Bucks. After going 0-4 in the season series, the Bulls are hoping to reverse the pattern in the postseason.
Here are three keys for the Bulls as they prepare for Game 1 on Sunday in Milwaukee.
1. Slow down Giannis Antentokounmpo
Antentokounmpo is the obvious focus for the Bulls — and any other team facing the Bucks. In the week leading up to Game 1, Bulls players didn’t feel the need to break down Antentokounmpo’s skill set.
“Everybody knows about Giannis,” guard Alex Caruso said. “You don’t have to say anything about that.”
Antentokounmpo’s size and agility make him a threat anywhere on the court. He’s listed as a shooting guard and a power forward on any given day and averaged 29.9 points and 11.4 rebounds this season. There is no stopping Antentokounmpo, but the Bulls need to do their best to slow him.
The Bulls haven’t had an answer for the two-time NBA MVP. Centers Nikola Vucevic and Tristan Thompson weren’t quick enough to match Antentokounmpo from the arc to the rim. Javonte Green poured energy and athleticism into matchups with Antentokounmpo, but it was too easy for the Bucks to exploit the 6-inch height disparity between the two.
In the playoffs, power forward Patrick Williams might be a solution for the Bulls. With a 7-foot wingspan and explosiveness, Williams possesses the physical ability to dog Antentokounmpo defensively. The question is whether Williams is ready to match the physicality of the reigning NBA Finals MVP.
Williams faced Antentokounmpo twice late this season in 28-point and 21-point blowouts. Those games weren’t a good sample of the matchup. Williams played only 18 minutes in the first game while working under a minutes restriction after returning from a five-month injury absence. Antentokounmpo didn’t even take a shot in the first quarter of the second game before tapping out early in the fourth to enjoy the rest of the win from the bench.
After being challenged to be more aggressive in the first weeks following his return from injury, Williams exploded in confidence in the final three games of the season. It will be important for the Bulls to help Williams carry that intensity into Sunday, when he will take his first real crack at Antentokounmpo.
2. Keep the ball under control
Although the Bucks took a defensive slide after the All-Star break, they still can dominate games through their defense, which is anchored by guards Jrue Holiday and Wesley Matthews.
The Bulls struggled against the Bucks defense this season, averaging 101.5 points (10.1 below their average). While many teams began to double team DeMar DeRozan in the final third of the season, the Bucks were content to leave one of their primary defenders on the Bulls’ leading scorer.
With Holiday and Matthews hunting for steals, ball protection will be critical. The Bulls averaged 12.8 turnovers, the sixth-most in the league. And without Lonzo Ball, they don’t have an experienced option at point guard. Rookie Ayo Dosunmu took charge of the role after Ball’s injury, and Caruso replaced him as the starter in the final two weeks. The position will remain in their hands in the playoffs.
Dosunmu’s growth at point guard has been immense for the Bulls, but he’s still inexperienced entering his first professional postseason. Caruso brings a more seasoned touch to the position, but ongoing back spasms cast uncertainty over his potential availability — especially if the series goes long.
Although the pair will bring the ball up the court, ball protection applies to the entire roster. The Bucks devour momentum swings, and the Bulls will dig themselves into a hole if they give up too many transition opportunities.
3. Take advantage of 3-point opportunities
Although the Bucks can be smothering on defense, their focus on the paint creates a major gap that the Bulls could exploit. The Bucks rank fourth in the NBA in points allowed in the paint (43.6), but that is built off a compromise — giving up more 3-point attempts than any other team.
Opponents average 40.6 attempts from behind the arc against the Bucks, who sacrifice those long-range opportunities to crowd the paint and eliminate shots at the rim and second-chance points. (In comparison, teams attempt 31.9 3-pointers per game against the Bulls.)
Strong outside shooting also could pull the Bucks out of their typical shape, forcing them to contest behind the arc to free up cut-and-slashes to the basket. This doesn’t necessarily play to the Bulls strengths. The Bulls took 28.8 3-pointers per game in the regular season, less than any other team. Without Ball, they’re missing one of their top catch-and-shoot players from long range.
But the Bulls also are the fourth-most accurate team from 3-point range, shooting 36.9%. Guards Coby White (38.5%) and Zach LaVine (38.9%) can add pop from behind the arc. If the Bulls can catch a hot streak from 3-point range, they’ll have an opening to create holes in the rest of the Bucks defense.
