The Milwaukee Bucks weren’t just healthy against the Boston Celtics on Friday night—they played solid basketball, with Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo combining for 61 points and the defense holding Boston a whole ten points under their season scoring average.
And yet, none of it mattered. Boston, missing Kristaps Porziņģis, still bested Milwaukee in the end, exposing the same issues that cost the Bucks in their first meeting this season. It was encouraging to see the Bucks compete with the defending champions, but this wasn’t just a regular-season loss; it was a reality check.
With Giannis and Lillard paired up to deliver another championship, expectations couldn’t be higher. But so far, Boston’s combination of length, shooting, and versatility has overwhelmed Milwaukee’s rotations, highlighting glaring weaknesses in the Bucks' defense and their lack of adaptability.
Boston’s dominance in the regular season isn’t an isolated problem—it’s a barometer for Milwaukee’s chances in the postseason. These games aren’t just opportunities to bank wins; they’re litmus tests for how the Milwaukee Bucks measure up against the East’s elite.
Right now, the results are grim.
It's officially time for the Milwaukee Bucks to get desperate
This isn't to take away what the Bucks have already built up so far this season, of course. There’s a lot to like at the moment, especially when you consider the 2-8 hole they dug themselves out of to start.
Lillard and Antetokounmpo are starting to move and play well off one another, but — perhaps a function of having your third All-Star miss the first few games of the season — still have their minutes staggered for the most part. Of course, it’s precisely for this reason that their winning streak ever even materialized, as the Bucks generally always have one of their two superstars on the floor to keep them afloat.
While their identity is still far from defined, their principles, at the very least, are. The idea is simple but effective: Giannis and Lillard are the offensive fulcrums surrounded by a litany of capable shooters. Post-ups and isolation are still the order of the day, but players, at the very least, know where and how to move around the two stars now.
But against the Celtics, Milwaukee’s inability to contain Boston’s ball movement and perimeter shooting has turned every matchup into a nightmare scenario. The Celtics started out cold from deep, but Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum inevitably get what they want offensively, while Boston’s supporting cast consistently outperforms Milwaukee’s.
This isn't to overreact to a loss: this is only to say that the Bucks can’t afford to wait for the playoffs to “figure it out.”
With each loss to Boston, they’re burning precious time to build the chemistry and cohesion needed to overcome a team that’s clearly a tier above them. Milwaukee’s margin for error is razor-thin, and the Celtics have exposed every weakness in their armor, from inconsistent defense to a lack of reliable contributions from their bench.
Over a month into the season, it's clear what this team's flaws are. Now, the real work should begin to address them.
If they truly want to compete, the time for urgency is now for the Bucks
The urgency to adapt extends beyond just the scheme (even if that is very much part of it).
Milwaukee’s depth, already a point of concern, now feels like a glaring vulnerability. While the Bucks have seen some promise in their youth movement, like Ryan Rollins’ flashes before his injury and AJ Johnson’s recent growth, the contributions from the team’s veterans have been inconsistent. While Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr. have been revelations, the Bucks’ lack of defensive versatility remains a problem, especially considering Middleton's considerable decline on that end of the floor.
This is why Milwaukee needs to take risks—and big ones. Tyler Smith and Liam Robbins, both towering bigs with defensive instincts and shooting touch, are sitting on the sidelines waiting for a chance.
While unproven at the NBA level, both have the kind of skill set that could at least provide a new look against a team like the Boston Celtics. The Milwaukee Bucks don’t necessarily need either of them to be a game-changer immediately; they need someone who can protect the rim, space the floor and give them some flexibility in their rotations.
This isn’t just about plugging holes—it’s about acknowledging that standing pat isn’t an option. The Milwaukee Bucks' core—Giannis, Lillard, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez—isn’t getting any younger, and their championship window is finite.
If Milwaukee wants to maximize this era, they need to embrace a mindset of experimentation and desperation, just like they did in the regular season before the 2021 championship run. Waiting for the postseason to solve their Boston Celtics problem is akin to rolling the dice with a loaded gun.
Milwaukee has all the tools to contend, but their best efforts against Boston have fallen short three times now. The Celtics are the Bucks’ biggest obstacle, and until Milwaukee proves otherwise, they’re playing catch-up.
It’s time for Jon Horst, Doc Rivers and the entire organization to get creative. Whether that means experimenting with lineups, leaning into their youth movement even more or even making another move down the line, the Milwaukee Bucks have to act fast.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard leading the charge, Milwaukee’s window to compete for titles is firmly open. But maximizing that window requires more than just star power—it requires depth, adaptability, and the ability to throw different looks at opponents. A bench that features dynamic young contributors like Green, Jackson and Rollins could be the key to outlasting teams like Boston or Miami in a seven-game series.
The clock is ticking, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. For a team built to win now, desperation might not be a bad thing—it might be exactly what they need.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.