Delon Wright has not lived up to early expectations with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Pegged as one of their most impactful offseason additions due to his defensive prowess, Wright has not given the Bucks much to praise throughout their first four games. Opposing guards have torched Milwaukee's defense, and while that is not entirely Wright's fault, he has certainly played a part in the early-season struggles, as they currently sit at 1-3 on the year.
Delon Wright's defense has not lived up to expectations
In fact, per NBA.com/stats, players are currently shooting 11-of-18 when defended by Delon Wright. With a 61.1 percent success rate, Wright currently has the worst defensive field goal percentage on the entire Milwaukee Bucks roster. Among all NBA players to defend at least 18 shots, Wright has the 12th-worst defended field goal percentage in the entire league.
In layman's terms, opposing scorers are having no trouble scoring on Delon Wright when matched up.
In addition to the poor defensive struggles, Wright hasn't done much elsewhere either. He's currently averaging 1.8 points, an assist and 0.5 rebounds per game while shooting 37.5 percent from the floor and 25 percent from 3-point land. None of this will cut it for the Milwaukee Bucks, as they need more from the guard.
Wright has made a living in this league as a defender, so he clearly has what it takes to turn it around. He still has his lengthy 6-foot-5 height and 6-foot-7.5 wingspan that can be used to pester matchups. He simply needs to dial up the intensity, an issue that has been contagious with this entire Milwaukee roster throughout these first four games.
Early this season, Milwaukee's kryptonite has been defending guards. The likes of Cam Thomas and Payton Pritchard have fried the team's perimeter defenders, and Wright has had a hand in that. Well, he's about to be put to the test mightily as the Milwaukee Bucks brace to run through a gauntlet of a five-game stretch that features plenty of All-Star guards.
With players like Jalen Brunson and Ja Morant on the schedule, Wright will have his hands full trying to slow them down. This stretch will be a massive test for him. If he can break out of this tough slump on defense, it could give the Bucks a needed boost on the perimeter that they've lacked thus far, and he can put these early struggles behind him. If he cannot, it will spell trouble for the Milwaukee Bucks.
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