The Milwaukee Bucks are not championship contenders. Despite a hot start, despite Ryan Rollins' emergence into a legit starting point guard, and despite a historically weak Eastern Conference, this team does not have enough weapons to compete with the top teams in the East, much less the best of the West. It's not a fun thing to admit for Bucks fans, and it almost feels worse after how great they looked in the first few weeks of the season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo seems to be keenly aware of this truth, after recent reports that he wants to discuss his longterm outlook with the decision-makers in the front office. Those aren't the actions of someone who believes in the talent around him.
Doc Rivers may have known it all along, too, but if he didn't, he's learning it now as the Bucks slowly slip down the standings. At 10-15, the team is still in postseason position, but sneaking into the play-in game would not be a satisfying result for anyone.
Doc Rivers can't turn this team into a title contender
Rivers is the fourth-highest paid coach in the league, and he's earned a lot of the scrutiny he's received from Bucks fans. He hasn't saved this team and he probably never should have been asked to. But this year, there's not much Doc can do to make this team a high-level contender.
No position is woeful, but besides the frontcourt when Giannis is playing, no position is far enough above league average to win this team games consistently, either. This is just an okay roster that can't compete against complete rosters.
I don't think any one person is to blame for this team's ceiling being lower than fans wanted it to be. Multiple years of questionable front office decisions doesn't help, injuries to star players don't help either, and it's really an amalgimation of things that have led us here. Doc Rivers is realizing firsthand that no matter what rotations, adjustments, and unique looks he throws on the court, the Bucks' overall lack of talent is what will restrict them in the end.
Any team with Giannis on its roster will be competitive every night. He's one of the few NBA players who gives you a chance by himself. But even his heroics aren't enough on their own, and we're all learning that firsthand. There has to be some complementary pieces — and he's not afforded that luxury right now.