Welcome to Winners & Sinners, our new weekly feature that reflects on the week that was. With Giannis wearing enemy colours and a new, youthful Bucks corps leading the charge, this season presents the unique opportunity to see just who is the Most Valuable Buck (MVB). But that’s not the only “award.” Each week, we’ll hand out the following:
- Defensive Belt: Ring the bells, this one’s a fight! Want to take home the belt? Get stops. But it’s more than just that. The “Defending Champion” wears the belt until a “Contender” takes it.
- The People’s Champ: Awarded to the Brew Hoop commenter of the week. Win it because of a wry comment in a game thread, an insightful fan post in The Feed, or simply in acknowledgement of all your hard
workposting. It’s our shoutout to you. - Run That Back: If this was a magazine, Run That Back would be a tear-out poster. It’s the highlight of the week.
- Sinner(s): Think of this as Brew Hoop’s Razzies. It’s a chance for catharsis, calling out what needs it.
- If… Then…: A forward-looking conditional statement. If you continue to read this article, then you’ll see what I mean (please do).
Now that you know the categories, let’s see the recipients!
MVB
It’s got to be Jaime Jaquez Jr., right? Tyler Herro has certainly put up a great argument, posting 23.7
PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 5.3 APG—and he’s quickly converting this writer into a fan. But after exploding against the Bulls he was relatively quiet against the 76ers. Meanwhile, Jaquez has been Milwaukee’s most consistent player. In addition to his 20.7 PPG (on 61% shooting!), Jaquez is contributing 8.7 RPG and 3.7 APG while playing with the sort of effort that Taylor Jenkins has preached all offseason.
Defensive Belt
Defending Champion: Vacant.
The Contenders: Kyle Kuzma, Jaime Jaquez Jr.
The Decision: Look, there haven’t exactly been any All-Defensive pushes to start the season, but the Bucks’ starting forwards have shown the most grunt (I’ll leave GRIT to retired janitor). Kyle Kuzma was the only semblance of a roadblock against Anthony Davis and has hit the glass hard, pulling down a team-leading 27 rebounds, including 21 on the defensive glass. He gets the nod.
The People’s Champ
naveed2000s takes the cake for this one, putting on a Woj Shams mask to drop news of the Golden State Warriors’ interest in trading Kristaps Porziņģis to the Bucks—before we could even think about getting a newser out. Kudos to you, naveed. Catch the scoop and join the conversation here:
Run That Back
Herro curls around a Myles Turner screen, catches and rises up—fluid, like Lake Michigan. Splash! And the harm. He converts on the two-to-make-one flagrant free throw too. It should’ve been the momentum moment to spur the Bucks to victory; the first of a long list in Herro’s Bucks lore. Instead, it’ll have to settle for this week’s highlight moment.
Sinner(s)
Meat Loaf said two out of three ain’t bad but in the NBA it’s a prerequisite—you need at least two of talent, smarts, or effort to truly succeed. At the moment, Ware has the talent. The know-how and the motor are works in progress. Thankfully, Jenkins is a teacher. Then again, so is Erik Spoelstra. The real question, then: does Ware know the difference between hearing and listening? If his performance against the 76ers is anything to go by, the answer is a resounding “Yes!”
Myles Turner, on the other hand, has been flat-out bad—7.7 PPG and 4.3 RPG, shooting below 40% from the field—to go along with 3.0 turnovers per game, while coming last on the team in plus/minus (-11.0) and offering little in the way of a paint presence. It’s time to hit the confessional.
Otherwise, the fourth quarters have been capital “R” Rough for the Bucks. Through three games, they’ve been outscored 98-73. Turn that around and they’d be sitting pretty.
If… Then…
If Ryan Rollins doesn’t start finding his offensive groove soon—which includes turning off the blinders so that he can run the team more effectively—then Taylor Jenkins might be wise to turn even more to Kasparas Jakučionis. The young Lithuanian has starting point guard written all over him.
Did I win the tip or am I running back on defence? Share your winners and sinners in the comments.
