The Milwaukee Bucks are still trying to find their footing with nine regular seasons left to play before the 2024 NBA Playoffs officially kick off.
Like they have for most of the season, Milwaukee is still trying to establish a consistent identity when they take the court. As they displayed in a recent win over the OKC Thunder, they can take down the best of the best. On other nights, such as a recent double overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers without LeBron James, they can also lose to anyone.
Milwaukee's title dreams are certainly still very alive, but if this team wants to reach the mountaintop, they need to iron out these kinks soon; the clock is running out. A big reasons for the team's recent struggles amid a two-game losing streak has been the struggles of several players. Let us break out the panic meter and see just how worried Milwaukee Bucks fans should be.
*The meter will range from 1-10, with one being not worried at all and 10 being extremely concerned.
Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard's transition to Milwaukee has not been as seamless as giddy Bucks fans envisioned when the trade went down. In addition to adjusting to playing elsewhere for the first time in his career, he's dealing with off-the-court difficulties that may be impacting his mental well-being. With all of that taken into account, it's been a down year for the guard in the eyes of many.
Lillard's struggles have been amplified over these last three games. In this span, he's averaging just 19.3 points while shooting 36.8 percent from the floor and 32 percent from the floor. The guard has struggled mightily to get anything to drop during this run, which has been a significant factor in the Bucks' two-game losing skid. He simply hasn't looked like himself.
It is time to panic about Lillard? No. Prior to these three games, Lillard averaged 31 points while hitting 51.6 percent of his field goals and 51.7 percent of his 3-point shots over the three games before that. That stretch showed that he undoubtedly still has what it takes to dominate at a high level and be the Damian Lillard the Milwaukee Bucks thought they were getting when they traded for him.
Lillard has already been ruled out of Saturday's game against Atlanta due to personal reasons, which will hinder his ability to get into a groove down the stretch even further. His last six appearances have shown that Lillard is still putting the piece together, and he will only have eight or so games to do so before the playoffs begin.
Lately, he's had both highs and lows. When he's on, the Bucks look nearly unbeatable. When he's off, they look beyond sluggish. At the end of the day, Lillard is still one of the greatest point guards in the NBA today and can will this team to victory any given night. Slight concern about his performance is reasonable for fans, but it's not time for mass pandemonium just yet.
BTBP Panic Meter - 4.5
Khris Middleton
It's been a strange season for Khris Middleton, who has repeatedly been in and out of the lineup due to injury. Upon returning from an ankle injury that sidelined him for over a month, Middleton reeled off back to back 22 point games, looking like he had not missed a beat. However, over his last three, he's lost any rhythm he had previously been establishing.
During this past trio of games, Middleton has averaged a mere 10 points per game while shooting 36.1 percent from the floor and a vile 21.1 percent from 3-point range. On top of that, he has been sloppy with the ball, tallying 3.3 turnovers on average. Sure, he's also grabbing eight rebounds and handing out 7.7 assists, but his scoring, efficiency and ball-security been flat-out abysmal.
The Milwaukee Bucks cannot win an NBA title with Khris Middleton playing this brand of basketball. That's not too controversial to say. They need the forward knocking down his shots efficiently and frequently. This is a player who was leading the league in mid-range field goal percentage at one point this season, and he's got to get back to that level to elevate this Milwaukee offense.
An added concern factor here is Middleton's health. He's back on the court, but he was certainly out of the mix for a while. What's his conditioning like? Is he ready for the big minutes? He did play 39 against the Lakers, but that was in a double overtime matchup. In a playoff setting, the Bucks need Middleton on the floor as much as possible.
There's undoubtedly hope that Middleton can get back to being the mid-range maestro and scoring threat the Bucks need him to be. It's unclear how much of a workload he can take on, especially in an intense playoff environment, but he can help this team when that shot is falling. Ramping him up and getting his minutes total a bit higher would be a good sign before the postseason begins.
BTBP Panic Meter - 6
Patrick Beverley
Patrick Beverley has been a tremendous addition to the Milwaukee Bucks since coming over at the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline. This team needed a shot in the arm on the intensity side of things, as well as another perimeter defender, and he's delivered. However, with the playoffs on the horizon, he is dealing with a significant injury that could impact his play.
Prior to Milwaukee's recent meeting with OKC, Beverley suffered a wrist injury that will need surgery that will sideline him for three to fourth months. He's opted to put off this surgery for the time being, opting to play through it, which is commendable. Yet, it could very well impact his play down the line, as he has said that he felt pain in that wrist when shooting a triple against OKC.
Even before the injury, Beverley was struggling to some degree, but it's carried over into this recent stretch of games. Over his last five appearances, he's averaging just three points, 2.2 rebounds and two assists per game. Nobody expects Beverley to stuff the stat sheet in his minutes, but he's hit a brutal 19 percent of his shots and 16.7 percent of his 3-point shots. That cannot happen.
The Bucks would certainly like for Beverley to hit his triples with some consistency, but if that wrist is bothering him, that might be easier said than done. It's unclear just how much this injury is hindering his performance, and he's certainly not going to complain to anyone about it. Yet, amid this slump he is currently is, it's certainly something to be concerned about.
Many will say that as long as he can play defense, he's fine, which holds some validity, but this wrist injury could impact his play on that end as well. Time will tell.
BTBP Panic Meter - 6.5
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