The Milwaukee Bucks, reformed with a new vigor, began the season in great fashion. The 76ers without Joel Embiid and Paul George stood no chance. Yet, what followed were two disappointing losses, each against teams with no tag of ‘contenders’ attached to their names. On both occasions, the Milwaukee side’s same old problems came back to bite them. The word defense has become the wrecking order for the Deers, and some believe it starts with Damian Lillard.

In those two games, against the Bulls and the Nets, it was their backcourt that took the onus of scoring against the Bucks. Coby White and Zach Lavine combined for 60 after which Dennis Schroder and bundling scorer Cam Thomas added 61.

Even the defensive arrivals of Deion Wright, Gary Trent Jr., and Taurean Prince don’t seem to be the fix for the Bucks’ disoriented defensive schemes. With two losses against subpar teams, in a cutthroat East, ultimately these games matter for seeding.

Tomorrow’s game is proof of the ‘why’. They face off against the Boston Celtics, the most voluminous shooting team in the NBA. Ahead of the matchup, The Hoop Collective discussed Milwaukee’s problems. In particular, they spoke about their lack of defensive quality to stop backcourts. “Go back to the summer. We talked about the Bucks. They had a glaring lack of athleticism across the roster. You look at these first couple of games. It is very concerning to play two teams that they should be smacking… You see all these quick guards going off,” Tim Bontempts noted.

As the discussion went further, Tim MacMahon pointed out the central weakness that the Bucks can’t seem to “hide.” “They lost arguably the best guard defender in the league and for all of Dame’s talents offensively… he’s one of the best offensive guards of this generation. He’s a problem defensively, like you have to try to hide him and protect him and it’s hard to do,” he said. 

Since the Bucks’ dismissal of the Sixers, Damian Lillard has recorded a 120.3 defensive rating in their back-to-back losses. The hooper hasn’t been able to match the holes offensively despite a few bursts in those games. However, it is far from an individual problem for the Milwaukee Bucks. Improvement starts with the way the entire team is woven together. So far, they don’t seem to have anything.

Giannis Antetokounmpo urges Bucks to find their ‘identity’

Among the things Doc Rivers did differently was to host a training camp outside of Milwaukee. He wanted the team to stay together and build on camaraderie. The results he saw, Rivers felt, were uplifting in their title chase. It did show some signs in their opener, but since then, much has fallen off. Giannis Antetokounmpo believes it’s because the Bucks don’t have a preferred way to play.

“Right now, we don’t have an identity. How are we going to win the game? Are we going to defend 48 minutes? Are we going to move the ball for 48 minutes? Are we going to attack?,” a frustrated Greek Freak added.

It’s palpable on both sides of the floor, not just defensively. In two of the last three games, Giannis Antetokounmpo, a belligerent offensive tank, has only attempted 11 shots. Furthermore, without Khris Middleton, they lack a major scoring option that helps floor the space and add another realm to their unit.

On the defensive side of the court, it might come down to figuring out lineups to complement Damian Lillard’s shortcomings. Gary Trent Jr. has started all games for that purpose. Doc Rivers fell in love with his intensity during training camp. However, one can’t battle against two. Dame will be required to take the responsibility of being an engaged defender. It will aid his team in helping him while also curtailing the opponent’s easiness to get to the rim.

Do you think the Bucks can bounce back tonight and stun the Celtics? Let us know your views in the comments below.