In the aftermath of a 113-110 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday, the Milwaukee Bucks became the hottest trending topic on social media. Speaking on ‘Inside the NBA’ after the buzzer, Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal got real on the situation in Milwaukee and shared an ominous warning for their current trajectory.
“The Bucks have to understand because of Giannis and Dame, opponents are going to be playing way above their heads,” said Shaq. “But forget all that, you’re supposed to blow this team out by 30… They were supposed to come out and smash this team but Chuck said it, they had trouble with the defense, no timely stops, no effort, It’s a championship team on paper but the way they playing right now, they gonna get swept in the first round.”
It wasn’t just that the Bucks lost their second straight game. They lost tonight against a 13th-place Grizzlies team without Ja Morant, Steven Adams, Jaren Jackson Jr., Marcus Smart, or pretty much any of their core rotation players. Memphis, which ranks as the worst offense in the league, shot 53% from the field for the game, including 50% from three.
On the Bucks’ side, Giannis held his own with a stat line of 35 points and 12 assists, but nobody else showed up to play and Damian Lillard turned in another putrid shooting performance (24 points on 33% shooting). The Bucks are now 3-7 under Doc Rivers, which suggests that their problems were never tied to Adrian Griffin this season. Now, they are scrambling to find a solution before it’s too late.
What’s The Problem In Milwaukee?
The Bucks are still among the top teams in the East, but they expected better after trading for Damian Lillard this past summer. For the past 11 years in Portland, Damian was consistently one of the best shooters in the league and the thinking was that pairing him with Giannis would instantly make them title favorites in the East. Instead, it’s been nothing but chaos from day one and the Bucks are still looking for answers.
The first sign of trouble was back before the season began when Lillard’s former coach (Terry Stotts) stepped down from his role in an abrupt and unprecedented move. Then, when reports came out about the team’s shifting attitude toward Adrian Grififn, it became clear that he could no longer stick around.
Unfortunately, firing Griffin has done nothing to wake up Damian Lillard, whose shooting woes have been the biggest issue for the Bucks this year. While everyone expected his tats to take a marginal dip playing behind Giannis, his efficiency is some of the worst it’s ever been in his career. Through 50 games this season, Lillard is averaging just 24.6 points on 42% shooting and 34% shooting from three.
Of course, there’s also the decline on defense to consider. After swapping Jrue Holiday for Lillard, the Bucks were expected to take a step back in that area, but they’ve been worse than advertised this season, and it’s really held them back from being considered among the top-flight contenders.
So, between the loss of key defenders and season-long struggles from key players like Damian Lillard, it’s no wonder why the Bucks have been so underwhelming. And if they can’t turn things around soon, the situation could get really uncomfortable for everyone involved.
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