5 Takeaways From Milwaukee Bucks’ First Month

The Milwaukee Bucks have gotten off to a very nice start, all things considered. With about one month of the 2022-23 NBA season under their belts, they own a 12-4 record and are just a half game behind the Boston Celtics (13-4) for the best record in the Eastern Conference and the NBA.

After a fairly easy start, Milwaukee is in the midst of a tough stretch of games that will tell us a lot more about their team. Meanwhile, here are five takeaways from the first month of basketball and what it means.

Injuries, Injuries, And Injuries

Heading into Monday night’s games, the Bucks had the second-most games missed by injured players at 67. That list includes, but is not limited to: Grayson Allen (2), Giannis Antetokounmpo (3), Wesley Matthews (3), Jrue Holiday (4), Pat Connaughton (15), Joe Ingles (16) and Khris Middleton (16). Each of those players projects to be key members of the rotation when everyone is fully healthy (if there is such a thing).

The good news is Milwaukee’s health is heading in the right direction. Antetokounmpo and Holiday returned from lesser injuries. Connaughton made his season-debut on Monday. Matthews is off the injury report ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Bulls. Middleton practiced with the Herd again this week and his return seems imminent.

Offensive Woes

The Bucks’ biggest weakness this season has been their inability to put the ball in the basket. You know, one of the primary objectives of the game. According to Cleaning the Glass, they only score 111.2 points per 100 possessions which ranks 21st in the NBA. Their three-point percentage has plummeted to 19th after ranking in the top eight in each of the past two seasons. They continue to struggle in the half court as well.

From a glass half-full perspective, the Bucks will greatly improve those numbers once they get the plethora of players back from injuries. Middleton will be the key as the driver of the tough-shot express. Connaughton will help with the three-point percentage. It’s still amazing the Bucks have been able to win 75 percent of their games so far with an offense that ranks in the bottom third.

Promising Role Players

As injuries continue to be the theme, the production Mike Budenholzer has gotten out of role players has been nothing short of amazing.

Jevon Carter looks like an absolute steal from the Brooklyn Nets a season ago. He’s still playing with the same fiery defense he’s always had—his willingness and ability to pressure ball-handlers 90 feet from the basket is still annoying. Only now, he’s added some offensive punch to his game. He’s shooting 39.1 percent from downtown on a career-high four three-point attempts per game, his assist percentage is a career-best and he’s creating his own shot more than ever before.

MarJon Beauchamp has had some promising moments as a rookie. He’s a willing defender with long arms that can shrink passing and driving lanes in a hurry. He’s still very raw offensively, but has flashed some very nice games. Watch out if Milwaukee can continue to develop players to fit into its always growing rotation.

Defensive Tweaks

A lot has already been made of the Bucks’ defensive tweaks that have vaulted them back into the conversation about the league’s top defenses. Milwaukee continues to sport the best defense and does so by playing sound, if unspectacular defense. They don’t force a lot of turnovers or wreak havoc. They simply force a team to be disciplined over and over again and hit tough, contested shots. That’s easier said than done.

With help defenders staying home on drives and ball-screens, you’d think opponents would have a better chance of getting shots around the paint. WRONG! Milwaukee still does a terrific job of preventing shots at the rim AND they somehow have stopped teams from hoisting threes as well—they rank in the top four of preventing shots from both of those spots. That funnels teams into the mid-range where they hoist nearly 40 percent of all their shot attempts. Critics are mad at Budenholzer for not implementing this strategy sooner. I say, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second-best time is now.

Peak Brook Lopez

Lopez has been the catalyst for the Bucks defensive resurgence. His level of play is amazing for anyone, nonetheless a 34-year-old center who had major back surgery last year. Budenholzer constantly asks him to play on an island in the pick-and-roll, required to stop both the ball-handler and roll-man from getting a clean shot off. Miraculously, he succeeds more than he fails.

With Lopez on the court, the Bucks’ defensive rating improves by a whopping 10.6 points, ranking in the 92nd percentile. He gobbles up shots at the rim, leading the NBA in total blocks and shots defended. He’s everywhere! The sky is the limit for this unit if the man in the middle can stay healthy.