Bucks in a Bind: Can Milwaukee Turn It Around?
The Milwaukee Bucks are facing a serious question: are they lost at sea, or can they right the ship? After completing the first half of their 2025-26 season, the team's performance has been a rollercoaster, leaving fans and analysts alike scratching their heads.
It wasn't just the recent losses – a 119-101 defeat against the San Antonio Spurs and a 139-106 thrashing by the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Bucks have also suffered from significant deficits, including a 41-point gap against the Timberwolves and a 39-point deficit against the Spurs. Adding to the concern is their three-game losing streak against formidable Western Conference opponents, even when some of these teams were missing key players.
At the season's midpoint, the Bucks find themselves with a 17-24 record.
This marks their worst performance through the first 41 games since the 2015-16 season, Giannis Antetokounmpo's third year in the league, when they were 16-25. That season, they finished with a 33-49 record, missing the playoffs. It was also the last season before Giannis began his impressive nine-year streak of All-NBA selections.
Even in their less successful seasons, the Bucks have generally performed better than they have in the current campaign. However, Coach Doc Rivers remains optimistic, stating he doesn't feel the pressure due to the team's record.
"I think people outside look at that more than the players," Rivers said. "Honestly, our players — guys, we got half the year left. I don’t think people are sitting there looking at the record right now."
Rivers' assessment of the standings is accurate. Following the loss, the Bucks are now two games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the final Play-In spot in the Eastern Conference. However, they are also six games behind the Orlando Magic, who currently hold the sixth spot, and 7.5 games behind the fourth-place Toronto Raptors.
Historically, the Bucks have been a model of consistency, finishing with a winning record for the past nine years and securing a top-five seed in the Eastern Conference for seven consecutive seasons. But here's where it gets controversial: is this season a blip, or the start of a concerning trend?
"I had great vets as a rookie, so (they) taught me the highs and lows of the game — that some years is going to be different than others," Bobby Portis said after the game. "And every year I’ve been on the Bucks, it’s been something different, so this year, it’s just way different than any of the other five years I’ve played."
While expectations were tempered due to Damian Lillard's Achilles injury from last year's playoffs, the team's aim was not just to reach the Play-In tournament. The Bucks had higher aspirations, and their inconsistency throughout the first 41 games has hindered their ability to achieve those goals.
As the team prepares for the second half of the season, they will be striving for consistency at both the micro and macro levels.
And this is the part most people miss: According to Cleaning the Glass, the Bucks rank 22nd in offensive rating, scoring 114.4 points per 100 possessions, and 23rd in defensive rating, allowing 118.3 points per 100 possessions. Even with Giannis's regular presence, the numbers are still less than ideal:
- Games 1-15 (before Antetokounmpo's injury): Offensive rating: 116.5 (17th) / Defensive rating: 117.3 (20th)
- Games 16-31 (Antetokounmpo's injury): Offensive rating: 111.8 (26th) / Defensive rating: 118.1 (21st)
- Games 32-41 (Antetokounmpo's return): Offensive rating: 115.4 (13th) / Defensive rating: 120.1 (26th)
Regardless of the period analyzed, the Bucks' defense has been a significant weakness.
While Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner can anchor a solid defense with their rim protection, the team lacks the perimeter defenders needed for an above-average defensive performance. The team's perimeter defense has been a glaring weakness. The Bucks had only one true wing-sized player in their rotation (Taurean Prince), who played only eight games before a neck injury that required surgery, sidelining him indefinitely. Their guards can disrupt other guards, but they struggle to stay out of foul trouble when defending wings.
Offensively, the Bucks can be elite with Antetokounmpo on the court, but they've struggled without him. While they've tried to involve players like Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr., Kyle Kuzma, and Portis in the offense, none have consistently stepped up to command the offense without Giannis. In recent games, Rollins and Porter have struggled to produce even with Antetokounmpo on the floor.
Despite the disappointing first half, the Bucks are determined to turn things around, starting with their star player.
"Still locked in, there’s 41 games," Antetokounmpo said. "From the 41 games we’ve played, I missed 14. That doesn’t say anything. That doesn’t mean that if I played, it would have been a better position, but at the end of the day, I think we would have (had) better chemistry, figured more things out together, go through adversity together. I feel like that team camaraderie matters."
Antetokounmpo believes that the games leading up to the All-Star break can be mentally taxing but also an opportunity for teams to stay focused. He emphasizes the importance of stacking up wins before the break, as the focus of other teams might shift away from basketball.
The Bucks have three days to regroup before their next 13 games leading up to the All-Star Break. Antetokounmpo expects his teammates to be ready for two intense practices in Atlanta before facing the Hawks on Monday.
Extended breaks with practice opportunities have yielded mixed results for the Bucks this season, sometimes leading to uneven play. The team needs to make the most of the next three days to improve before the All-Star break.
"It can go two ways. It can be a reset or it can be a change-up,” Portis said of the next three days. “You never know, for real. So, three days off, I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”
So, what do you think? Are the Bucks in trouble, or can they still make a run? Share your thoughts in the comments!
