Bucks Zone

Milwaukee Bucks remain in no. 4 of The Athletic’s Power Rankings

The Athletic ranks the Bucks no. 4 in their Power Rankings.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

With a 22-8 record, the Milwaukee Bucks remain one of a few squads that have a legitimate chance of hoisting the NBA title when all is said and done this season. With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard spearheading the offense, the Bucks are a force to be reckoned with.

In The Athletic's latest Power Rankings, the Bucks maintained their position at number 4. Despite the Christmas Day loss to the New York Knicks, the team remains one of the top contenders in the league.

Amazing offense

Any team that employs two of the most dominant players in the last decade should have no trouble putting the ball in the basket. That has been the case this season as the Bucks boast an offensive rating of 120.5—good for 4th in the entire league.

“Obviously, the Bucks have an amazing offense, but their shot-making is incredibly impressive. They’re near the top of the league in 3-point shooting, and they convert roughly 58 percent of their 2-pointers,” Zach Harper wrote of what he likes from the Bucks this season.

Halfway decent defense

Although their defense has improved enough to rank 19th in the league in defensive rating, it still needs a lot of work. The recent loss to the Knicks proved that much, as Jalen Brunson gifted them with 38 points during their Christmas Day showdown. Julius Randle and RJ Barrett also helped ruin the holiday celebration for the Bucks as they added 24 and 21 points, respectively.

“I don’t fully believe in their defense being decent. I still believe they’re capable of getting torched from deep and think it’ll appear in the playoffs,” Harper said.

Milwaukee Bucks' defensive woes come back to the fore once again: "We were trading baskets. That's not who we are"

Published
Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.