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Milwaukee Bucks remain in no. 4 of The Athletic’s Power Rankings
With a 22-8 record, the Milwaukee Bucks remain one of a few squads that have a legitimate chance of hoisting the NBA title when all is said and done this season. With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard spearheading the offense, the Bucks are a force to be reckoned with.
In The Athletic's latest Power Rankings, the Bucks maintained their position at number 4. Despite the Christmas Day loss to the New York Knicks, the team remains one of the top contenders in the league.
Amazing offense
Any team that employs two of the most dominant players in the last decade should have no trouble putting the ball in the basket. That has been the case this season as the Bucks boast an offensive rating of 120.5—good for 4th in the entire league.
“Obviously, the Bucks have an amazing offense, but their shot-making is incredibly impressive. They’re near the top of the league in 3-point shooting, and they convert roughly 58 percent of their 2-pointers,” Zach Harper wrote of what he likes from the Bucks this season.
Halfway decent defense
Although their defense has improved enough to rank 19th in the league in defensive rating, it still needs a lot of work. The recent loss to the Knicks proved that much, as Jalen Brunson gifted them with 38 points during their Christmas Day showdown. Julius Randle and RJ Barrett also helped ruin the holiday celebration for the Bucks as they added 24 and 21 points, respectively.
“I don’t fully believe in their defense being decent. I still believe they’re capable of getting torched from deep and think it’ll appear in the playoffs,” Harper said.
