3 problems the Bucks must fix to win 2024 NBA title

Playing down to competition

As many who have followed the Bucks in the past ten days know, Milwaukee has been inconsistent taking care of inferior competition. From April 2 to April 5, they logged three consecutive losses to the Wizards, Grizzlies and Raptors, two of which were at home.

Each of those three teams will be at home when the playoffs begin in less than a week, and it is highly concerning that the Bucks were not able to dial in and take care of business when seeding for the postseason is on the line. Milwaukee is still just a game up on the Knicks, and they can still lose their grip on the two seed in the East.

This past week was far from the first time the Bucks have lost to a lottery team this season. They logged six other such losses before April this season, to Toronto, Houston, Utah (x2), Portland and Memphis. Granted, they will not be seeing any of these teams once they are in the playoffs. But it is an indicator of a larger problem.

If Milwaukee cannot take lesser competition serious, they will be in for a rude awakening if they think they will all of a sudden be able to create good habits against a team like the Celtics. The Bucks do not have any lottery teams left on their schedule between now and Sunday, but it is their discipline they will have to improve moving forward.