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Bucks Vote All-Star
Ever hear 17,000-plus people booing in unison? You missed your chance Jan.8 at the Fiserv Forum, as fans really let the Milwaukee Bucks have it … and it wasn’t even halftime yet. Behind 77-43 near the end of the second quarter, the Utah Jazz had their way, with Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson eventually bagging 21 points each.
Boobirds reacted long and loud to a sloppy, perceived lack of effort with the chorus following the team into the locker room. Whatever was said during the break, the Bucks piled on 44 points in the third quarter, but not enough to stop the Jazz in the end, dropping the game 132-116.
Despite Damian Lillard being out for personal reasons, the inability of the team to find a balance on defense is something plaguing them since the pre-season. Trading away Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen didn’t help, but too much is being placed on the offense to come through.
Lillard was picked up in a blockbuster trade with Portland to add more firepower, averaging 25.2 points per game, so far. However, if Giannis Antetokounmpo goes down for any reason, there will be trouble putting the ball in the net.
Player of the Month
Antetokounmpo has averaged 31.2 points per game, averaged 11.4 rebounds, and is shooting 60.8% from the field. It is no wonder the NBA named him its Eastern Conference player of the month, for Dec. 2023. He became the Bucks’ all-time leader in rebounds last month passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who held the top spot with 7,161.
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He pumped in 44 points at San Antonio in a 125-121 win Jan. 4 against the Spurs, overcoming rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama’s 27 point showing in a tight game. He tabbed 48 points in Houston Jan. 6 in a 112-108 loss, as again the Bucks could not plug holes on defense, going down 63-43 at the half.
Granted, Holiday is missed for his aggressive play. The Bucks have a poor transition defense translating to more running plays against them and are 20th in the defensive rating category allowing 116.3 points for every 100 possessions. Antetokounmpo has called out the defense on three separate occasions already this month.
While center Brook Lopez has been blocking shots by opponents, his teammates getting in for the rebound grab is proving to be a challenge. Lillard was not expected to be a defensive cog, although moving certain players has not proved effective.
Hole in Offense
The Jan. 17 game showed the glaring hole in the offense, as Antetokounmpo was out for the game. The Cleveland Cavaliers, behind 31 points by Donovan Mitchell and 33 by Georges Niang, destroyed Milwaukee 135-95. Lillard only managed 17 points, and the important stat was letting the Cavs shoot 59.1% in overall field goals and 42.9% from three-point range.
Despite the backcourt issues, Lillard did pull a buzzer-beater Jan. 14 on the Sacramento Kings for a 143-142 win. The game was notable for Kings coach Mike Brown being ejected and fined $50,000 for “aggressively pursuing” a referee and complaining about the officiating, in general.
The Bucks (28-13) are still second in the conference, and first in the Central Division. But hearing sneakers on a hardwood floor is one sound that won’t be heard at the Fiserv too far into the post-season, without a cohesive defensive game plan.
The Bucks will be at the Fiserv Forum playing the Cleveland Cavaliers (Jan. 24 and Jan. 26), the New Orleans Pelicans (Jan. 27), the Denver Nuggets (Jan. 29) and the Portland Trailblazers (Jan. 31).
