Playing panic or patience on 5 struggling Milwaukee Bucks amid 1-5 start

At just 1-5, something is clearly wrong with the Milwaukee Bucks to start the 2024-25 NBA season.

Several players falling short of expectations have played a big part in the sluggish performance over these past six games. It's a long season, so these particular Bucks will have time to turn things around if they have what it takes. While some might be going through a slump, there are others who just may have lost a step completely, which is why they are struggling.

That said, let us analyze five struggling Milwaukee Bucks and decide whether to panic or have patience with them moving forward.

Gary Trent Jr. - Patience

Arguably Milwaukee's most prized offseason acquisition, Gary Trent Jr. has not had the easiest time getting himself integrated into the lineup. On the season, he is averaging just 8.7 points while hitting 30.8 percent of his field goals and 25 percent of his 3-point tries. Trent's biggest strength throughout his NBA career has been his perimeter shooting, so this slow start has been shocking.

The head-scratching part about Trent's shooting slump is that he's getting great looks. Per NBA.com, he's shooting just 1-of-11 (9.1 percent) on his "open" triple tries and 8-of-25 (32 percent) on his "wide open" ones. If he keeps getting open looks at such a high rate, a household 3-point shooter like Trent should start to knock them down sooner rather than later. He just has to keep letting it fly.

Pat Connaughton - Panic

Pat Connaughton provided hope in the NBA Preseason that he was potentially set to return to form this coming season, but that was short-lived. Through six games, he's struggled in just about every facet of the game, failing to hit his long-range shots (26.3 percent success rate) while consistently getting blown by on the defensive end.

While Connaughton could regain his shooting touch, there is little optimism that he can get back to being the high-flying, stout defender he once was. Doc Rivers has seemingly taken notice of this, as Connaughton played a season-low nine-and-a-half minutes in the team's loss to Cleveland. Given his obvious struggles, lessening Connaughton's minutes is the right decision moving forward.

Brook Lopez - Patience

Even with Milwaukee's struggles, Brook Lopez has shown that he's still a defensive menace right at the hoop, averaging 2.5 blocks per game on the year. However, he's struggled mightily on the other side of things, averaging a career-low 10.5 points, which is due to the big man shooting 37.3 percent from the floor and 29.4 percent from deep.

The Bucks need more from Lopez, especially from the perimeter. Like Trent, Lopez's looks have been just what a shooter wants, but he's shot just 7-of-24 (29.2 percent) on his "wide open" attempts from behind the long line. Given how good of a shooter he has become, there is hope that Lopez is going through a pesky slump and that he can break out of it soon.

Bobby Portis - Panic

The Bobby Portis doubters are starting to pile up, and they have plenty of evidence. Milwaukee's sixth man has struggled tremendously to begin the year, averaging just 11 points and 7.7 rebounds while hitting 25 percent of his triple tries. If that wasn't bad enough, Portis has been a turnstile on defense during these first six games, and it's hard to ignore how often it's been on display.

Like Connaughton, Portis has played a massive part in Milwaukee's defensive struggles because he simply cannot keep up with younger, more athletic players. Scorers take advantage of him, and fixing that is not simply a switch Portis can flip. On top of that, he's been a disruptor on offense, throwing off the flow of the game whenever he checks in with ill-timed post-ups and misses down low.

Andre Jackson Jr. - PATIENCE

Finally understanding how badly this team needs youth and athleticism in the rotation, Doc Rivers has given Andre Jackson Jr. extended action. While he's shown flashes of excellence, his problems when it comes to turning the ball over and fouling too much have not progressed from a year ago. He's now averaging 2.6 fouls and 1.2 turnovers in just 9.4 minutes per game.

There is reason to believe that Jackson, 22, can clean these issues up in time. As a sophomore, he is still rather inexperienced and needs game reps to develop. Over these last couple of games, he has looked like a piece who can help, and despite the fouls and turnovers, Doc Rivers needs to keep him in the rotation to combat the other team's youth, athleticism and hustle.

Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.