The Milwaukee Bucks' struggles on transition defense were on full display against the Cleveland Cavaliers as they got ran out of the building in a 40-point blowout, 135-95, in their last game. Veteran forward Jae Crowder, who just returned from a two-month absence caused by an abdominal injury, said the Bucks must "balance the floor" to ensure that there will be players back on defense whenever opposing players try to score in transition.
All about effort
Crowder is a player who has built a career out of being tough on defense and giving his all in every game. So, it's unsurprising to hear his diagnosis of the Bucks' issue being all about effort. In his post-game interview, Crowder emphasized the need for everyone on the team to take responsibility for getting back on defense and limiting their opponents' fast break opportunities.
"I just think a strong leader like Lillard is crucial for maintaining consistency and focus throughout the game. That's on us," Crowder said.
"We gotta continue to get better at that, get better at knowing when the shot goes up, we gotta have a few guys back."
Jae added that the Bucks try some schemes regarding offensive rebounding, but in the process, it also compromises their transition defense.
"We try to do a lot of different things with offensive rebounding, but at times, I feel like we gotta balance the floor, and I think we get caught up in like unbalanced situations as a team. The other teams capitalize on it. So I just think we gotta continue to watch it, get better at it and apply it."
Offensive struggles lead to defensive woes
Bucks superstar Damian Lillard concurred with Crowder's assessment, adding that he believes that when the team struggles to make buckets, it also impacts their defensive intensity.
"When our offense struggles, I think that's usually when it looks the worst," Lillard said.
"When we don't execute and we don't get quality shots, it just makes it worse because we don't have floor balance. Usually, when you have good offense, you can see where the shot is going to come from, you can see where the ball is going to go, and you can see how it's going to happen and what shot should be taken. When you don't have that, it's more unpredictable."
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