In the debut of a new and exciting sub-series of Deer Diaries (A Milwaukee Bucks Podcast!) recordings, Riley rode solo to provide his instant reaction to the Milwaukee Bucks 109-94 victory over the Indiana Pacers in game one of the NBA playoffs. He reviews Damian Lillard's torrid first half (and an extremely quiet second), Khris Middleton the straw stirring the drink, Bobby Portis and Patrick Beverly making differences on both ends of the floor, and what to look out for in game two on Tuesday.

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 have changed over the season, Pacer fans' expectations, and much more! Indy Cornrows - indycornrows.com Note:...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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,...

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...

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"...

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",...

With the Milwaukee Bucks active at the trade deadline yet again, Riley dials in for a special solo podcast to talk through the arrival of Patrick Beverley. How will Milwaukee's newest guard fit in with the rotation, and can he be the perimeter defender that can drag the team towards a viable playoff defense? We say bon voyage to Cam Payne and Robin Lopez, consider the state of the Bucks youth, wonder about filling the 15th roster spot, and more!

With Doc Rivers officially taking the reins as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, the games are coming thick and fast. Notching a 1-3 record since the handover from Joe Prunty, the Bucks gave Riley, Kyle, and Adam plenty to talk about. Namely, a veteran-only rotation, the travails of trade candidates, a continually excellent season for Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the new direction Milwaukee may be heading in. All that, plus ideal pizza toppings, whether Pat Connaughton will get his number...

The Milwaukee Bucks have parted ways with head coach Adrian Griffin after 43 games and a 30-13 record. Kyle, Adam, and Riley talk through their spit take reactions to the news, look back on the (brief) Griffin era, and where it all went wrong. With news that Doc Rivers is a favorite to take over the job, they discuss his fit with Milwaukee's roster, his past successes (and numerous failures) as a coach, their apprehensions, their excitement, and, of course, interim head coach Joe Prunty.

Trade season is heating up while the Milwaukee Bucks continue to deliver bang-average results on the court. Riley, Kyle, and their Brew Hoop compatriot Michael get together to divine anything of meaning from a short week of play for Milwaukee. Then, they kick off the pod's trade coverage with fake trades of their own. The cherry on top? Kyle's mega deal that will have you wondering what alternate universe you're living in. All that, plus rapid fire, a pen ink review, and the debut of...

Just when Kyle and Riley had declared them on the brink of something negative, the Milwaukee Bucks turned things around (again) to bring their record to .500 in the new year. Adam returns and they talk about whether this latest surge is meaningfully different from previous ones, the sustainability of team performances against top-tier competition, and whether there actually is a flip to be switched this time around. All that, plus a Stenobook review, rapid fire, predictions, and more!

Deer Diaries is back after an extended holiday break, and Kyle/Riley have plenty to talk about. The Milwaukee Bucks are 1-3 since the start of 2024 and have looked all out of sorts. Team defense remains a travesty while the offense has now started to tank as well. They talk through those issues, wave goodbye to Lindell Wigginton and Marques Bolden, wonder whether a mid-season fix is even feasible, go through the latest edition of the Eight-Man Rotation exercise, and more! All that, plus a new...

Turns out Bobby Portis was the secret ingredient all along. Kyle, Adam, and Riley gathered to talk about a week full of wins, GameBall-Gate, just how bad the Pistons are, and a very encouraging team performance over the Houston Rockets. Is Andre Jackson Jr.'s stock going to the Moon? Can we learn to love winning via offense? Is this the best Giannis Antetokounmpo has ever looked in his career? They tackle that, plus "Nimona" gets the Carr Review, Riley has a letter pad and fears of character...

With the NBA's In-Season Tournament finished, Kyle, Adam, and Riley gather to recap the Milwaukee Bucks participation. They talk about the wing rotation, ways to touch grass in the depths of a Midwestern winter, determine the cooked-ness of Khris Middleton's defense, and Riley "passionately challenges" the accepted post-IST media consensus. Then, it is on to holiday drinks, Paw Patrol, a new commonplace notebook, predictions, and more!

With the Bucks having played their 20th game of the season, Kyle, Riley, and Van get together to take stock. The offense is near-elite (especially in competitive fourth quarters), the defense has plateaued at firmly below-average, and Adrian Griffin's points of emphasis appear to have gradually shifted. What's real, and where is there realistic room for improvement? They tackle that, plus cookie exchanges, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Happy Schnapps Combo, Instagram jump shot doctors, and more!

From average to unbeatable, the Milwaukee Bucks needed just a week to turn this early season on its head. Kyle and Riley talk about Milwaukee's four straight wins, the clear emergence of Damian Lillard (and Malik Beasley!) as an offensive orchestrator, and signs of marked improvement in the defense. Then, they preview the upcoming matchup against the Boston Celtics. What are they most looking forward to in that game, and what do the Bucks need to do -- win or lose -- to leave them feeling...

The Milwaukee Bucks continue to keep their heads just above .500 water, but the defense remains a mess and the offense isn't much better. Kyle, Riley, and Morgan sift through the debris of another mediocre week for the Bucks to diagnose just what ails the team. Can Adrian Griffin survive the season? If you could fix one thing about the defense, what would it be? Was Brandon Jennings-Monta Ellis a stronger defensive backcourt than Damian Lillard-Malik Beasley? They discuss all that, plus: A...

With the Bucks defense sputtering, coach Adrian Griffin made his first meaningful strategic change to stop the bleeding. How well did it work, and is it a sign of things to come? Riley, Adam, and Brew Hoop's managing editor Van Fayaz chat about that, plus the general learning curve rookie head coaches go through, continuing Giannis struggles, "Rasputin" by Boney M., and much more!

With the Bucks sitting at .500 after their first two games of the season, Kyle, Riley, and Jackson chat about the early pick & roll struggles, easing Khris Middleton back into the rotation, a defensive scheme that gives as much as it takes, long-term title forecasts, Halloween, "Nope", Star Wars Lego sets, and much more!

On this first episode of Deer Diaries (post-rebrand), Riley, Kyle, and Adam gather around their microphones to talk Giannis's three-year, $186 million extension, the drama around Terry Stotts's departure from the team, confidence levels in the Milwaukee Bucks offense and defense, preseason observations, plus Rapid Fire questions, an ink review, Kyle's recap of "The Menu" and much more!