Milwaukee is 2-7 to start the season, and those wins came against a shorthanded 76ers team and the Utah Jazz, teams in last place in their respective conferences with a combined two wins between them so far.
Against a respectable team like the Knicks on Friday, the Bucks were crushed. Milwaukee trailed by 10 midway through the second quarter and never got within single digits again, trailing by as many as 30 en route to a 116-94 loss. After the game, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s frustration boiled over, here are his quotes via ESPN’s Chris Herring:
“Did we compete the previous game? Yes. Did we compete the two [games before that]? Yes. Did we compete today? No,” he said. “… If you don’t compete with your ass, you won’t win the game. [You have to] at least give yourself a chance.
“We came to New York after playing great last night. Then we come here and lose by 30. Are you okay with not competing? I’m not okay with that shit. We’ve got Boston in two days. Let’s not compete, we’re going to lose by 30 .”
In the games referenced by Antetokounmpo, the Bucks played well, although the second one was against the Jazz, and right now, everyone looks good against the Jazz. The other, however, was the undefeated Cavaliers and It took Donovan Mitchell game winner for Cleveland to remain undefeated in that game. However, the Bucks’ energy on a nightly basis is one of the reasons fans watch Doc Rivers.
Nine games into the season, Antetokounmpo could ask: What is the identity of the Bucks? During their championship years under Mike Budenholzer it was clear: Elite defense, shooting a lot of 3-pointers and Antetokounmpo getting down in the paint. Whatever you think of Budenholzer the coach of the finals, this team knew who it was.
This season, the Bucks are 22nd in the league in defense (25th after you remove garbage time by Cleaning the Glass), 19th in 3-pointers attempted a game, and 20th overall in offense.
The vibes around the Bucks were that they could turn this around: Khris Middleton wasn’t healthy, some players were just a little restless, and they had a tough schedule (Cleveland twice, Boston once and again later). The reality is harsher than that. Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard just haven’t clicked and continue to feel like they’re playing next to each other, not elevating each other.
another up. The Bucks lack depth — in part because they missed out on draft picks and free agents. Gary Trent Jr. looked like a great offseason signing but has already been pulled from the starting lineup. This team is old and slow, and the younger, more athletic teams around the league — including the title contenders — are running past them.
The Bucks should be better than 2-7, but to quote the great Bill Parcells, you are what your record says you are.
It looks like Antetokounmpo could be a lot more frustrated this season. Just don’t expect that to lead to him being traded during the season. The Bucks will more than likely try to add talent, but they traded away most of their assets and are above the second apron, so their options are very limited.
