Bucks face early make or break test with kryptonite-filled stretch ahead

Things have not gone according to plan for the Milwaukee Bucks throughout their first four games of the 2024-25 NBA season.

They are a putrid 1-3, struggling to get off the ground after a promising showing in their opening win against the Philadelphia 76ers. In these games, the Bucks have had a clear weakness: they've failed to slow down opposing guards defensively. Outside of Tyrese Maxey in the opener, guards have been red-hot when facing Milwaukee's lackluster defensive efforts.

In a loss to the Bulls, Coby White scored 35 points while hitting seven triples. Zach LaVine had 25 on 60 percent shooting in the same game. In the Brooklyn Nets outing, Cam Thomas scored 32 points, while Dennis Schroder had 29. In the recent outing vs. Boston, Payton Pritchard tallied 28 points off the bench with eight 3-pointers, while Jrue Holiday finished with 21.

The Milwaukee Bucks haven't had an answer to these opposing guards, and looking at the schedule, things are not going to get any easier anytime soon.

Bucks' will face plenty of household guards in the coming days

Over their next six games, the Milwaukee Bucks will battle the Memphis Grizzlies, Cleveland Cavaliers (twice), Utah Jazz, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics. Every single one of those teams has at least one dynamic guard that could spell trouble for the Bucks. There are All-Stars littered throughout the rosters, including Ja Morant, Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson and Jrue Holiday.

If the Bucks keep struggling to contain guards like they have in their first four matchups, this stretch could be catastrophic for them.

How do they get back on the right track? Well, combating the opposing team's quickness, athleticism and burst with some of their own would be a nice start. Andre Jackson Jr. saw first-half minutes in the loss to Boston, and while his fouls prevented him from playing a bigger role, he showed more promise than a handful of Milwaukee's veterans have on that end all season long.

If Doc Rivers isn't ready to embrace the youth, Milwaukee's veteran role players must step up on the defensive end. Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince have done well on that end, but when they check out and the reserves come in, trouble begins brewing.

In the loss to Boston, Pat Connaughton was a step or two behind Payton Pritchard every single time they were matched up, which fueled the guard's hot night off the bench. Delon Wright, who was one of the team's most hyped-up new additions due to his defense, has been a bust on that end during this early stretch, failing to make a noticeable impact whatsoever.

To fix this issue, there's a chance the Milwaukee Bucks may have to look for external help if their own players continue to struggle. Though their asset cabinet is running low, the team does still possess a first and second round pick in 2031. If there is someone on the trade market who can help, the Bucks should pounce at the opportunity to beef up their defense.

These next six games could either rejuvenate the Milwaukee Bucks after a slow start or send them spiraling further down a dark path. Time to see what they're made of.

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