The Milwaukee Bucks fought hard against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, but ultimately, they fell to a 127-117 defeat as the injuries really began to pile up.
We already know of Bobby Portis' suspension and Jericho Sims missing time, leaving the Bucks short in the frontcourt. Now, the update regarding starting guard Damian Lillard being out indefinitely and Giannis Antetokounmpo missing on Wednesday leaves little to be positive about.
With the frontcourt and backcourt light, it leaves the Bucks looking at Kevin Porter Jr. and Gary Trent Jr. starting together. The duo will make or break their season. Both have added much-needed offensive firepower from the bench, and they now need to step up as the starting backcourt.
Porter and Trent need to be efficient to make the Bucks a success
With both stars missing, it was up to Porter and Trent to provide shot creation and scoring for Milwaukee. Porter scored 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, shooting 5-for-15 (33.3 percent) from the field. Trent wasn't much better, scoring 16 points also on 5-for-15 (33.3 percent) and 4-for-11 (36.4 percent) shooting from deep.
The pair find themselves in a difficult situation, going from bench scorers to now both being starters and being relied upon to provide an offensive punch. When they combine to shoot 10-for-30 (33.3 percent), it will be difficult for the Milwaukee Bucks against any opponent, let alone a championship-caliber team like the Nuggets.
Defensively, the backcourt has been a problem for the Bucks since they acquired Lillard and parted ways with Jrue Holiday. Andre Jackson Jr. provided help, but the lack of offense was noticeable.
As a team, the Bucks can rotate with players who are able to switch and are athletic. However, Trent and Porter aren't known for being strong defensively, so as a team, they will need to find a way to scheme up against elite opposing guards. They can hold their own but gave up 19 to Christian Braun, 17 to Jamal Murray and 12 to Peyton Watson. All three shot better than Trent and Porter as well.
Ryan Rollins has shown his value as a more traditional pass-first point guard compared to Porter, so there is some versatility the Milwaukee Bucks can use there. AJ Green also played 34 minutes off the bench and scored 15 in his best performance for some time. We also saw Pat Connaughton play significant minutes and show that he might be able to aid the team when short-handed.
It was already going to be tough to see what the Bucks could do in the postseason. Now, with injuries haunting them again, it makes it even harder. Porter and Trent have shown their value off the bench, but now they need to really step up. They can hold the team together with the hope that others can get back healthy to give them a chance in the playoffs.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks news and analysis.