Milwaukee Bucks Point Forward Podcast

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez looks back at All-Star weekend, from Pat Connaughton's (under-rewarded?) dunk contest showing to Giannis and his teammates in a spirited fourth quarter. Can we learn anything about Giannis' game based on how the All-Star Game ended. What level of concern should Bucks fans have over an interview where he casually mentioned it'd be fun to play with his brothers in...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez and host JR Radcliffe discuss the new arrival of Marvin Williams and how he fits into the fabric of the Bucks. Looking back at the trade deadline, did ANY teams make moves that should threaten Milwaukee? Plus: Is it too soon to write of the 76ers? Is Brook’s 3-point shooting back? What’s up with George Hill’s injury? How might Orlando stack up as an eighth seed?...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to discuss the Bucks loss to Denver and win over Phoenix. If a team shoots white-hot from three, is there anything the Bucks will do to stop it, and is Giannis still missing out on officials' whistles? Then, it's a ton about the trade deadline (17:00), even though the Bucks seem ready to stand pat. If they make a move, what might it look l...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez and host JR Radcliffe discuss the star turn taken by Khris Middleton in his 51-point performance Tuesday. Plus: Kobe's death and how it impacted Giannis, Giannis's shoulder injury and a look back at the Paris game. Nutella crepes! We have to talk about 70 wins again now, don't we? Music intro: "Wide Eyes" by Chad Crouch, available at freemusicarchive.org and soun...

Let's try the correct audio file this time. Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to discuss the trip to Paris to play the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, and whether that's going to interrupt the mojo of the NBA's best team. They chat Robin Lopez, Donte DiVincenzo, the template (if any) to slow down Giannis and Brooklyn as a potential first-round playoff foe (and the sleeping gi...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to discuss the trip to Paris to play the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, and whether that's going to interrupt the mojo of the NBA's best team. They chat Robin Lopez, Donte DiVincenzo, the template (if any) to slow down Giannis and Brooklyn as a potential first-round playoff foe (and the sleeping giant of Kevin Durant). What's still keeping t...

Milwaukee Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to discuss the Milwaukee Bucks quest for 70 wins, or at least the franchise record of 66. Is that a realistic goal? What should fans make of Giannis Antetokounmpo's balky back? Plus: a check in on which players we should expect dealt if the team makes a trade, a trip to fantasyland to ponder the Bucks signing Anthony Davis in the...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to discuss Milwaukee's success since that loss on Christmas Day, including the interior dominance of the Lopez brothers. They chat Eric Bledsoe's return, Ersanity, Khris Middleton's all-star résumé and the best Bucks games of the 2010s. We're a month away from the trade deadline; would the Bucks tinker with a roster that has won 32 of its...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe and looks back at Milwaukee's magical win over the Los Angeles Lakers; just how big a deal was it? Plus, is Brook Lopez back and are we ready to put the What-If Malcolm Brogdon story line to bed? We look ahead to the big Christmas showdown in Philadelphia. Then, JR chats with superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo (34:45) to talk about the upcomi...

The Milwaukee Bucks winning streak stopped at 18 heading into a highly intriguing regular-season showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez discusses the areas the Bucks could stand to improve, and what does Matt want to see against LeBron, AD and company as an indicator for what's to come in the playoffs? Does the Lakers game lose its juice now? Why is it...

The Bucks have won 15 straight, and not that we're looking ahead (we totally are), but the Lakers game Dec. 19 would represent a franchise-record tying 20th. What does this streak mean to the Bucks, who obviously have bigger fish to fry? How is this team doing it with lesser 3-point shooting than last year?  What was it like inside Fiserv Forum during the dazzling win over the Clippers? Bucks beat...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe and tries to name as many members as he can of the 1981-82 Bucks team, the last Bucks team to win 12 straight. Why isn't Milwaukee on fire with Bucks fever? What are Matt's impressions of Khris Middleton's return from injury, Robin Lopez's ascension in Brook's absence and Dragan Bender? Plus: Who's contending with Giannis for MVP at this p...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to discuss a virtuoso performance by Giannis Antetokounmpo on Monday. Matt points out why the exhausting effort may not automatically foretell "load management" in Giannis's future. Plus: When can we expect to see Khris Middleton back, how has the team been so hot without him and is Brook Lopez better than he's ever been as an interior def...

