There were plenty of skeptics when Doc Rivers said he planned for the Milwaukee Bucks to roll out a jumbo starting lineup after the team's recent trade deadline moves.
On paper, a five-man unit of Damian Lillard, Taurean Prince, Kyle Kuzma, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez had some questions. Would Prince be able to defend guards well? Would Kuzma's lack of a reliable jumper hinder his fit next to the Greek Freak? It was a bold move from Rivers.
Since the Milwaukee Bucks returned from the All-Star break, there has been little to complain about, as they boast a 7-1 record. One prominent reason for this involves their improved play defensively, especially from the new starting unit.
Milwaukee Bucks' tweaked starting five has been dominant defensively
In seven games following the All-Star festivities, Milwaukee's starting five boasts a defensive rating of 103.7. Among five-man lineups to log at least 45 minutes in that timeframe, that's the fourth-highest mark in the entire NBA. For a team that struggled so mightily on the defensive end to start the year, this recent turnaround has been incredible.
Two prominent reasons this lineup has thrived involve two of the primary question marks when it was first revealed this would be the starting unit: Taurean Prince and Kyle Kuzma.
Prince has held his own at his new position, limiting players to 25-of-61 shooting (41 percent) over his last seven games. Among Bucks to defend at least 10 shots, that is the second-best mark on the team, trailing only Giannis Antetokounmpo. His versatility and ability to guard players of all shapes and sizes has been a significant boost on the defensive side of things.
Kuzma's versatile defense has also been beyond welcoming, and he comes in at third on the team in terms of defended field goal percentage at 43 percent. He has fully bought in to his role defensively, giving the Milwaukee Bucks the versatile, switchable defender they've spent the last several years longing for.
Taking it a step further, the Kuzma-Antetokounmpo pairing, an initial concern with the Kuzma trade, has flat-out thrived. Among duos to play at least 140 minutes following the break, these two boast the third-best defensive rating in the entire NBA at 100. They've played incredibly well off of each other on both ends, but especially defensively.
Sure, it's not a significant sample size quite yet, but the early returns with this lineup are so promising. As they get more familiar with one another, they have the potential to get even better.
This starting lineup isn't the lone reason for Milwaukee's defensive turnaround, as Kevin Porter Jr. has been a pest off the bench, and Jericho Sims has been the athletic big man Bucks have dreamed of, but it all starts with the first five. If this unit can continue to set the tone defensively and put up stellar numbers like this, the Bucks could undoubtedly be one of the best defenses league-wide once again.
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