Going into this season, the Milwaukee Bucks looked to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Since then, we have seen them struggle to win games.
The Milwaukee Bucks are a team full of young talent, but they haven’t yet hit their stride. With talents like Giannis Antetokuounpo, Eric Bledsoe, and Khris Middleton, it is a mystery why this team isn’t performing better.
Antetokuounpo started this season on fire and has not seemed to slow down since. He is currently averaging 27.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.5 steals and 4.8 assists per game this season. Because of this, he was awarded his second straight All-Star nomination.
Although Antetokounpo is having an amazing season, it is still a team game. The other four players on the court have to step up when needed and they can’t seem to do so. That doesn’t mean Antetokounpo is the only one playing well, though.
Middleton is having a great season for the Bucks too. His averages are well above what they were last year. He is contributing 19.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
So with all of the good that is going on, the question arises, why aren’t they winning more games? As of March 6th, the Bucks are currently sitting at eighth in the East with a record of 34-30.
Let’s take a closer look at this by breaking down some players who should be playing better, what the Bucks’ biggest struggle is, and how they can improve going forward.
Who should be playing better?
The Milwaukee Bucks are a young team and have a lot of talent that has yet to really blossom, but they need them now more than ever. Players like Malcolm Brogdon and John Henson could be a key component to winning more games.
The problem is, they are not doing the things that they need to be at their respective positions. The first player we are going to break down is Brogdon.
After winning Rookie of the Year last season, Brogdon is having a similar season this year. But, it would be nice to see his assist numbers go up. After Bledsoe joined, Brogdon does not need to score as much anymore, so passing should be his focus.
As of right now, Brogdon is only averaging 3.2 assists per game. If the Bucks want to win more games, this could play a huge part of it. Brogdon is dishing out fewer assists than Middleton and Antetokounmpo who are both forwards.
Brogdon’s assist percentage has dropped drastically since last season as well. Last season it was 24.3% and this season it is currently 16.8%. This cannot happen at the backup point guard position. He needs to be able to distribute the ball efficiently and put guys in a better position to score. If he can do that, then the Bucks should start winning more games.
The other player who needs to step up is Henson; not in the scoring or passing, but rebounding. Right now Henson is averaging 6.9 total rebounds per game this season.
This number is way too low for a player of Henson’s ability. He does not need to worry about scoring the ball with Antetokounmpo and Middleton on the floor. He should be worrying about getting as many rebounds as possible so he can keep the ball in the Bucks’ hands.
This seems to be an ongoing issue with this Bucks team. They have no problem scoring the ball, as they have five players averaging over 10 points per game. But they are struggling to do the other things needed to win games like passing and rebounding the ball.
What has been the Bucks’ biggest struggle this season?
There are a few struggles that the Bucks are facing this season, but there are a few that stand out more than others; the first being their struggle to string together wins.
So far this season, the Bucks longest win streak is just four games. While that may sound good, they have only done it twice. They are struggling to put together any sort of win streak that can help push them up through the Eastern Conference into a better seed.
This hurts them because they are never going to catch some of the other teams who have been able to win multiple games in a row. If they remain inconsistent with their victories, they will be fighting to stay above .500 all season and will risk missing the playoffs.
The second problem that the Bucks are facing is their ability to win on the road. They currently have a road record of 14-17 which is lower than some of the superior teams in the East. The Toronto Raptors have a road record of 19-12 and the Boston Celtics are currently 22-9, for example.
This is going to hurt their chances of making the playoffs and also hurt their chances of winning a playoff series. If the Bucks want to improve their overall record, they must find a way to secure victories on the road.
How can the Milwaukee Bucks improve moving forward?
The Bucks are still a good team, but they have a lot to work on. We talked about some of the ways the Bucks are struggling, but fixing these mistakes are not the only ways they can improve.
As far as numbers, the Bucks need their role players to contribute in more ways than just scoring. They need to see their guards distribute more and their bigs grab more rebounds. There is no reason that Antetounmpo should be leading this team in rebounds and assists per game, given how much he does in other areas of the game.
If the Bucks can find a way to get others involved in different ways, then they should be able to find success. Basketball is a team sport, and it takes different components to win. Right now, the Bucks are lacking in the critical ones.
Passing is just one example, but if they are able to master this one skill then it can lead to improvement in other areas. Winning more games on the road, going on a winning streak, and more successes will all fall into place if they are able to do the little things better. The Milwaukee Bucks playoff push will be fascinating to watch.
