Handing out individual midseason grades for the 24-17 Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks have officially reached the halfway point of their season, and it has been a year full of ups and downs so far.

They started 2-8, then went 14-4 in their next 18 games and won the NBA Cup, then followed that up by going just 3-5 in their next eight games, and now, they've won seven of their last eight.

All-in-all, the Bucks have been able to get to a fairly comfortable spot in the standings with a 24-17 record that has put them at fourth in the East and only two games out of third.

With the regular season being half over, it's time to hand out some midseason grades for the team.

Giannis Antetokounmpo: A

Yawn. Just another MVP-level season from Giannis. He is once again putting up fantastic averages of 31.5 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists while shooting 60.5 percent from the field, and at this point, we have just come to expect this type of dominance from him.

Despite the usual great stats, when you dive deeper into his play, it actually hasn't been quite the same Giannis season we are used to. Antetokounmpo is having by far the best mid-range season of his career so far, shooting 45.7 percent on 151 total attempts from mid-range. That percentage ranks him fifth among all players with at least 100 attempts, and he is fifth in total midrange makes.

However, he simultaneously is having the worst free throw shooting season of his career, converting just 58.7 percent from the line and struggling to find any type of groove or consistency there.

The free throw shooting and occasional lack of focus on the defensive end at times this season are the only things preventing him from being an A++, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is still playing like one of the best players in the world.

Damian Lillard: A-

Giannis is clearly the Bucks' best player, but Damian Lillard might be their most important player.

Many were hoping for a nice bounce-back season from the guard in his second year in Milwaukee. Well, he has delivered, improving his numbers across the board this season and looking more comfortable on his new team. Here's a look at his numbers last season compared to this season.

Over the last two months, Lillard is shooting a ridiculous 43.5 percent from three on 8.8 attempts per game, the highest 3-point percentage in the NBA among players averaging at least eight attempts.

Damian Lillard is one of just three players averaging 25 points and seven assists on 60 percent true shooting this season. The other two are Nikola Jokic and Jalen Brunson.

He still has had a few really poor games and some cold stretches that prevent him from being an A or an A+, but looking at the entire season, he is playing as well as almost any point guard in the league and showing that he is still a superstar at 34 years old.

Khris Middleton: B-

Middleton definitely gets his grade docked a bit because he missed the first 21 games of the season, but since returning, he has been a solid contributor to this team.

Middleton's stats won't look crazy to anyone, but keep in mind he hasn't yet been playing his full minutes. In just 23.5 minutes per game, he is averaging a solid 12.6 points, 5.1 assists and 3.9 rebounds on 48 percent from the field and 38 percent from three.

The Milwaukee Bucks are nine points better per 100 possessions with Khris Middleton on the court this season. He has particularly helped their offense, as their offensive rating jumps from 113.9 with him off the court (would be 13th in the NBA) to 121.3 with him on the court (would be third in the NBA).

Middleton already has 11 games with five or more assists since returning, and his playmaking and creation ability are things the Milwaukee Bucks have sorely needed outside of Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Middleton is currently coming off the bench as he works his way back to full strength, and it might be something that the Bucks consider doing full-time to keep him in rhythm and make sure he has the ball enough when he's on the court.

Middleton is still prone to his share of bad games, and his defense has taken a step back so far this season, which is a concern, but he is still being fairly underrated by Bucks fans. He is an important connective piece for this Milwaukee Bucks team and hopefully will continue to look even better as he gets back to full health.

Brook Lopez: B

Brook Lopez continues to be an imperfect but impactful player for the Milwaukee Bucks. He has his share of struggles and cannot be trusted for every matchup, but the bottom line is that he is still an integral part of this Milwaukee Bucks team.

Lopez still possesses the rare combination of floor spacing and rim protection that is extremely hard to find. He is one of just three players with 70 blocks and 70 made threes this season, with the only others being Victor Wembanyama and Myles Turner.

He also continues to be incredibly durable for his age, playing in all 41 games so far this season and 209 of 216 games since 2022.

There are simply very few centers who can do what Brook Lopez does, and although he will drive fans crazy in some matchups, he is still a valuable piece of this team that is very hard to replace.

Bobby Portis: C-

Bobby Portis continues to be the most polarizing player on this Milwaukee Bucks team; he has some great moments but also a lot of terrible ones.

He is still capable of putting up some nice scoring nights, particularly when Giannis or Lillard are injured, as he has a handful of 20-point games and even a 34-point performance this season. Those performances are what keep his grade from being even lower, but his inconsistency and lack of defense still appear to make him a poor fit when the Bucks are fully healthy.

Portis has been a big liability on defense for several seasons now, and in the last three seasons combined, he makes the Bucks' defense over four points worse per 100 possessions when he's on the floor. He struggles in basically any defensive scheme, and it is hard to cover him up on that end of the floor.

And this season, his offense has not been nearly good enough to make up for his defensive issues.

Portis has a true shooting percentage of 54 percent and an effective field goal percentage of just 52 percent, both below league average. He is also shooting just 36.6 percent from three, his lowest since joining the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020.

His offensive game mainly consists of inefficient shots and post-ups, and he has been one of the least efficient high-volume post-up scorers in the NBA this season.

Bobby Portis just does not appear to be a great fit on this roster anymore with his poor shot diet, inconsistency and lack of defensive impact. His ability to step up and provide scoring when the Bucks are shorthanded is nice to have at times in the regular season, but he still doesn't seem to be someone who can be very impactful come playoff time.

One of the biggest questions the Milwaukee Bucks will have as they approach the deadline is whether they can trade Bobby Portis for someone who is a better fit in the playoffs as a backup big.

Taurean Prince: B

Taurean Prince has been a solid role player for the Milwaukee Bucks. Nothing more, nothing less.

He started the season red hot from three, leading the NBA with a 55.6 three-point percentage in the first 21 games. However, he has since cooled off, shooting just 35.3 percent from deep over the last 20 games.

Defensively, it has been a mixed bag of results from Prince, with some really nice performances and also some poor ones. He has shown the ability to defend some scoring wings well at times while also having his share of possessions getting blown by or committing fouls.

Overall, for a minimum signing, Taurean Prince has played his role well, and he has basically been a better version of Jae Crowder, which is what the Milwaukee Bucks were hoping he would be.

Pat Connaughton: D-

Connaughton started the season as the backup shooting guard, playing nearly 18 minutes per game in the first 13 games of the season.

However, he struggled mightily to start the season, shooting just 30 percent from three, and he quickly had his spot taken by AJ Green. Over the past couple of months, Connaughton has appeared in just eight of Milwaukee's 28 games.

It appears the Bucks are looking to get off of Connaughton's contract if they can find a trade for him to get under the second apron, but that will be difficult. He most likely will remain on the team as an end-of-bench guy who they can plug in down the road if others go down with injury.

Gary Trent Jr.: B+

A few weeks into the season, Gary Trent Jr. looked like arguably the most disappointing player on the Milwaukee Bucks. Through the team's first 11 games, he was averaging just 6.4 points on 28.6 percent shooting from the field and 22.5 percent from three.

But after the slow start, Trent has completely turned it around and become one of the better shooters in the league. Since those first 11 games, he is averaging 10.5 points on 47.9 percent from the field and 48.2 percent from three. Since November 13th, Trent's 3-point percentage of 48.2 percent ranks first out of 152 players with at least 100 attempts in that span.

For the season he is now at 42.4 percent from three, the highest of his career, and he has made plenty of big shots in the second half of games. Combine that shooting with some solid defensive moments and averaging over a steal per game, it is clear that Trent is one of the most important bench pieces on this Milwaukee Bucks team.

Delon Wright: F

The most disappointing Milwaukee Bucks signing from this past offseason appears to be Delon Wright. He was brought in to be a backup point guard who could facilitate and defend, but he has not looked good in his minutes.

He lost the backup point guard spot to Ryan Rollins and basically never sees any meaningful minutes anymore unless Damian Lillard is out. Wright could be someone the Bucks look to attach as a throw-in in a trade, and he quickly has gone from an exciting new signing to a dud.

Andre Jackson Jr.: B

Jackson is certainly one of the most exciting players on this Bucks roster. He has some highlight dunks and blocks, and his combination of athleticism and energy is what the Milwaukee Bucks desperately need more of.

He is probably the best perimeter defender Milwaukee has, and he has had some great performances on that end of the floor. In the NBA Cup Final, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had just two points on 1-of-6 field goal shooting when defended by him.

With that being said, Jackson's offensive limitations have still kept him from reaching his full potential. The Bucks are six points worse offensively per 100 possessions with Jackson on the court, and his lack of a consistent outside shot often causes spacing issues for both Lillard and Giannis. He also has work to do as a finisher out of the dunker spot, often being too hesitant and indecisive.

The offensive issues aren't all Jackson's fault, as he could be utilized in different ways that help hide some of these problems, but the bottom line is he has hurt the offense when he is in the game. As a result, he has only been able to play just over 17 minutes per game rather than being more of a full-time player.

Andre Jackson Jr. is still a very intriguing player and someone who helps the Bucks' defense a lot, but until the offensive issues get figured out, he still isn't someone who can be relied on to play more than 20 minutes consistently.

AJ Green: A-

The guy who continues to emerge as a gem off the bench for Milwaukee is AJ Green.

Although Pat Connaughton initially had the backup shooting guard role to start the season, Green quickly gained Doc Rivers' trust and took over that spot, and since November, he has been playing 24 minutes per game.

Green's main skill is his shooting, and he has become one of the better 3-point snipers in the league, shooting 44.2 percent from deep on over five attempts per game.

But what's underrated with Green is his defense, and he has proven that he isn't someone who can be targeted by opposing offenses. He still can get handsy and get into foul trouble at times, but he does a great job moving his feet and making things difficult on whoever he is defending.

Green's impact is shown in his on/off stats, as the Bucks are 8.9 points better per 100 possessions with him on the court. He improves Milwaukee's offense by almost four points and their defense by over five points when on the floor.

AJ Green is the Bucks' secret weapon that could make a huge difference for their title hopes if he shows up in the playoffs.

Ryan Rollins: B+

The silver lining from the Delon Wright signing not panning out is that it has given Ryan Rollins an opportunity at backup point guard. He has filled in nicely, playing solid defense and looking like a competent and composed backup.

Rollins doesn't put up any special numbers, but he doesn't need to. He can handle the ball, make good decisions, and play solid defense for 10-20 minutes per game, which is all the Bucks need out of a backup point guard. Doc Rivers appears to like what he is seeing, as Rollins is continuing to get more consistent minutes over time. In the last 14 games, he is playing 16.3 minutes per game.

If this keeps up, Ryan Rollins should be Milwaukee's backup point guard in the playoffs.

Doc Rivers: B+

Doc Rivers has been.... pleasantly surprising?

One of the biggest gripes people have had with Rivers throughout his career is that he never plays young players and will only play veterans, but so far, he has actually shown the opposite with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Rivers may have started out trusting the veterans, but he quickly adjusted. Pat Connaughton was benched for AJ Green, Delon Wright was benched for Ryan Rollins and he found ways to get Andre Jackson Jr. on the floor more.

The Milwaukee Bucks desperately needed more athleticism and youth after their 2-8 start, particularly on defense, and Doc Rivers adjusting the rotations fixed a lot of their issues.

The Bucks ranked 26th defensively in the first 10 games while playing the veterans more, but since then they are sixth, and Rivers deserves a lot of credit for that.

Rivers also has shown a willingness to adjust defensive schemes and lineups, something that the Bucks had been wanting out of a coach and was a reason they fired Mike Budenholzer. The Bucks have used some zone defense at points this season and have tinkered with lineups to try different schemes in different matchups.

Rivers is by no means an elite coach, but he definitely has been better than a lot of people give him credit for. We will have to wait and see what happens in the playoffs, but so far he has been more of a positive than a negative.