Milwaukee Bucks miss Jrue Holiday now more than ever

When Jrue left, he brought the Bucks' perimeter defense with him.

Jonas Panerio | Jan 12, 2024

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Milwaukee Bucks

The acquisition of Damian Lillard during the offseason necessitated parting ways with defensive maestro Jrue Holiday. Consequently, a decline in defensive prowess was anticipated. However, few expected the drop to be this precipitous.

The chance to add an offensive superstar like Lillard was a no-brainer for the Bucks’ front office, as it paired the seven-time All-Star with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, essentially supercharging the team’s offensive firepower. And while Lillard has certainly delivered on that end of the floor, Holiday's absence has left a gaping hole in the Bucks' defense.

Lackluster defense

With Lillard and Malik Beasley manning the perimeter, opposing guards are licking their chops and raring to take advantage of the Bucks' weakened defense. Although a talented scorer and playmaker, Lillard has never been known for his defensive prowess. And Beasley, while a prolific shooter, is a player who hasn’t made hay on that end of the floor.

This lack of defensive consistency and direction has led to the Bucks dropping to 26th in defensive rating in their last five games and 21st for the season—a long way from their rank of no. 4 last season.

“The bigger problem for the Bucks is that their lack of coaching experience and defensive talent outside of Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez has put a hard cap on the level they can get to on that side of the ball. Which, in turn, may limit what they can achieve as a team this season,” Jack Maloney of CBS Sports wrote.

“At their best, they've been a middle-of-the-pack unit. At their worst, they might as well not even be out there.”

History doesn’t favor the Bucks

History shows that since 1998, only two teams have won the NBA championship while rating 15th or worse in defensive rating: the 2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers and the 2022-2023 Denver Nuggets. This does not bode well for the Bucks. While they have two of the best players in the league in Antetokounmpo and Lillard, even that may not be enough to overcome their lack of defensive prowess and awareness.

“Lillard is also a below-average defender, and back in September, there were more than a few dissenting voices concerned about the effect that swapping Jrue Holiday for him would have on that side of the ball,” Maloney said.

“The Bucks' defensive problems are already obvious and getting worse.”