Milwaukee Bucks: 3 glaring weaknesses exposed so far in NBA Finals

Continued lack of effort from Milwaukee Bucks’ supporting cast

Following the loss in Game 1, Bucks fans were extremely critical of Jrue Holiday. After putting up only ten points in game one, Milwaukee needed more out of their facilitator.

However, another poor performance in Game 2 has put Holiday under a microscope. Jrue put up only 17 points on 21 attempts and only hit seven shots from the field. While Holiday is best known for his defensive prowess, he has been a reliable offensive piece for the Bucks during the regular season by averaging 17.7 points on .503/.392/.787 shooting splits, the most efficient of his career.

Seeing Holiday stray away from his usual scoring output has caused concern among the Bucks faithful as fans have begun making comparisons between Holiday and Eric Bledsoe. Holiday’s poor performance goes much further than stats. Throughout the game, Jrue seemed sluggish and disinterested as the Suns went on run after run. Unfortunately, Jrue’s poor shooting and lack of effort were just one of the factors leading to the loss.

Khris Middleton played well in Game 1, but was unable to replicate his performance or even come close for that matter the following in the series.

In 41 minutes, Middleton only put up 11 points, the fewest of his playoff run, while going 5-for-16 from the field. Furthermore, he only made one of six 3-point attempts. Unfortunately, the story for Middleton in the playoffs has been a solid performance followed by a string of poor performances.

Now, this isn’t to say Middleton is a bad player. However, when discussing this Bucks team, it’s important to point out Middleton’s lack of consistency at times. What was said about Holiday’s effort can be said for Khris Middleton as well. Sluggish play, disinterest, and a lack of intensity were the downfalls for Middleton.

One other player to mention when discussing a poor supporting cast is Jeff Teague.

While Teague has seen a limited role throughout the season, the loss of Donte DiVincenzo following the Miami series in round one has led to a slight increase in his minutes. Although Teague has seen limited time, he has failed to make the most of it. Backing up one of the best defensive guards in the league is a tall task, but Teague’s defensive limitations have been a detriment to Milwaukee. Furthermore, Teague has not been able to bring the spark offensively that Jrue has been lacking in the first two games of the NBA Finals.

As the Bucks move forward, they need more from their point guards as Holiday and Teague have been the ones holding them back for most of this series.