Bucks Zone

Milwaukee Bucks rise to no. 3 in The Athletic's Power Rankings

The Bucks' recent performances have them rising in the Power Rankings.

Jonas Panerio

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The Milwaukee Bucks did not end the week on a good week as they got ousted by the Indiana Pacers in the semifinals of the first-ever In-Season Tournament, 128-119. It was a bitter end to what the team hoped would be a historic campaign for them in Las Vegas. However, it didn’t take long for Milwaukee to bounce back as they edged the Chicago Bulls, 133-129, in overtime in their first game after the IST.

For this, Zach Harper of The Athletic has elevated the Bucks to no. 3 in their Power Rankings, up one spot from last week.

The Bucks still look flawed

The Bucks began the knockout stages of the IST with a commanding 146-122 win over the New York Knicks. However, their journey ended abruptly with the loss to the upstart Pacers, which raised some cause for concern over the lack of organization by the Bucks on both ends of the floor. As a matter of fact, reports came out regarding veteran forward Bobby Portis calling out head coach Adrian Griffin in the locker room not long after the final buzzer sounded on that loss.

At 16-7, the Bucks find themselves in a good position in the Eastern Conference despite their flaws, especially on the defensive end of the floor.

“I have two conflicting thoughts on the Bucks, one of which I’ve mentioned in this space before. The Bucks look pretty flawed but are still winning games. That could and maybe should be viewed as a positive,” Harper wrote.

The defense remains a work in progress

The Bucks continue to win games due to the strength of their offense. With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard taking charge and Khris Middleton, Malik Beasley, and Brook Lopez all providing ample support, Milwaukee’s offense is as good as advertised, ranking third in the league in offensive rating.

The same cannot be said for their defense. Harper raises some questions about their defense viability but ultimately concedes the Bucks will be fine.

“They’re winning games with some bad habits, especially on defense. Is that reinforcing some bad stuff for them? There’s also this weird perception that Adrian Griffin is under fire as the coach. Ultimately, I think they’ll be fine, but this might be more fragile than their record indicates,” Harper shared.

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

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Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO