The 2024-2025 NBA Season is still young, but the Milwaukee Bucks (1-4) are in serious trouble.
On Thursday, Milwaukee lost its fourth consecutive game in a 122-99 road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies 122-99. This was not only the fourth loss, it was the worst loss of the season (23 points). Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo had another stellar performance, but the rest of the team, including guard Damien Lillard struggled.
Several NBA analysts have noticed this horrible start by the Bucks, including ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins. The day after the loss on ESPN’s NBA Today, Big Perk broke down some serious structural problems from the team and from Doc Rivers, who is in his first full season as head coach.
Problems continue in Milwaukee
Perkins spoke about the different factors that have given Milwaukee a bad start to the season, which have seen Doc Rivers warned this could be his final chance.
“Doc had the nerve to use the word spirit, that the spirit is in the right place.
“The spirit is not in the right place because if it was, you make sure everyone is tired together, stopping the basketball, sprinting back in transition,” Perkins said on NBA Today.
Perkins questioned the Bucks’ lack of focus, conditioning, situational basketball and communication. The Bucks are slow to react to plays such as missed shots or switching players defensively.
Through five games this season, the Bucks are averaging 111 points per game (21st in the league). Antetokounmpo is averaging 30.4 points, 11.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists. Lillard is averaging 23.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game.
The Bucks are even worse defensively as they’re allowing an average of 119.6 points per game (26th in the league). They are slow to react to the plays happening in front of them. Seven players for the Grizzlies scored 10 or more points. Point guard Ja Morant had a triple-double, his 12th in his NBA career and first since April 2, 2023.
Is Doc done?
Doc Rivers was a controversial hire for the Bucks after the team questionably fired Adrian Griffin on January 23, 2024. Rivers’ failure to raise the Philadelphia 76ers to a championship contender was called into question. There were talks that Rivers handled the Bucks’ second half of last season poorly. He was, however, given a chance to develop the team for a full offseason.
The Bucks look worse to start the season as Rivers notices the flaws of the team and everyone knows it. “I feel sorry for Doc Rivers because he could have been up here with me on television, but he chose to do that,” Perkins said on NBA Today.
Perkins quoted the tweet he made Thursday night after the Bucks’ loss. “Doc looks like he wants to get into TV, might as well come on over.”
It could be a long season for Milwaukee if they can’t find a way to fix the lack of focus. The last time the Bucks missed the playoffs or went under .500% was in the 2015-2016 season in the second season as Jason Kidd as head coach.
This season could be even more of a disaster if Antetokounmpo demands a trade as rumors would indicate, either in the middle of the season or during the next offseason.
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