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

Everything boils down to lineup instability for the Milwaukee Bucks

It’s hard to overstate just how formidable the Bucks’ three best players are on the basketball court. On both ends, their three-pronged attack carves and contorts the opposition in a dizzying number of ways. When opposing defenses are forced to reckon with Holiday’s defense, playmaking, and versatility, Middleton’s mid-range mastery and touch from beyond, and Antetokounmpo’s size and inward gravity, good things happen for the Bucks.

Without the trio, as expected, the Bucks are out of options on both ends of the floor. Through 15 games, they’re fourth in isolation frequency with a tenth of their offensive possessions coming off isolation plays. The weight of their lineup instability is perhaps at its heaviest in the lack of a serviceable big man to hold down the fort.

Look at their points produced off drives, for instance. The Bucks are a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of drives per game with just 46.9 forays into the interior. Their 20 paint touches per game are also 24th in the NBA, while their 40.3 points in the paint are 28th in the league. They just haven’t been able to get the same product in the interior without Antetokounmpo. And without a big to hold down the painted area, they’re giving up the eighth-worst number of opponent points in the paint with 47.3 points in that area.

It seems as though almost every problem they have on the basketball court boils down to their lineup instability, and more precisely, their lack of big bodies outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis. But there are definitely things within their control that they can address.