3 problems the Bucks must fix to win 2024 NBA title
By Will Eudy
This season has been a whirlwind for the Milwaukee Bucks. After making the blockbuster trade for Damian Lillard less than a month before the season began, a lot of adjustments had to be made in a short amount of time. The result has been a relatively tumultuous season that included a coaching change halfway through the year and numerous confusing losses.
Giannis Antetokounmpo remains one of the best players on the planet, and the potential of him and Dame as a duo is still sky-high. But if the Bucks are to beat the odds and win a championship this season, they are in all likelihood going to have to go through a historically good team in the Boston Celtics.
For Milwaukee to make an unprecedented run to the Finals and win a championship, there are several problems they must clean up in short order.
4th quarter defense
Getting stops down the stretch has been one of the biggest problems for the Bucks all season long. As of April 10, they rank 30 out of all 30 teams in the league in opponent fourth quarter points per game, giving up 29.4 to their opposition each night.
This is an ironic stat given that Milwaukee's offense ranks first in the league in fourth quarter offense. The numbers suggest that the Bucks simply use up all their energy scoring over the final 12 minutes of any given game, completely neglecting any effort at the other end of the floor.
Obviously, this is not a sustainable trend for Milwaukee. Defense matters considerably more in the playoffs than the regular season, and allowing your opponent to get good shots in fourth quarters consistently is a good way to get knocked out in the first round of the postseason.