Milwaukee Bucks: 3 X-factors to repeating as champions in 2021-22

X-factors for Milwaukee Bucks repeating in 2021-22 season: Figuring out the offense in playoffs

During the regular season, the Bucks had their offense working like a well-oiled machine nightly. According to NBA.com/stats, they averaged the most points per game in the league at 120.1 and tied for the fourth-best offensive rating at 116.5, both marks certainly reflecting their efficiency on that side of the ball. This came despite the experiments that Bucks’ coach Mike Budenholzer conducted during the regular season.

Many believed that this efficient play would immediately translate over into the postseason, but it did not exactly play out like that. After 23 games, the Bucks put up the ninth most points per game with 110.3 and had the 11th best offensive rating at 112.2, both numbers dipping tremendously compared to the regular season. For whatever reason, there were nights where the offense stalled entirely and could not get anything going.

A massive factor in this drop-off was their inability to connect on shots from the outside, as they shot a collective 32.1 percent from deep in the playoffs. It seems like the Bucks have always had trouble shooting from behind the arc in the postseason, but they managed to win in spite of it this time around. It is among the lowest 3-point percentages for an NBA championship in the history of the league, which was strange considering how much the Bucks have emphasized the 3-point shot over the past several years. Practically everyone on the roster saw their 3-point efficiency in the playoffs fall several percentage points from what it was in the regular season.

If the Bucks will repeat as champions this coming season, they will have to avoid another playoff slump on the offensive end. There were nights where this team simply looked dead in the water with the basketball, which cannot happen again. This team has the defensive personnel to match up with any team in the association, but the bigger question is whether or not they can get the offense rolling to a similar degree. After a year full of experiments, the core players should have a better grasp on the system, which bodes well for their chances.