The Milwaukee Bucks are 1,9, currently tied for the worst record in the entire NBA with Utah and Sacramento. It’s early in the season, sure, but what’s emerging on the court in Wisconsin isn’t just bad, it’s a full-blown crisis that has players looking for the nearest exit. This team is hardly spirited, fast, agile, or, frankly, good at doing many things on a basketball court.
The Post-Giannis Era Is Uglier Than Anyone Expected
During their current six-game losing streak, the Bucks have been outscored by a painful 15.7 points per game. Autsch! New head coach Taylor Jenkins might already miss his days coaching consummate professionals like Ja Morant in Memphis. But let’s be real, everyone and their grandma knew the start of the post-Giannis era would be painful in Milwaukee, and that it would take time to rebuild a team bereft of picks, outlandish young talent, and meaningful numbers of serious basketball players. The original “Bucks” name in 1968 was supposed to honor Wisconsin’s white-tailed deer, described as “spirited, good jumpers, fast and agile.” Frankly, any self-respecting antlered animal would be upset about a connection to this current Milwaukee squad.
Scraping for Talent While Others Want Out
Yes, the Bucks trot out a few solid names. Tyler Herro is putting up 21.4 points per game, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. adds 15.2 points, hitting over 42 percent from three. In theory, they also have some nice young pieces in rookies Brayden Burries, who’s averaging 10.5 points, and Nate Ament, who’s shooting over 40 percent from three, along with former Heat hoopers Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakučionis. But that’s already where the Buck stops, unless you count what’s left of Kyle Kuzma’s and Myles Turner’s careers as promising. Reality check: both of them, and probably a few others, have their agents on speed dial these days, hoping for a trade out of Wisconsin sooner rather than later. Did you see the video of an obviously overweight Turner? It’s not a good look, and it tells you everything you need to know about the current morale.
The Numbers Are Screaming for Help
The rebuilding reality is showing itself in some pretty awful numbers for the Bucks early on. Their offensive rating ranks a dismal 27th in the league, and their defensive rating ranks even worse at 28th. These aren’t just bad stats, these are “bottom of the barrel” numbers that highlight a team struggling fundamentally on both ends of the court. When the New York Knicks face these rebuilding Bucks on November 10, Milwaukee needs to show something, anything, to prove they can still play basketball.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Posting and Toasting.
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