3 Milwaukee Bucks who need the All-Star break the most

The break could not have come at a better time for the Bucks.
Golden State Warriors v Milwaukee Bucks
Golden State Warriors v Milwaukee Bucks / Stacy Revere/GettyImages
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The All-Star break arrives at an opportune time for the Milwaukee Bucks. Sitting four games over .500, they’ve lost six of their last eight games.  When it rains, it pours and right now, Milwaukee is enduring a monsoon of inauspicious events. Trading Khris Middleton created a recession in Milwaukee’s vibes market, but the avalanche began on Feb. 2 when Giannis Antetokounmpo was injured against the Memphis Grizzlies on a night he scored 30. 

The All-Star break is a time for some health and wellness, and to re-energize before being chucked back into the blender next week. Things could be worse for the Bucks, however. They look like a team that needs to retreat and reload if they're going to be perceived as fearsome opposition for the conference's upper-echelon teams by mid-April. While the Bucks are finding their equilibrium outside of the constant churn of an NBA season, these are the weary players most looking forward to a break.

Kyle Kuzma 

Kyle Kuzma should be cut some slack. Having to move hundreds of miles, living out of a rental, getting acclimated to a new role, and replacing a fan favorite can weigh on anyone. The version of Kuzma Milwaukee hoped they picked up was the natural scorer, the third-leading scorer on a Los Angeles Lakers championship team. This version of the recently acquired Kuzma has shot the ball terribly in his first week as a Buck and it’s not an aberration. Entering the All-Star break, he has one of the league’s worst true shooting percentages.

For a wing replacing a figure on the Bucks' Mount Rushmore, Kuzma’s inability to put the peach in the basket is compounded by his relative uselessness as a playmaker and his weak credentials as a standout defender. He needs to settle in, and perhaps when Giannis Antetokounmpo returns, he’ll get better looks as the third option. While Kuzma is on vacation, he needs to retrace his steps and find out where he left his shot. 

Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard has been battling groin and hamstring strains for nearly two weeks, making his 43-point outing against Philadelphia even niftier. However, the Bucks are going to need "Dame D.O.L.L.A." to respond like the U.S. currency he nicknamed himself after under inflation and raise his game. He’ll have a busy weekend as an All-Star starter and participant in the 3-point shootout. But after Feb. 20, the Bucks need him healthy and engaged, but Doc Rivers needs to limit Lillard for the sake of his long-term durability. 

Lillard is on the floor for 36.5 minutes per matchup, averaging more dimes a night than he has in five years, and shooting the pill at an efficient clip. Once Antetokounmpo returns, Doc Rivers needs to dial those minutes down for Lillard’s 34-year-old body. If he plays 36 minutes a night in the playoffs, that’s one thing. But during the season, Lillard should be managed as much as Steph Curry is. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo

When healthy, Giannis Antetokounmpo is an undeniable force in the paint. However, the mid-calf strain he is currently rehabbing has to be managed cautiously. Too many Achilles injuries have occurred as a result of poorly managed calf injuries and Antetokounmpo can’t afford to lose time. The Bucks say he’s expected to return after the All-Star break without missing many games, but I’ll believe it when I see it. At the very least, the break will allow Milwaukee to give him an extra week to rest. The Bucks are 5-6 without the Greek Freak this season and every game matters.  

Most importantly, Antetokounmpo and Lillard have lost some of their potency. During the 2023-24 campaign, Milwaukee outscored their opponents by the third-best margin of 10.5 points per 100 possessions. This season, they’ve earned a net rating of only 4.2. The biological clocks for Lillard and Antetokounmpo are ticking, and the city of Milwaukee expects results.  

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