Piece by: Noel Guerra
The Milwaukee Bucks have gotten off to a very slow start this season, but not because of their MVP superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks do not seem to be clicking like the team that dominated the previous two regular seasons. Instead of a top tier team; we are looking at an above average team with the potential of fixing their current issues. This past off-season seemed like a win as they were able to upgrade from Eric Bledsoe to Jrue Holiday, while keeping their franchise cornerstone for the foreseeable future. Even with the reigning two-time MVP committing for the future; they continue to fail the Greek Freak.
Giannis has been maintaining his high level of productivity this season with averages of 28 ppg, 11 rpg, & 6 apg. Questions arise as to what the problem is with the Bucks if their best player is still at a superstar level. My head turns to the head coach, Mike Budenholzer, for this decline in the team. Coach Bud has had this team at the top of the NBA standings during the regular season just to wilt under the playoff pressure the last two seasons. From his lineup rotations to his lack of defending the three point line, Coach Bud has put himself on the hot seat this season. Their offensive rating is still at an elite level, but the story is completely different for the defense. Their defensive rating in the first two seasons with Coach Bud were 105.2 and 102.9, respectively. This season they have skyrocketed up to 111 DRtg, which is 12th in the league. The team seems lackadaisical on their defensive rotations and Brook Lopez has definitely lost a step on this end. Granted that the Bucks’ defense has regressed dramatically; this is not the most concerning aspect of Coach Bud’s demise.
The Bucks have turned into a Giannis dependent team on both ends of the court. His usage rate is currently ranked fourth in the league at 33%. The team needs Giannis to facilitate, score, crash the glass, and play a free safety role on defense. You might be wondering as to why it truly matters since he is the best player on the team and reigning two-time MVP.
The issue becomes prominent due to the way Coach Bud uses him on offense. Giannis is more of a traditional center than someone like Nikola Jokic or Karl-Anthony Towns, but the Bucks instead have him out there trying to play like early 2000s Jason Kidd.
Someone needs to scream at Coach Bud and say, “GIANNIS IS NOT A GUARD.” In the last three seasons, Giannis is averaging 3.7 TOs a game. Furthermore, this season alone, he is shooting a whopping 82% from 0-3 feet. He is an absolute force in and around the paint, but most of the time he is standing around the perimeter handing off or initiating pick and rolls. His percentage drops tremendously once he is outside the paint as it falls down to 33% from 4-10 feet. That is a 49% drop off in field goal percentage. Simple things like more post ups or playing as the roll man can help, but with Coach Bud, I do not see that change happening anytime soon.
The Milwaukee Bucks are currently on a 5 game losing streak and are not one of the top tier teams like the previous two seasons. They are above average with a high ceiling due to Giannis. They were able to convince him to stay, but it is not time to get complacent. There is still a window that can close just as fast as it opens. The Bucks are failing a generational talent and it is becoming more noticeable with each loss. The first step can be a coaching change or maybe just some tinkering with the roster, but I know something needs to be done soon to help the Greek Freak.