It feels like the Milwaukee Bucks have more blowout losses this season than they do statement wins. Backing that up is Locked on Bucks host Justin Garcia, who reports Milwaukee has eight losses by 25 points or more this season, a new franchise record for a single season. This has been one of the worst Bucks seasons since the franchise was created.
Considering the Bucks have had four seasons since 2000 in which they've lost at least 52 contests, including a year they lost an astounding 67, this is brutal. It shows just how far the mighty have fallen.
Teams are slapping the Bucks around
Injuries have certainly been a factor in Milwaukee's poor effort this season. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Porter Jr. have both missed significant time. However, even when they've played, it's not as if the Bucks are world beaters. No matter who is on the floor, they've failed to string together any sort of consistency.
March has been a perfect showcase of how poorly this team is performing. In the month, they have a plus/minus of -93. That's the worst mark in the entire NBA. Teams are literally beating them to a pulp without breaking a sweat. It doesn't matter what scheme Doc Rivers deploys or what players are on the floor; there are no answers for the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks have avoided obvious elephant in the room
If this were any other team, the coach likely would have been long gone. Not all of Milwaukee's issues fall on Doc Rivers, but he's certainly done his part. The Bucks just aren't energized. The schemes are stale. No one has a consistent role. If the Bucks were truly serious about making a late-season push, they'd pull the plug on Rivers and let Darvin Ham take on coaching duties.
They probably should have done that months or even years ago at this point.
With rumors of Rivers potentially eyeing retirement at the end of the season, the Milwaukee Bucks may be able to wipe the slate clean and start fresh. That won't magically fix all of the team's issues, but it's undoubtedly the right place to start. That, paired with a high draft pick, tradable contracts, draft capital to trade, and some financial flexibility, gives the Bucks a nice starting point.
After the disaster they've put themselves through this season, the Milwaukee Bucks are just looking forward to the summer.
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