Milwaukee Bucks Point Forward Podcast

Milwaukee's three best players struggled in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, and Milwaukee took its first loss of the series -- but still forced two overtimes. Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to discuss whether that's a good or bad thing now that Milwaukee's series lead has been trimmed to 2-1. What are the circumstances that actually create a poor Giannis perfor...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to preview the Eastern Conference finals, beginning Wednesday in Milwaukee. How will the Bucks try to stop Toronto's Kawhi Leonard, and likewise, how will the Raptors try and contain Giannis Antetokounmpo? Who else is going to present a matchup problem? How much will we see Malcolm Brogdon on the floor? The Petty Horn returns, plus a brief...

Milwaukee Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez stayed up late to chat about the Bucks dominant 116-91 win over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, a game that gave the Bucks their first ticket to the Eastern Conference finals since 2001. Matt joined host JR Radcliffe to talk about the elements that helped Milwaukee win four straight games against Boston, what elements could get even better in the next...

The Bucks responded in a big way Tuesday at Fiserv Forum with a 123-102 win over Boston to even their Eastern Conference Semifinals series at 1-1, and now they hit the road to Boston needing a win at TD Garden. Journal Sentinel reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to discuss the adjustments the Bucks made to rebound, the methods to defend Al Horford and Kyrie Irving, the change in the s...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to break down the matchup ahead after the Bucks dismissed the Pistons in the opening round of the NBA playoffs. Can we stop being at least mildly concerned about the health of Giannis? Is Al Horford still the biggest matchup problem to watch? Whose job is it to contain Kyrie? If Malcolm Brogdon returns from injury, how many minutes does he...

The Bucks have taken a 2-0 lead on the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the NBA playoffs, and Journal Sentinel beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to break it all down. They discuss the absence of Blake Griffin, the bounceback of Eric Bledsoe from last year's playoff series, playoff officiating toward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the huge minutes provided by Pat Connaughton and a p...

The Milwaukee Bucks finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA, and now, finally, comes the fun part. Journal Sentinel beat writer Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to discuss the first-round opponent Detroit Pistons, how injuries will factor into the Bucks' destiny, Sterling Brown in the starting lineup, the race for postseason hardware and the national pundits down on the B...

Bucks beat reporter Kane Pitman serves as special guest this week, chatting about the health of Giannis Antetokounmpo, where Mike Budenholzer falls in the Coach of the Year race and where Sterling Brown could fit into the long term picture in light of his big game Sunday. Kane then goes into his own amazing back story. He's gone from working at an oil refinery in his native Australia to self-fundi...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez looks at the MVP clash between James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the wake of Milwaukee's win over Houston on Tuesday. What's up with that Harden ad in the newspaper (though shoutout to Adidas for supporting local journalism!)? The Bucks social media team was spitting fire during the contest. Meanwhile, the battle to face the Bucks in the first round is a...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez stops by to discuss the suddenly limping Milwaukee Bucks, beset by injuries and just 5-5 in their last 10 games and a most recent loss against lowly Cleveland. How will they maneuver with Malcolm Brogdon sidelined for possibly the rest of the season (though hopefully back by the second round of the playoffs)? How serious should we be viewing the Giannis Antetokou...

Milwaukee's next two foes -- Miami and Philadelphia -- could conceivably also serve as the Bucks' first two opponents in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez breaks down how the matchups might play out with host JR Radcliffe. Plus: a deep dive into the value of Malcolm Brogdon, the disappearing minutes of DJ Wilson in the Mirotic era and does Giannis get superstar wh...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to discuss something that hasn't happened to the Milwaukee Bucks all season -- two straight losses. Of course it's not time to panic, but are there any bad omens to recognize, particularly on defense? Does the schedule ahead present any problems as the Bucks try to hold on to the top seed in the Eastern Conference? Also, a breakdown of the...

On this special EMERGENCY BRUNCH Bucks podcast, Journal Sentinel beat reporter Matt Velazquez chats live from LAX about the Bucks new four-year deal for Eric Bledsoe and news that the team was bringing in veteran big man Pau Gasol. Hear from Eric Bledsoe himself (well, in a chat before the contract business was announced). Plus, Matt and host JR Radcliffe discuss Milwaukee's two most recent wins,...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to break down Milwaukee's 3-0 start out of the all-star break, including the wacky final moments of the win over Boston. What kind of challenges would Boston present in a playoff series? Does it seem national writers recognize just how good this Bucks team has been? What are the early impressions of Nikola Mirotic, and how key was he in th...

Nearly two decades ago, the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team made an improbable run to the Final Four and set the table for a cycle of success that featured 19 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament for a program that was seldom a qualifier for the Big Dance beforehand. Hear from players on that team -- Mike Kelley, Andy Kowske, Mark Vershaw, Jon Bryant and Maurice Linton -- as well...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to discuss the best team in the NBA at the all-star break. What would make Indiana a challenge in the playoffs? Could the Bucks endure a short-term injury to Giannis? When will we finally see Nikola Mirotic suit up for his new team? The guys also discuss Giannis's intriguing television preferences and what they're looking forward to this w...

The Bucks made a big splash at the trade deadline Thursday, acquiring Pelicans forward Nikola Mirotic, with Thon Maker heading to Detroit and Stanley Johnson and Jason Smith en route to New Orleans. Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe and breaks it all down. How does it help the Bucks? Whose minutes will Mirotic get? Was this as big of a steal as it looks? Who else might the...

Journal Sentinel beat reporter Matt Velazquez discusses what you need to know about Anthony Davis's interest in Milwaukee, and why a trade for the Pelicans superstar remains virtually impossible. Matt and host JR Radcliffe also chat about the scintillating win over the Raptors last week, the Bucks' potential moves at the trade deadline and all-star Khris Middleton -- who'll be participating in the...

Journal Sentinel Bucks reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to discuss Thon Maker's recent request to seek a trade from the Bucks, and is there any chance another player in the same boat -- Pelicans star Anthony Davis -- could end up in Milwaukee? Also, Giannis is an all-star captain; who's he gonna take with his first pick? The Bucks have split two games since we last chatted, and the...

As Giannis Antetokounmpo heads toward becoming an All-Star Game "captain" and Marques Johnson sees his jersey rise to the rafters at Fiserv Forum, Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez discusses whether or not another Bucks player could get similar treatment before Giannis does. Redd? Allen? Big Dog? Host JR Radcliffe and Matt also discuss the team's five-game winning streak, the prospects of Eric Bl...

Journal Sentinel Bucks beat writer Matt Velazquez discusses the team's recent loss to Washington and why it wasn't all that disappointing. Does Giannis Antetokounmpo get a leg up in the MVP race after the Bucks went to Houston and won? What makes this team so tough in third quarters? Could Brook Lopez realistically compete in the 3-point contest on All-Star weekend? What's ahead for Milwaukee as i...

We've all been operating under the assumption that Giannis is the favorite to win the NBA MVP for the 2018-19 season, but is he? We'll learn more Wednesday when the Bucks travel to Houston and face the reigning MVP and co-favorite for the award, James Harden. Journal Sentinel Bucks beat writer Matt Velazquez chats about that meeting, plus the Bucks' recent hard-fought win over Utah and tough loss...

The Bucks have won four straight, eight of nine and own the best record in the NBA after victories on both Christmas and New Year's Day. Journal Sentinel beat reporter Matt Velazquez swings by to discuss the state of the high-flying Bucks, from Brook Lopez's all-star candidacy to the emergence of DJ Wilson to the MVP case for Giannis Antetokounmpo. What were Matt's impressions of Milwaukee's first...

The Bucks win back-to-back road games with some big minutes from DJ Wilson and Sterling Brown, plus some peak Giannis. Journal Sentinel beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to discuss the Malcolm Brogdon absence, the guard rotation, the Earned Jerseys, Christmas in New York and #TheThing making an appearance in Milwaukee's narrow win over Detroit. Music intro: "Wide Eyes" by Chad C...

We have a trade! Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez breaks down the motivation behind the swap that sent John Henson and Matthew Dellavedova to Cleveland and brought in George Hill and Jason Smith. Was there ever a chance the Bucks could land Sam Dekker? Also, a look back at a week that featured a loss to Golden State and an impressive win over Toronto. Malcolm Brogdon was huge in the latter game;...