Q: The Bucks series proved that there are at least a few of the undrafted players that are what we thought they were. Your thoughts? – Brent, Wellington.
A: As long as expectations were tempered with Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Caleb Martin, their contributions certainly have contributed to success. What happened was once the Heat gave that five-year, $90 million package to Duncan Robinson, the calculus of concern changed, as if Pat Riley would lavish something similar on anyone and everyone with similar credentials. The Heat wound up re-signing Caleb at $20.4 million for three seasons last summer. That stands as a value contract as any measure. With a bit of salary-cap gymnastics, the Heat should be able to do the same with Gabe and Max this summer. At such price points, there would be value there, as well.
Q: Pulling Bam Adebayo to play point guard during the last five minutes of regulation in Milwaukee was genius. – Ben, Weston.
A: And was an interesting intersection of previous criticism of Bam Adebayo and Erik Spoelstra. The move allowed Bam to maximize his versatility. And the move was an example of Spoelstra showing the ability to maximize his roster. Win. Win.
Q: While most of us would agree that Giannis Antetokounmpo is not a failure, the Bucks’ season, after topping the NBA in the regular season, was an unequivocal and epic failure, – Parag, Weston.
A: This is where I have a problem with the NBA and any other league with playoffs. If the first 82 are irrelevant to the final equation then the regular season is an epic waste of time. The Milwaukee Bucks brought smiles to the faces of their fans 58 times during the regular season. Doesn’t that have to mean something? Or does a single week in April retroactively remove the exhilaration experienced the previous six months?
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