The Milwaukee Bucks started this season like they were shot out of a cannon. An 8-1 start had them sitting atop the Eastern Conference and they looked headed towards a big year. They have since cooled off considerably, going just 9-7 in the last 16 games. The Bucks still have all the makings of a contender despite this rough stretch, but they need to develop more consistency.
Centered around budding superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, this squad is still learning what it takes to be a championship level team night in and night out. They are coming off an impressive road win over fellow Eastern Conference contender, the Toronto Raptors. Third-year guard Malcolm Brogdon hit back-to-back threes late to tie the game and give the Bucks a lead they would not relinquish. The win puts them at 17-8 and just two and a half games back of the East-leading Raptors.
Milwaukee Bucks Aiming to Become True Contender in Eastern Conference
Star Man
The Greek Freak, as he is known, is a potential MVP candidate this season. Antetokounmpo is putting up phenomenal numbers through the first few months of the season. His 27 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists is a stat line that has never been seen for an entire NBA season. The 24-year-old is in his sixth season in the league and has improved each year, developing into one of the game’s elites. He has a versatile skill set that is magnified by his unrivaled combination of size, length, and athleticism. Multiple times a night the Greek Freak does something that seems improbable.
He has added to his game each off-season, as evident by his point, rebound and assist numbers increasing each year of his career. The next step in his evolution is developing a consistent jump shot. If he can do that, his potential is limitless. He is already a match-up nightmare because most teams just do not have someone who can match him physically. Adding a reliable jump shot would make him impossible to guard. Antetokounmpo has risen from intriguing prospect to superstar status in the last few years, now he just needs to prove he can lead his team to playoff success. The Bucks are assembled to fit around him, and management has done a good job surrounding him with talent.
Second Fiddle
While Antetokounmpo is the main star, this team is built well around him. Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe are both having fine seasons in support of their MVP-caliber teammate. Middleton is averaging 18.1 points and 5.7 rebounds a night and could be in line for his first ever All-Star appearance. His outside shooting is a great counterbalance to the rim attacking style of both Antetokounmpo and Bledsoe. His durability is also key, as he has played in 79 or more games in four of the past five seasons. He is at 40 percent from beyond the arc and 87 percent from the free throw line for his career. Those numbers put him among the best shooters in the league over the past six seasons.
Bledsoe arrived early last season from Phoenix and has provided additional scoring and an added level of toughness to Milwaukee. The ninth-year pro is a streaky outside shooter but has been an efficient scorer this season. He is averaging 16 points and just under six assists a night while shooting a career-best 52 percent from the field. Bledsoe adds another valuable scoring option into the mix. His numbers are down this season as the third option. Bledsoe is still capable of carrying the team offensively on any given night. Brogdon and veteran big man Brook Lopez finish out the starting five.
Getting Defensive
The Bucks are still in good shape with the third best record in the Eastern Conference. If they want to break this recent funk and get back to playing their best, they will need to step up on the defensive end. The Bucks play a fast-paced brand of basketball to better utilize their team athleticism. This style leads to more possessions, and ultimately more points allowed. While they are comfortable in fast-paced high scoring games, the Bucks need to shore things up defensively. They have only held their opponents under 100 points in four games this season.
As the season wears on and the intensity levels rise come playoff time, games usually become less free-flowing. The Bucks will need to prove they can win a dogfight kind of game as well as a track meet. They traded for veteran guard George Hill recently and he should help their perimeter defense.
East Up For Grabs
LeBron James is in Los Angeles. That means for the first time since 2010, a team led by someone else will represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. The Raptors have the best record in the league right now. The Celtics were the preseason favorites, and the 76ers just traded for All-Star Jimmy Butler. That means that despite a hot start to the year, the Bucks still have a large mountain to climb to get where they want to be.
They have a superstar in Antetokounmpo, and a solid supporting cast around him. The Bucks lead the NBA in scoring at 121 points a night. However, this is a team that has not seen much playoff success together. The other three top contenders in the East have the advantage of overall experience and the taste of success in the postseason. The Bucks have the ingredients to make some major noise this year, but they still have to prove they can put it all together.
Main Photo
CHICAGO, USA – OCTOBER 6: Khris Middleton (22) of Milwaukee Bucks in action against Kris Dunn (32) of Chicago Bulls during the preseason NBA game between Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks, in Chicago, United States, on October 6, 2017.
(Photo by Bilgin S. Sasmaz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
