The Milwaukee Bucks have had a miserable season. Still, the Bucks have an opportunity to secure a spot in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament as they could be as healthy as they have been since opening night.
Bucks Getting Healthy For Stretch Run As Veteran Forward Surprisingly Could Make His Return
Milwaukee sits in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, four games behind 10th-place Charlotte, with a 27-36 record. However, the Bucks have lost four of five as they close out a five-game homestand versus the Phoenix Suns. The Bucks are coming off a 130-91 blowout loss to the Orlando Magic on Sunday, with Giannis Antetokounmpo sitting out the second game of a back-to-back. It was his 16th absence in the Bucks’ last 19 contests and 30th missed game of the season.
While injuries are a major reason for Milwaukee’s struggles, it is not the only reason the Bucks will likely miss the playoffs for the first time in 10 seasons. The Bucks rank in the bottom third of the league in both offensive and defensive efficiency. The Bucks have shot the ball well, ranking third in the NBA in effective field goal percentage, though they rank 28th in scoring at 111. points a game. They are the NBA’s worst offensive rebounding squad, don’t get to the free-throw line, and play at the seventh-slowest pace.
Defensively, the Bucks struggle to defend the 3-point line, with opponents connecting on 14.5 3-pointers per game at 36.7%. The Bucks are also the seventh-worst at defending the rim and don’t force many turnovers. Additionally, they have the sixth-worst scoring margin at -4.7 and are just 11-27 against teams with a .500+ record. Per Tankathon, the Bucks have the 11th-easiest remaining schedule.
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