The Milwaukee Bucks are far away from their championship over the Phoenix Suns in 2021. In fact, they aren’t really a threat in the Eastern Conference anymore. While they are a No. 5 seed as of now, they aren’t a team feared by the rest of the conference.
You could point to a litany of reasons why, which probably start with a coach known to choke on the biggest moments of the postseason. But more so, the Bucks just haven’t been able to put it all together.
According to a Sports Illustrated story, coach Doc Rivers said the squad just hasn’t melded yet. Between injuries and just not enough time with the stars on the floor together that makes sense.
Take into account too that they traded Kris Middleton for Kyle Kuzma, it’s understandable why they haven’t been able to have consistent success since being world champions.
The Bucks aren’t contenders anymore. Could that change? It’s possible, but the way they’re trending, I wouldn’t count on it.
The Milwaukee Bucks are an afterthought in the Eastern Conference and they only have themselves to blame
When the Bucks traded for Damian Lillard, it felt like they upgraded. But much like when the Suns traded for Bradley Beal, it hasn’t materialized to a winning approach.
They won't have much time to figure it out with Lillard sidelined by deep vein thrombosis, the same ailment that ended Victor Wembanyana's season.
Honestly it feels like things went awry all when the Bucks fired Adrian Griffin after a 30-13 start. It was the most eye-opening and concerning move for a franchise in a long time. Since then, Milwaukee just hasn’t recovered.
It doesn’t look like they will either. A lot of things just aren’t quite working together. It’s causing them Giannis Antetokounmpo’s prime.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, in Giannis Unplugged on The Athletic, said he feels like he’s chasing again. Which is true. Boston has taken over the East as the defending champion and has been to the Finals twice since Milwaukee’s title run.
The Indiana Pacers are a young team that made some noise in the playoffs last year, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are a runaway No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Giannis and the Bucks aren’t just chasing, they’re running at half the speed.
Giannis knows the Bucks aren’t contenders right now. The question is, will they ever be atop the east again? The Cavs and the Celtics aren’t going anywhere. The Bucks have a lot of ground to make up, and they may not have enough time to resurface as a team to fear in the East.