3 eye-caching takeaways from Milwaukee Bucks’ perfect 5-0 homestand
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks played all-world defense over their five-game homestand
The Bucks have been a great defensive team under Mike Budenholzer, but they struggled to live up to expectations early on in the year. Part of that was the fact that they were without several players like Brook Lopez and Donte DiVincenzo, who have combined to play one game this year. Holiday and Middleton also missed time this season with injuries and illnesses, but both played every game in the homestand. With a good portion of their roster intact, the Bucks finally began looking like the defensive-oriented team over the past five games we all know and love.
According to NBA.com/stats, the Bucks have the best defensive rating in the association over the past five games at 95.8, a testament to how well they have locked down. Milwaukee’s opponents have shot just 37.8 percent from the floor, which is the best in the league, and 28.5 percent from 3-point range, which is the third-best mark defensively. They have made life as tough as possible for opponents and the results certainly speak for themselves. The biggest factor in this defensive excellence has been Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak has been outright dominant on that side of the basketball, and he should be an early contender for Defensive Player of the Year.
An interesting defensive stat from the Bucks in this stretch is that they have surrendered a mere 36.8 points in the paint per game to their opponents. That is the second-best mark in the league in the past five games as the Bucks have protected the rim with authority. Considering that there is no Lopez down low, this is eye-catching. The former All-Defensive honoree has become a crucial factor for the Bucks because of his defense at the rim, but they have managed to protect the hoop in his absence, largely thanks to Antetokounmpo and Portis. Teams had been exploiting the Bucks’ lack of size without Lopez by dominating the paint without Lopez, but they have fixed that issue.
The Bucks were great defensively during the homestand, and the good news is that there are still reinforcements on the way. While there has been no timetable set for Lopez or DiVincenzo as they deal with injuries, their pair will help shore up Milwaukee’s defense even further. Semi Ojeleye has also missed the past three games due to injury, and he has given the team a solid contribution on that side of the ball this year. Once they get healthy, this team will be far more formidable.