© Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Milwaukee Bucks still flourishing despite the growing pains
How scary is it for the rest of the NBA when the Milwaukee Bucks finally figure everything out? Despite their struggles early in the season, the Bucks still look like a force to be reckoned with. Although their defense remains far off from what it used to be in past seasons, this was to be expected given they traded away defensive sentinel Jrue Holiday for seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard.
The defensive prowess of the Bucks' backcourt may be lacking, but the team is already learning how to compensate for it. This development does not bode well for their opponents.
Defense is improving
After a horrendous start that saw the Bucks practically escort opponents all the way to the rim, Milwaukee’s defense has returned to being stingy ever since coach Adrian Griffin instructed defensive big man Brook Lopez to drop deep in pick-and-roll coverages, thereby placing him in an area he has thrived for many years.
“It's already shown signs of improvement, especially since new coach Adrian Griffin returned to the drop pick-and-roll coverage that Brook Lopez has thrived with, but the Milwaukee Bucks still have a bottom-10 defense. That's a far cry from the unit that ranked first over the course of the five seasons prior to this one, but it honestly might not matter,” Andy Bailey wrote for Bleacher Report.
Offense is flourishing
Lillard’s presence has turned an already potent offense into a downright explosive one that ranks in the top 10 in nearly all of the league’s offensive categories. Whereas Milwaukee previously struggled to generate points when the game was on the line, Dame's incredible ability to make big shots in big-time moments has made the Bucks a team to be reckoned with.
“In the past, the Bucks' attack had become stagnant in the highest leverage moments. Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the more unstoppable forces the NBA has ever seen, but his bad shooting and sometimes one-track scoring ability made the team predictable in huge moments."
"That's not going to be true in 2023-24. And even if the Bucks can manage to have a defense around league average, they'll be a title contender,” Bailey shared.
