Early 2021-22 Milwaukee Bucks’ stats that should be cause for concern

Cohesiveness has dried up for the team basketball Milwaukee Bucks

Through the championship run last year, it was clear that the Bucks performed better when they shared the rock. At their best, they ran Mike Budenholzer’s Spursian system to perfection. Yet every other game, the toughest moments against good defenses saw them go back and forth in that department. At their worst, they leaned on their stars to generate consistent offense in the isolation.

As it currently stands, their 261.9 passes per game are good for second to the last in the NBA. Less passing means fewer touches for offensive players all across the roster, as seen in their 28th-ranked 385.9 touches per game. Not surprisingly, the Bucks’ 22 assists per game rank 23rd in the association as a result. Consequently, their offensive and net rating have also been relatively middle of the pack to start the season. They’re only scoring 107.2 points per 100 possessions, which is 18th in the NBA.

Without superstars to generate offense, the Bucks will have to be more than just the sum of their healthy parts until their starters are fit to play again. This means moving the ball more and playing as a team. Budenholzer, as one of the chief architects of the Beautiful Game Spurs, should know this well.