Entering the season, analysts, podcasters, and everyone in between said the same thing: the Bucks are a one-man show. That, without Giannis Antetokounmpo, they are just a bottom-feeder. There was even speculation that Giannis had expressed interest in playing for the Knicks, with trade talks taking place in August.
Well, that so-called bottom-feeder just took down the near-fully healthy Golden State Warriors despite being without Giannis and fellow starter Kevin Porter Jr. This group can play good basketball, with or without their superstar. That should only give him more confidence in this roster.
Short-handed Bucks beat the Warriors
In past seasons, playing without Giannis often felt like an automatic defeat for the Milwaukee Bucks because everything was so rooted in his presence. Of course, given that he's averaging 36.3 points per game this season, he's still the engine that makes this team go, but they now have the pieces around him to pick up the slack when he's not on the floor. It showed against Golden State.
Ryan Rollins, continuing to start for the injured Porter, was sensational. After dropping a career-high 25 points in his last game, he shattered that with 32 in this one, burying a dagger three to sink it. The guard also added eight assists and some electric defense. Rollins has blossomed into a special piece for the Milwaukee Bucks, and it will be incredibly hard for Doc Rivers to send him back to the bench.
Finishing second to Rollins in points was Myles Turner, who dropped 17. Turner got off to a slow start on the offensive end to start the season, but knowing the team needed him, he stepped up, shooting 7-of-12 overall, including 3-of-6 from deep. Right behind him was Cole Anthony, who poured in 16 points, three rebounds, two assists, and a block and steal apiece in another do-it-all effort.
In addition to those three, five other Milwaukee Bucks finished with double-digit points. In fact, the only player to log more than five minutes and not register double figures was Amir Coffey, who still made his mark in this one with tough defense and timely rebounds. He hasn't done much scoring in Milwaukee, but even Coffey, a depth piece, has shown he can help this team.
On both sides of the ball, this team looked competent despite missing arguably the best two-way player in the NBA and their starting point guard. They took down a 4-1 team that was red-hot. That means something. It means the Milwaukee Bucks aren't a one-man show. Unlike past iterations of the team, this particular group fits and complements one another so well.
That type of cohesion leads to rousing wins like this one. Milwaukee is now 4-1 on the season after a 120-110 win.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.