Milwaukee Bucks graded a B+ for their performance in the first quarter of the season

The Bucks get a fair grade for their first-quarter performance this season.

© Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

After a disjointed start, the Milwaukee Bucks have gotten into a groove, winning 11 of their last 14 games, including a 133-129 win over the Chicago Bulls last Monday. However, despite the winning stretch, experts feel the team has yet to embrace its full potential and have handed them a grade of B+ for their performance in the first quarter of the season.

Defensive issues persist

At 16-7, the Bucks appear to have overcome their early-season jitters. However, the team’s defensive shortcomings are as glaring as ever. Milwaukee has allowed opponents to run up an average of 119.2 points per game, which is the 24th-worst mark in the league, while their defensive rating ranks 23rd in the entire league, a far cry from the elite numbers the Bucks had in recent seasons.

“Their perimeter defense is a sieve, and there doesn't appear to be any way to fix that,” Jack Maloney wrote for CBS Sports.

The acquisition of seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard has supercharged their already-potent offense, but it has come at a steep price.

“Lillard's presence has made their perimeter defense a sieve, and as long as they continue playing him and Malik Beasley, that's not going to change.”

Here's the sequence that broke the Bucks.

Neither Khris nor Giannis box Turner out.

Middleton waves off Lillard and Bucks don't know what they're running. You can see Griff going to sit down on the bench and not giving his team direction. No Bucks hustle back after turnover. pic.twitter.com/Ci1lsVGmOl

— Bucks Film Room (@BucksFilmRoom) December 8, 2023

Crunchtime proficiency

Lillard’s presence has almost made the Bucks’ late-game offensive troubles a thing of the past. While they faltered in the semifinals of the In-Season Tournament mainly because of some disorganization in crunchtime, Milwaukee has done well with the game on the line, with Dame leading the league in clutch points.

“Lillard has elevated their offense, especially in clutch time, which has been a key issue for this team in recent years. He and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been the third-highest scoring duo in the league (56.1 points per game), even though they haven't really figured out how to play together yet,” Maloney said.

Giannis Antetokounmpo gets to the rack and extends the lead 🔥

pic.twitter.com/9QfbbHswBv

— Bucks Nation (@BucksNationCP) December 12, 2023

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