Image via Milwaukee Bucks - nba.com
Milwaukee Bucks 2024
The Bucks 2023-2024 season has ended, as they exited the first round of the NBA Championship Playoffs again, this time to the Indiana Pacers on May 5. The troubles that plagued the team throughout the season went on full display during the six games of their shortened playoff run.
Game 6 ended on the note of a 120-98 loss. Patrick Beverly added the capper. With roughly 2:30 left in the fourth quarter, he tossed a basketball into the stands of the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It hit a fan. Another person returned it to Beverly, after he motioned for the ball. He promptly whipped the ball back.
At the post-game session for media, Beverly took issue with a female reporter who evidently didn’t subscribe to his podcast. The next day, head coach Doc Rivers said there was a conversation with Beverly, telling him, “That’s not the Milwaukee way, or the Bucks way.”
What is the Milwaukee way, or the Bucks way? They won the opener, and hit an absolute nadir with three consecutive losses, filled by injuries at the wrong time. Giannis Antetokounmpo hadn’t played since April 9, missed the series with a leg injury. Khris Middleton was hurt and briefly hobbled, as was Damian Lillard, who piled up 69 points in the first two games.
Middleton had 42 points and Bobby Portis grabbed 18 rebounds in Game 3, a 121-118 overtime loss. Portis was ejected in the opening seven minutes of Game 4, following an altercation with Indiana’s Andrew Nembhard. The Bucks lost 126-113.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
It only came together in Game 5, at the Fiserv Forum. After the first quarter, the Bucks led by a range of 11-25 points. Middleton and Portis each scored 29 points, Malik Beasley added 18 points, and the team played like a team.
Lillard returned, scoring 28 points in the Game 6 finale, and Brook Lopez picked up 20 points. Jae Crowder was unable to make an impact, being held out of the final two games.
While general manager Jon Horst had the courage to make moves, before and during the season, they may have been questionable moves and downhill from there. Championship head coach Mike Budenholzer was replaced by Adrian Griffin, the trade for Lillard on offense, followed by the trades of Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen as defensive pieces.
Crowder went down with knee surgery in Nov., confusion on the court ensued, Griffin was fired (30-13 record), and Marquette favorite Doc Rivers hired to coach an unraveling team. 17,000-plus booed at a Dec. game foreshadowing Griffin’s departure.
Some potential spit-balling fixes? Use Lillard as trade bait, he averaged 24.3 points per game with 42.4% field goal accuracy. Get some defensive pieces to fit the program.
Beverly is a possible liability now, as the NBA is looking into his actions: throwing basketballs at opposing fans and disparaging a female media member. He is 35 years old, and most of the team is old.
Antetokounmpo has made rumblings about leaving over the past few years. Maybe grant his wish, and trade him for younger players or draft picks. If he remains, surround him with a team that will bring out his compatibility.
The other wild card is the rumor that Horst may move along to … Detroit. Beasley and his three-point shooting could also leave, if lured by another team.
Think of Middleton and Portis as building blocks for now and go. Injuries are not an excuse to keep players. By the way, where were the trainers in all this?
The rebuild is coming. May as well start, this squad is spinning its wheel.
