Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 124-119 loss to Cleveland Cavaliers

Defensive woes continue

Many factors went into the outcome of this game. However, the largest was undoubtedly the Bucks’ inability to defend. This has been a long-time trend for the Bucks, and if they are hoping for any legitimate success this season it’s a trend that will need to stop.

On Tuesday, it was the low-post defense in particular that killed the Bucks, as Kevin Love dominated the interior all night.

Yes, the Cavaliers are an elite offense, and when they are determined no one can totally shut them down. However, the Bucks did not come remotely close to doing so on this occasion. The offense scored 119 points, meaning if the defense played at even an average level, the Bucks could have gotten the victory.

The Cavaliers scored 39 in the first quarter against the Bucks, and while they were not able to maintain that blistering pace, they managed to score at least 26 in each quarter.

Next: Win In 6 Podcast #158: The emergency Eric Bledsoe trade episode

The team has attempted to make minor adjustments to fix their problems, including starting a defense-first center in John Henson. Yet, the personnel is not the problem, with average to above-average defenders at all five starting positions. Frankly, there are no excuses for such a lackluster performance.