The Bucks are reeling from yet another disappointing loss, and one glaring issue can’t be ignored any longer: effort. Milwaukee still looks like they’re just finding their footing to start the season, rather than being in mid-season form. It’s an absurd issue to have this late in the season, made even worse by benching players that actually bring the right hustle.
The Bucks desperately need an immediate fix for this weakness. Even with Giannis Antetokounmpo coming back Monday night, they don’t have enough talent to be giving anything less than 100 percent effort at all times. Losing to the lowly Chicago Bulls and getting outscored by 25 in the final quarter needs to be a wake-up call for the team.
The Bucks need an energy boost right away
Milwaukee’s lack of effort would’ve been frustrating enough in a loss against a far superior team. But this one came in a very winnable game against the Bulls that would’ve given the Bucks a major leg up in the race towards the Play-In Tournament. Now, the Bucks fall to 11th in the East, three games back of the final Play-In spot, with limited time to make up the difference.
The lack of hustle stands out even more against a Chicago team that is known for being undersized and lacking frontcourt depth. After the trade deadline, the Bulls loaded up on guards but traded away their veteran centers and forwards. That didn’t stop them from outrebounding the Bucks 19-5 in the fourth quarter as the game completely turned on its head.
The Bucks finished that final frame with just eight points and two made field goals. At the same time, they allowed the Bulls to make 14 shots while shooting 64 percent from the field and 40 percent from three. A lot of those shots came from slow rotations and poor transition defense. The Bulls were often able to get easy looks just by running the floor hard or making simple backdoor cuts.
Doc Rivers needs to help boost the effort down the stretch
Putting in this little effort so deep into the season points to larger structural flaws for the Bucks. This isn’t a case of a single player phoning it in or a mistake in strategy. Wider-sweeping changes are needed, and coaching is probably a good place to start. At the end of the day, it’s a head coach’s responsibility to make sure his team plays hard and executes.
Doc Rivers has failed to meet that standard for nearly his whole tenure in Milwaukee. Sure, the Bucks’ season outlook might improve when Giannis returns from injury. But if they bring the same lackluster effort every night, they’re not going anywhere in the playoffs. The Bucks need to wake up and do it quickly.