Milwaukee Bucks: Best and Worst (January 6 – February 2)

Worst: Where’s the D?

During their hot streak a few weeks back, the Bucks were primed for a playoff spot thanks to their play on both sides of the ball, as they were one of a handful of teams to rank in the top-10 of both offensive and defensive rating.

Since then, the Bucks have sank like a rock on the defensive end, now ranking 20th in the same metric after surrendering more than 110 points in six of their last eight games.

Like most large-scale issues, it can’t be blamed on any one person or even the Bucks’ scheme. We’ve seen Milwaukee have success on defense this season with this personnel grouping, so it looks like the struggles are a matter of execution.

Because of their rather rudimentary offensive sets and reliance on transition scoring, the Bucks will need to hold opponents to lower points totals if they have any hope of winning big games in the clutch.

The Bucks are at their best when using their length and athleticism to fly all over the floor, disrupting passing lanes and contesting shots. When executed poorly, this frenetic pace can lead to confusion and easy buckets for the opposing offense.