Milwaukee Bucks: 3 reasons not to panic about 6-4 start
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks sit with a 6-4 record through 10 games this season, but it is not time to hit the panic button whatsoever.
It has not been all been smooth sailing for the Milwaukee Bucks 10 games into the 2020-21 season.
The team has endured through their share of rough patches, but they have managed to make their way up in the Eastern Conference standings with a 6-4 record. This start has caused some concern, given Milwaukee’s apparent shortcomings and areas of concern in these games.
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However, despite the slow start, here are three reasons why the Milwaukee Bucks should not be panicking just yet.
No. 3 – Mike Budenholzer showing his willingness to adjust
Entering his third season with the Bucks, Mike Budenholzer may have been on the hottest seat among head coaches across the association.
His unwillingness to make adjustments during the team’s two consecutive playoff flameouts was frustrating to watch as the team’s regular season success could not translate into a postseason environment.
With no choice but to bring a different spin to their system, it appears that Budenholzer has loosened his beliefs ever so slightly and is willing to try new things early on. This was particularly evident in the team’s 131-118 loss to the Utah Jazz last Friday night. There was no slowing down the Jazz as they torched the Bucks with a franchise-record 25 3-pointers on the night, but the Bucks tried several different approaches to limit the onslaught.
Despite the loss, Giannis Antetokounmpo shared his optimism about the in-game adjustments postgame. As detailed by The Athletic’s Eric Nehm ($$), the two-time MVP told reporters that it was a good game because of the team’s willingness to throw different defensive strategies at the Jazz, even if it did not result in a victory.
Budenholzer’s defensive principles have been a hot topic of discussion for the Bucks in recent memory, and Jrue Holiday chimed in with some thoughts of his own.
Holiday wants the Bucks to emphasize switching defensively when it comes to size because he feels like it can help slow down opponents. Typically, Budenholzer would not even consider switching as a regularity, but he is seemingly starting to warm up to the idea of making the proper fixes when it matters. Speaking of defense, the Bucks are still figuring things out, but they have the keys to be special on that side of the ball.