The Milwaukee Bucks have gotten off to a grueling 3-4 start to their 2021-22 campaign.
It is not so much that the world champs are experiencing a championship hangover but that their roster has been ravaged by injuries early on. The Bucks are interchanging new players into the mix on a nightly basis, making it hard to establish any continuity. Many things have stood out early on, but among the most prominent have been several players struggling to find their footing. While it is still early, here is whether fans should panic or have patience with these three individuals.
Should Milwaukee Bucks fans panic or have patience with Semi Ojeleye?
The Bucks placed Semi Ojeleye on the shelf early this season as he nursed a calf strain, limiting him to just two appearances in the team’s seven games.
In the games where he has played, it has been tough to watch. The forward is a brutal 0-for-10 on shots thus far, all of them coming from behind the arc. He certainly looked confident when heaving these 3-pointers as there has been no hesitation in his mind, but he has still been unable to buy a bucket once this season. Defensively, Ojeleye has not exactly stood out either, as the team defense continues to look shaky without so many key pieces.
Two games and a total of 25 minutes played is surely a small sample size to be judging a player by, especially one that is coming off an injury. Still, there is some justifiable concern when it comes to Ojeleye, mostly on the offensive end. The forward has never been known for his electric ability to score the basketball, but he has been downright brutal to watch early on. These shots, particularly the wide-open ones, are the shots the Bucks will need him to knock down this season. The most important thing for Ojeleye will be shoring up the defense, where he has looked a step slow.
While it has been brutal to watch, it is not time for fans to slam the panic button just yet. After all, Ojeleye has played just 25 minutes so far, having missed out on the preseason entirely and a good portion of the regular season. There was definitely going to be some rust. Two games is too small of a sample size to cause mass panic among the fanbase, although many have not been sold on the idea of Ojeleye from the beginning, and understandably so. Check back in in a few weeks.