Michael Carter-Williams, Bucks and the Warriors win to remember

MANILA, Philippines – The Milwaukee Bucks did not have a successful 2015-2016 NBA season, finishing below expectations with a 33-49 record and missing the NBA Playoffs after getting there the season prior.

Undeniably the biggest highlight of the team was its win in December against the then defending champion Golden State Warriors, who started the season winning their first 24 games before visiting Milwaukee. 

Golden State went on to finish the regular season with an all-time best 73-9 record, making the Bucks’ victory more memorable.

“I think it’s an achievement for us,” Milwaukee point guard Michael Carter-Williams said on Thursday, August 18. He is currently in Manila for this year’s NBA3X Philippines event this weekend. “Unless they went 82-0, they were going to lose one game. It’s great that it was us (who beat them first), and it was a competitive game.”

Carter-Williams, 24, had a good performance in the 108-95 win against Golden State with 17 points, 7 assists, and 5 steals while defending NBA MVP Steph Curry.

“We went out there. Everyone was gunning for them, so for us to be that team to beat them is probably something that we’ll always remember,” he said.

The Bucks matched up well again with the Warriors a week later at the Oracle Arena. Although Milwaukee lost 121-112, it actually entered the fourth period ahead by 8 before Curry led a 36-19 fourth quarter turnaround to give the Dubs the victory.

Carter-Williams played even better in the second contest, finishing with 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.

“I think we match up pretty well with them. I think we’re able to switch on their screens and multiple players on our team can guard multiple players on their team, so it was good. We hit shots, we played good defense, and we just competed,” he said about the season series.

“We competed until the end. We fell short in the Oracle. We wanted to win that game too and I think we respect them a lot and that’s why we play them really hard.”

At 6-foot-6 and with a 6-foot-7 wingspan, Carter-Williams has the ability to pester those he defends on a daily basis. That’s important since the position he plays, point guard, is the deepest in the NBA today.

“There’s so many different point guards that have different styles,” he said when asked who is the hardest PG to defend in the league. “I’d probably have to go with either Russ [Westbrook] or Steph. Those two guys are constantly either looking to score or to attack mode. Of course Steph can shoot the lights out from 3.

“Kyrie’s another one that’s tough to guard. He’s got a lot of moves, a lot of game, and those guys are tough guards and you really have to stay focused on them,” he said.

When asked which opposing point guard is the hardest to get defended by, the confident Syracuse standout said, “I’m not sure. I haven’t really thought about that. I don’t think there’s anybody that I go against and I’m like, ‘Oh I can’t do anything against them.’ I’m not sure really, honestly.”

Healthy and positive

Although impressive in the two games against Golden State, Carter-Williams had his worst season as a pro last year with Milwaukee. He averaged a career-low 11.5 points a game while shooting 45% from the floor and 27% from downtown. He also averaged 5.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists a game, but threw away 2.8 turnovers a contest.

Carter-Williams also just played 54 games in the season due to knee and hip injuries, and only started 37 times because of the Bucks’ struggles on the court.

But the Hamilton, Massachusetts native says he feels good entering his fourth season in the league.

“I’ve had a great summer. I feel healthy, finally. I’m just going in there with a positive attitude and trying to help the team.

“I think last year there was some up and down moments, and like I said, I’ve worked really hard this summer on improving on some things, so I expect to be more consistent and I expect to go out there and play and just to have fun.”

The Bucks, who made just 5.4 3-pointers a game last season, added floor spacing during the offseason by signing free agents Matthew Dellavedova and Mirza Teletovic. With core pieces Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker also expected to improve, the future looks promising in Milwaukee.

“We want to be better as a team and I think that’s our goal, is to go out and play hard every night and make the playoffs,” said Carter-Williams. – Rappler.com