Host JR Radcliffe chats with Wes Matthews, a new member of the Bucks with a decorated past in Wisconsin hoops (31:00), and Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez chats about the officiating against Giannis Antetokounmpo, the reigning MVP's newfound 3-point shot, Eric Bledsoe and early-season surprises around the league. His dog, Rudy, makes his podcast debut.  Music intro: "Wide Eyes" by Chad Crouch,...

Khris Middleton is a polarizing player among the Bucks fan base, and now we'll see how the team fares without him for a few weeks. Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to discuss the fallout from Middleton's injury, a struggling bench getting shorter and the never-ending binary between Middleton and Malcolm Brogdon (who's tearing it up for the Pacers). The guys discuss Milwau...

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to talk about the Bucks point guard, one who started slowly but who seems to have righted the ship. Would the team entertain finding someone to take Bledsoe's place this year? What's this about Chris Paul expressing interest? Plus: What's up with the Bucks struggling to get to the basket, Donte DiVincenzo and a big loo...

The Milwaukee Bucks are 2-1 but haven't looked as dominant as we may have suspected. Journal Sentinel beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to discuss it. What's the deal with all the fouls on Giannis? How was his disposition after refuting THAT quote from Harvard? Is Miami maybe for real? Plus: the schedule ahead looks gruesome. Music intro: "Wide Eyes" by Chad Crouch, available at...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to play a game of Buy or Sell on the eve of the Bucks season opener. Should the Bucks be favored to win it all? Are they better this team than last year? Should there be concern about Eric Bledsoe's playoff struggles? Will Giannis repeat as MVP? Who will be the biggest offseason addition? Plus, some discussion about Giannis Antetokounmpo s...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to discuss the injury to Eric Bledsoe, the fascinating Dragan Bender and takeaways from the first four preseason games. Plus: How do we get pumped for the regular season if we know the Bucks are going to the playoffs, and how could the dispute from China directly impact Milwaukee's roster situation? Music intro: "Wide Eyes" by Chad Crouch,...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to discuss all things Milwaukee Bucks as they prepare to kick off their preseason slate Monday night in Chicago. Should we still be confident about Giannis signing the supermax even though he doesn't want to discuss his contract during the season? Who's the top candidate to take Malcolm Brogdon's spot in the starting lineup? How will Milwa...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to chat about the newest signing, Kyle Korver. We know he fits on offense, but what about defense? Plus: the signing of Thanasis Antetokounmpo and the topic that's going to dominate conversation for the next year: Will Giannis want to stay? A look back at that potential trade exception the Bucks didn't get and is there anyone to fear other...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez tries to make sense of a crazy start to free agency, with the returns of Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez and George Hill ... but the loss of Malcolm Brogdon. He and host JR Radcliffe discuss newcomers Robin Lopez and Wes Matthews, as well, plus the new look to the Eastern Conference. Are the Bucks still the team to beat? Are they better or worse than before? Why sho...

Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel joins host JR Radcliffe to discuss any updated expectations for the Milwaukee Bucks when free agency opens June 30. Are there ANY external names to keep watch for? What did Matt think of the pre-draft trade that shipped the 30th pick and Tony Snell to the Pistons (spoiler alert: "meh"), and what would it mean if Kemba Walker joined the Celtics? Plus...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez swings by in the days before the NBA Draft to discuss a myriad of Bucks topics, including how he tracked down his amazing Father's Day story involving Khris Middleton's premature newborn. Should we just assume Middleton will be back for max money? Let's assume someone like Kawhi Leonard wants to play in Milwaukee; how would the Bucks logistically pull that off? W...

Bucks beat reporter Matt Velazquez joins host JR Radcliffe to look back at the short-circuited Milwaukee Bucks playoff run. What was one thing the Bucks needed to curb a string of four straight losses? How does Matt evaluate Giannis's performance. Should Bucks fans be worried that Giannis would go elsewhere in 2020? How does the team address the contract situations of Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez...