NBA Halloween: Playing trick-or-treat with each team’s early season trend

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks may spend this season in cruise control: Treat

It’s funny how we praised Giannis Antetokounmpo for going all out during limited preseason minutes, because now it looks like his Milwaukee Bucks are going to be content with cruising through the regular season grind. Or maybe they’re still adjusting to the offseason departure of Malcolm Brogdon. Either way, the Bucks don’t look like the same 60-win juggernaut they were last year.

The Greek Freak himself remains in good form, posting 23.8 points, 13.5 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.3 steals per game on 54.5 percent shooting. However, it’s impossible to avoid noticing how his scoring and efficiency are down from last year, mostly because he’s only made 14.3 percent of a whopping 3.5 long-range attempts per game here in 2019-20.

Milwaukee’s mundane 2-2 start has a lot more going on than just Giannis jacking more 3s, but after losses to Miami and Boston that felt out of place, the Bucks may be taking a more patient approach of letting things come together in due time while keeping their eyes fixated on April, May and June.