Bucks Need to Stick With Dominant Starting Lineup
The 2024-25 Milwaukee Bucks' stunning midseason turnaround continues apace.
Milwaukee is swiftly rising through the ranks of the Eastern Conference following a brutal 2-8 start to its year. Following their narrow 109-106 Friday victory against the Orlando Magic, the Bucks lapped their Florida rivals to secure the No. 4 seed in the conference with a solid 20-16 record, while dropping the Magic to 22-18.
In that game, Milwaukee managed to withstand a solid 34-point stint from All-Star Orlando power forward Paolo Banchero, back in the fold following a two-month injury absence due to a torn oblique.
Eight-time All-NBA superstar Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo effectively neutralized his counterpart with a superlative 41-point, 14-rebound performance of his own.
Only four Bucks players even scored in double figures — Antetokounmpo, eight-time All-Star point guard Damian Lillard (who had 29 points), plus reserve forwards Bobby Portis and Khris Middleton (11 apiece) — but a balanced defensive attack helped keep the Magic at bay.
The Bucks have won their last three games in a row, and are now a mere 3.5 contests behind the East's No. 3-seeded New York Knicks (25-14).
Part of the credit for Milwaukee's comeback this season must go to head coach Doc Rivers' bold new starting lineup. As Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel details, the Bucks have gone 13-4 with their first five of Lillard at the point, Andre Jackson Jr. at shooting guard, Taurean Prince at small forward, Antetokounmpo at power forward, and Brook Lopez at center.
"It is by far the team’s most used starting lineup, in large part because Prince started the first 26 games of the season in place of Khris Middleton, and Jackson became a regular starter on Nov. 16," Owczarski details.
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Middleton began the year on the shelf while recuperating from a pair of surgeries to both ankles this past offseason. In his first five games back, he was kept on the bench under a minutes restriction.
When he was installed into the Bucks' starting lineup, it was clear that his defense has declined, and that Prince was the better option as a starter — even though Middleton is the more complete scorer.
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Jackson, meanwhile, long ago replaced Gary Trent Jr., thanks also to his much better wing defense. Trent has looked a bit steadier off the bench.
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