Milwaukee Bucks: 3 lessons from loss to Los Angeles Lakers

Supporting star concerns

I mentioned that not all of the lessons learned on Friday night were new ones.

Undoubtedly the biggest concern to emerge from the loss to the Lakers was the lack of support Giannis Antetokounmpo received from the two players who are expected to function as the Bucks’ second and third options.

While LeBron James saw his 37 points backed up by 30 points on 24 shots from Anthony Davis, Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe could only muster a combined 23 points on 32 shots.

Fresh off his second All-Star appearance, in the midst of a stellar season overall, and with a more than respectable postseason track record to fall back on, Middleton can likely be cut a little slack in this scenario.

What Friday’s loss did offer a reminder of, though, is that the Bucks can ill afford off nights from Middleton when there remains such a high risk of Bledsoe being completely neutralized in the biggest moments.

Bledsoe has put together a very strong season in his own right up until this point, but these are the kind of high pressure contests where his history places even greater pressure on him to deliver. He failed on that front on Friday, and that means the biggest question facing the Bucks going into the postseason will be the same one that haunted them at the end of their journey last year.