The Milwaukee Bucks built a top-heavy roster banking on two very specific conditions: Giannis Antetokounmpo’s otherworldly dominance and Damian Lillard’s clutch brilliance. When it's going good, it's going great. The two, when playing in sync, look like one of the most lethal pick-and-roll pairings the game of basketball has to offer.
But that's only when they play in sync, which hasn't exactly been a common sight these days. For months, the Milwaukee Bucks have tried to convince themselves (and everyone else) that they have enough to try and compete with the best of the best. That despite a new coach, a top-heavy roster, and a season filled with injuries, they’re still a championship contender.
It might be time to call a spade a spade and admit that the illusion is fading fast.
This last loss to the Atlanta Hawks was proof enough. Even without Damian Lillard, the all-world talents of Giannis Antetokounmpo on top of a roster of (what looks like) smart veterans, talented shooters and willing defenders should still be enough to get the job done.
Instead, they put in one of their worst performances of the season en route to a 145-124 beating at the hands of Zaccharie Risacher and the Hawks.
Health was always going to be this Bucks team's undoing late
All season long, the Bucks have been relying on the greatness of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard to mask their flaws. Now, with Lillard possibly out for the rest of the season, the unavoidable truth is setting in. This team might not be built to survive without its stars.
The Milwaukee Bucks knew health would be their biggest enemy this season. Giannis has battled calf soreness. Bobby Portis is out serving a suspension. Jericho Sims is out. And now Lillard, the engine of their late-game offense, is in limbo.
This writer said it earlier in the season - health is the biggest threat to Milwaukee’s title hopes. And here we are. The team's stars are getting more and more injury-prone by the day. The supporting cast has been inconsistent. And now, without Lillard, the Milwaukee Bucks might be forced to ask an impossible question: Can Giannis Antetokounmpo do this alone?
Milwaukee’s depth this season always looked good on paper. You've got guys with very specific roles to play but very real limitations to deal with. Taurean Prince and AJ Green have been solid shooters, but neither of them are a third option. Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis still provide value, but they’re not primary offensive weapons. Andre Jackson Jr. is perhaps the team's best defender, but his offensive struggles have led to him being chained to the bench for the foreseeable future.
With a fully healthy squad, the Bucks could talk themselves into their supporting cast being enough. But when injuries hit, it's a completely different story. These past few games have made the truth glaringly obvious: They simply don’t have the firepower to keep up with the league's elite.
The Bucks’ offseason and trade deadline moves were all supposed to fix their depth. Instead, they’ve exposed it. Andre Jackson Jr. hustles but can’t shoot. Taurean Prince is streaky. AJ Green is unproven. Jericho Sims’ athleticism is tantalizing but raw. These aren’t flaws—they’re realities of a roster that prioritized star power over sustainability.
And that’s exactly where they are now.
Time is running out to right the ship for these Milwaukee Bucks
At this point in the season, there is no magic trade deadline fix. No secret weapon waiting in free agency. The only way out of this is getting healthy and getting hot at the right time.
That means Kyle Kuzma has to step up and play like he did with Los Angeles again. That means Lopez (and Portis, once he's back) need to bring more offensively than they have in recent weeks. That means guys like Gary Trent Jr. and Kevin Porter Jr. have to look like third scoring options more often than they do currently.
And most of all, it means Giannis has to be Superman—again.
Obviously, this wasn’t supposed to be the story of the Milwaukee Bucks’ season. Lillard was supposed to lighten Giannis’ load, not disappear when the team needed him most. Doc Rivers was supposed to bring stability to a team that had floundered under Adrian Griffin. But Milwaukee doesn’t have time to dwell on what was supposed to happen.
Their only shot at a title now? Survive long enough to get healthy and find their best form before it’s too late.
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