Episode 108: Let the Title Defense Begin

With the 2024 NBA Playoffs just around the corner, Riley and Michael were happy to host Tom Lewis of Indy Cornrows to help us preview the Milwaukee Bucks-Indiana Pacers series. We cover a range of topics from where the Pacers have been since these teams last played in January, updates on Tyrese Halliburton, Pascal Siam, and Myles Turner, how Rick Carlisle's principles of play, Pacer fans' expectations, and much more! Indy Cornrows - indycornrows.com Note: Riley had trouble with his audio, so that track was edited out with post-recording lines placed in to keep the heart of Tom's contributions and to avoid interrupting the flow of the conversation.

With the 2023-2024 Milwaukee Bucks regular season at a close, Riley, Kyle, and Adam got together for a season send-off show for the ages. The staff of Brew Hoop have cast their votes and the results are in: We proudly present to listeners of Deer Diaries our inaugural winners of the "Golden Hoof Awards". From bench players most likely to be starters next season to worst losses of the season, from players most likely to actually read Brew Hoop to those who had the best year for someone aged 33+, the committee covered it all. Without further ado, the Golden Hoofs.

When the Milwaukee Bucks go astray, the Deer Diaries Podcast crew shall play. Fresh off an 0-4 week for the ages, Riley, Kyle, and Jackson assembled to - you guessed it - log some complaints against the team. Can the Bucks find joy in the current moment? How do you find ways to win when there seems to be a leadership vacuum? Will a midnight oil-burning session between Doc Rivers and his nine favorite players lead to Milwaukee's salvation? They discuss that and go one further to offer the team constructive suggestions on small changes that could have a positive impact. Plus rapid fire, the latest edition of Jackson's Build, Kyle takes a trip down Adam Sandler Lane with "The Wrong Missy", predictions, and more!

Having just finished watching a variety of clips from Patrick Beverly's podcast, Riley, Kyle, and Adam gathered to discuss the 1-2 week for the Milwaukee Bucks. Could the difference between winning and losing simply be, "sharing is caring"? Where does your heart ultimately lie: On the path to ball knowledge, or the way to number-crunching heaven? Are the Bucks still a favorite thanks to their fundamentals, or are the flaws too great to overcome? They cover all that, plus reactions to Pat Bev's injury news, rapid fire questions, the return of Fountain Pens w/Friends, the "Dirty Grandpa" review none of us knew we needed, and more!

In the glorious afterglow of a dominant Milwaukee Bucks victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Riley, Kyle and Adam walked through the fields of sunflowers and daisies together. Can a whole season rest on Bobby Portis's shoulders? Are victories in March predictive of the coming May? Are the Bucks truly moving in a substantially new direction? They talk all that plus: The Eight-Man Rotation Game, Doc Rivers evals, whether this is the start of a new evolution in Giannis Antetokounmpo's game, and just how often Giannis and Jrue Holiday were asked to practice pick-and-roll sets together? Then, it is on to Rapid Fire questions, Kyle's long-awaited review of "Neighbors", and more!

The Milwaukee Bucks returned home and promptly went 2-0 to pick themselves up after a rough California road trip. Riley, Adam, and Kyle get together to talk through the victories, the triumphant return of Khris Middleton, issue their official apologies to Bobby Portis, and anoint AJ Green as "the next big thing". All that, plus their criteria for tribute videos, taco proteins of choice, Love is Blind (pt. 2), and more!

With the Milwaukee Bucks wrapping up their largely unsuccessful California road trip, Riley, Adam and Jackson got together to assess who they think this team really is. Should we be optimistic that offensive inconsistencies will fall to the wayside once the playoffs arrive? Is it even possible to get grown men to "hold themselves accountable" 75% of a way through a season? What the heck is a big man rotation? They tackle all that, plus what the Bucks need to do to win the 2024 title, #JacksonInDeepWaterIsAProblem, which current Buck would make the best color analyst, Jackson's Build, and much more!

The Bucks continue winning, and nobody is complaining. Kyle is joined by former co-managing Brew Hoop Adam and Mitchell editors to discuss the improved defense, Doc's man management, and the likely end of the 8-man rotation experiment. Then they wonder how much the regular season matters and if getting the highest seeding is more important than the team finding its groove. Does the team need an a**hole to win a title? Maybe. Then we end with rapid fire questions, Kyle talks about Love Is Blind and a new recurring segment of Mitchell's press conference after he coached some scrimmages.

With the Milwaukee Bucks taking hold of a new lease on life post-All-Star break, Riley, Kyle, and Jackson drew together to understand this new ray of basketball light. Did the Bucks really just need a few days off? Are we talking about practice? The defense looks legit - is it good enough to do the job in the playoffs? Plus, a Danilo Gallinari love-in, the undeath of Pat Connaughton (???), and a desperate search for the root of Doc Rivers-focused antipathy. Plus! "Avatar: The Last Airbender" (live action series) takes, Jacques Herbin fountain pen ink, Jackson unveils his latest Lego build, predicting Gallo's first points, and much more! If you'd like to listen to Jackson's interview with Vince Carter during All-Star Weekend, you can find the recording here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1IbvReb1Vil9VUdYkdEgat?si=PKqusVelRVSoX8HpQcbCeA&nd=1&dlsi=e0140fff3be54fb2

Just when the Milwaukee Bucks give a hint that they may finally be turning the corner with a dominant win over the Denver Nuggets, they fell right back to Earth with losses to the Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies. Kyle, Michael, and Riley gather to diagnose what ails the team (yet again), consider whether two engines working apart can get the job done, and roster construction concerns rearing their head. Plus, they each present a positive take for balance, Kyle reviews 2022's "Bullet Train", discussions about favorite scents, and more!