Celtics' 1 Similarity With the Bucks Highlights 1 Key Difference

The one similar problem the Celtics and Bucks have also demonstrates why they are different.

Oct 28, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (7) drives to the basket defended by Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images / Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The Celtics and Bucks have started the season going in completely different directions. Boston has started at 4-0, having won all their first four games, while Milwaukee has started 1-3, losing their last three games.

During their matchup on Monday night, the Bucks gave the Celtics a good fight until the third quarter, but that doesn't change that the latter has played up to expectations thus far, while the former should be better than they have started. The funny thing is, the two entered their matchup facing the same problem.

Both teams are missing crucial ingredients that make them a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference, with the Celtics missing Kristaps Porzingis and the Bucks missing Khris Middleton.

There's no doubt that both teams would stand to benefit from having both of them back with the team, but knowing how they've done without them proves how different they are. The Celtics have kept humming without Porzingis, while the Bucks have not managed well without Middleton.

Middleton's return should help the Bucks, but will he fill all the holes in their rotation? More than that, can he still play at the same level that he has knowing his age (33) and his injury rap sheet? They have more questions besides the ones involving Middleton.

The Bucks' problem, besides a shockingly poor start to their season so far, is that they've done nothing to answer questions that arose surrounding their roster dating back to last season.

The worst thing the Bucks went through last year was Giannis' late-season injury. Not just because it was a death blow to their season, but because Antetokounmpo's injury gave the Bucks an excuse for their failure when their season was already shaping up to be a failure even before he got hurt.

They have never quite figured out how to make Giannis work alongside Damian Lillard, and they still boast a great defense despite having some excellent personnel in that department. They also look collectively older as a team, which makes sense knowing who's playing for them. Many want to blame Doc Rivers, but it seems too easy to pin it all on him.

When Middleton returns, he will play for a roster with so many unanswered questions even with him in the equation. Now compare that to the Celtics.

Would they be better off if Porzingis was playing right now? Of course, they would, but they've shown they can withstand his absence. The Celtics are so fortified that they have not had to worry about him missing games for the next month or so.

Porzingis will make them better, but when he returns, he won't join a roster that is borderline drowning in uncertainty. Instead, his return will be a case of the rich getting richer. There are no questions involving the Celtics right now like there are with the Bucks.

That doesn't mean the Bucks can't pick themselves up, but there's no guarantee that they will. There's no guarantee that the Celtics will play at the elite pace they have, but they've proven since last season that they can, much like the Bucks have proven since last season that they can't.