Bucks Take Massive Jump in Latest NBA Power Rankings

Courtney Tate | Dec 16, 2024

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The NBA made some major moves in this week’s NBA Power Rankings with a new top team and a huge jump for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Last week the Bucks were sitting at No. 15 having lost eight of their first 10 games of the season. Milwaukee struggled to close out games and find a rhythm offensively. Many had already begun counting the former NBA Champions out before the Bucks began making a turnaround.

The Bucks jumped up eight spots in the Power Rankings chart sitting in the league’s top 10 teams at number eight. Milwaukee has now won 12 of their last 15 games which is tied for the best record in the league.

This recent resurgence is largely in part due to the team’s two best players Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard developing chemistry that translates effortlessly on the court. Their two-man game helped clinch the victory in the NBA Cup semi-finals against the Atlanta Hawks with both players putting on a masterclass in the pick-and-roll department.

Antetokounmpo has been playing his best basketball of the season averaging 33.4 points, 10.6 assists, and 6.7 rebounds and showcasing a sense of urgency to win that fans have been waiting to see all season long. Things are also clicking for backcourt mate Lillard, as he’s coming off one of his best performances of the season in the NBA Cup Semifinals finishing with 25 points against the Atlanta Hawks.

The Bucks’ supporting cast is following right in line behind the leadership of Antetokounmpo and Lillard with huge plays from Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, and Kris Middleton. Middleton, in just his fourth game back, is playing limited minutes but has been on the floor late in the stretch in all four matchups, in which the Bucks came out victorious.

Defensively, the Bucks are seeing major improvement. In their last 10 games, Milwaukee has been able to come out with eight wins, in which the team held their opponents to just under 84 points on 95 defensive possessions.

Now, ahead of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup Finals, the Bucks face their biggest test yet against the Oklahoma City Thunder. OKC enters the matchup as the best-ranked team in the NBA, while also boasting the best defense in the league.

The Bucks will not only need to rely on their two best players Antetokounmpo and Lillard, but they will also need their supporting cast to play with the same level of intensity and fluidity as they did in the final stretch of the semi-finals.

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