The Milwaukee Bucks are entering the home stretch run of the 2023-2024 NBA season. Sitting at a current record of 46-26, Milwaukee is currently holding a 2 game lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers for the number 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. However with last night’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the team is looking at potentially not having home court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Milwaukee Bucks Have Had an Up and Down Season Thus Far
It’s been an eventful season for the Milwaukee Bucks up to this point. The Bucks started the season off the campaign winning 24 of their first 32 games. However right before the start of All Star Weekend, The Bucks made headlines for firing their head coach Adrian Griffin and replacing him with Doc Rivers. Rivers, a 2008 NBA champion head coach with the Boston Celtics, had a rocky start to his Bucks coaching career, losing 8 of his first 12 contests. However in recent weeks, the Bucks have begun looking like the team that most believed would be a championship contender to begin the season.
The Boston Celtics Have a Stranglehold on the Eastern Conference 1 Seed
As good as Milwaukee has been as of late, there is a new contender that sits atop the Eastern Conference standings right now. The Boston Celtics, who have been by far and away the most dominant team in the entire NBA regular season, are currently posting a 57-15 win/loss record and hold an 11 game lead over the Bucks. A lot of Boston’s success can be attributed to star players Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, however it’s also important to note the production they’ve been able to get out of the rest of their team.
Kristaps Porzingis, a 2023 free agent signing, is currently averaging over 20 points and almost 7 rebounds a game. Guards Derrick White and Jrue Holiday have also been impressive and are carrying the load for the Celtics when Tatum and Brown haven’t been able to. Meanwhile the Bucks haven’t been as fortunate to get as much out of their supporting cast.
The Flaws in the Bucks Roster Were on Full Display Against the Lakers
The Bucks currently lack a 3rd scoring option. The entire offense is built around star Giannis Antetokounmpo with newly acquired Damien Lillard being the facilitator. Unlike Boston however, their offense lacks a true 3rd scoring option. Players such as Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez have all been productive players, however none of them have been able to give the Bucks consistent enough production for the team to feel comfortable about their chances when Giannis and Lillard are either not playing or not playing their best.
Tuesday night’s matchup against the Lakers showcased their flaws, as the Bucks fell 128-124 in 2OT. Antetokounmpo and Lillard played very well, combining for 56 points 19 assists and 26 rebounds themselves. However Lillard shot only 3-14 from 3 and the rest of the roster was not able to come up big when the Bucks’ stars needed them the most. Malik Beasley was able to produce 21 points, and gave them 18 points and 13 rebounds, but it simply wasn’t enough.
The Bucks have a very talented team, and are sitting at the 2nd seed in the Eastern Conference for a reason. That being said the lack of a true 3rd option and an inconsistent supporting cast has led the Bucks to relying on a “supporting cast by committee” mindset that has become much more prominent since Doc Rivers took over as the head coach.
Due to the sheer talent of Milwaukee’s stars, the team is primed for a deep playoff run that could potentially end on another championship for Giannis and co. However if they want to realize their full potential, they must find a way to get consistent production out of their supporting cast if they want to be able to compete with Boston in the playoffs, and fast.
