Despite the absence of Giannis Antetokoumnpo, who was placed in the league’s concussion protocol, the Bucks were able to beat the Toronto Raptors and maintain the last perfect record in the NBA. The fact that Toronto was without Kawhi doesn’t really make it less impressive. The conventional wisdom would be that Toronto’s supporting cast is better than Milwaukee’s, with each team sans their primary star. But it was Milwaukee’s depth — a 19-point double-double from Ersan Ilyasova, 34 points and 11 assists combined from Malcolm Brogdon and Eric Bledsoe — that made the difference.
For the season, the Bucks are ranked sixth in offensive efficiency and second in defensive efficiency, the hallmarks of a true contender. Their drastically remade shot selection is paying dividends for everyone from Giannis, to Khris Middleton, to Eric Bledsoe and the rest of the team’s complementary shooters. We’re just two weeks into the season, but the Bucks are absolutely for real.