The Milwaukee Bucks were initially seen as a heavy contender to come out of the Eastern Conference prior to the start of the 2020-21 season. This came after Giannis Antetokounmpo opted to sign a max contract extension along with the acquisition of veteran playmaker Jrue Holiday during the offseason.
Despite the big signings, the Bucks haven't been the same powerhouse of old as seen from their performances in the early stages of their campaign. Not fully living up to the billing of a contending squad bannered by a two-time MVP should be enough to remind the Bucks and its fans of the need to worry about the team's chances to vie for a title this season.
For the most part, Antetokounmpo has been doing his end of the deal as he is currently in the mix for his third consecutive MVP honor this season. He is recording averages of 28.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in 27 appearances thus far.
Despite his usual production, his shooting percentage remains to be a point of concern for the Bucks. He is merely shooting a dismal 29.0% from beyond the arc and only 64.2% from the free-throw line. He can definitely pose a greater threat on the floor if only he gets to develop a better shooting touch as the season progresses.
Apart from Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday has only appeared in 23 games and is averaging 16.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists for the Bucks. He is currently out due to concerns for COVID-19 which has led the team to suffer a four-game losing skid as of late.
After yet another defeat against the struggling Toronto Raptors sans Kyle Lowry on Tuesday night, Antetokounmpo attempted to dissuade the public by claiming the Bucks are not yet in panic mode and will only continue to improve in their coming games. Despite the reassurance, it is safe to say that Milwaukee has evidently lost a step from their level of play from a season ago.
A significant statistic initially reported by Ti Windisch proving their decline is that they are currently tallying a 6-0 record against a couple of rebuilding squads in the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers. Meanwhile, they have been garnering a mixed bag of results against the rest of the league with a 10-12 tally this season.
This can be quite alarming for the Bucks as their failure to get wins implies that they will certainly falter in the postseason when several teams are already stepping on the pedal to fight for their playoff lives. Moreover, their record can get even worse when they finally cross paths with the other contenders in the league namely the Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, and the Los Angeles Clippers, among others.
Not to mention that a handful of marquee players are also in the MVP conversation ready to get in Antetokounmpo's way including LeBron James, Joel Embiid, and Nikola Jokic.
In totality, the Bucks are only settling for a 16-12 record for the third spot in the Eastern Conference. Leading ahead of them in the standings are the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets which are two teams to be wary about if you were head coach Mike Budenholzer.
These two squads could potentially serve as huge hurdles on their bid to finally come out of the East later this season. The Bucks should already have a sense of urgency in order to halt their four-game losing skid and finally get back on the right track as early as now.
There are still many games left to play for the Bucks that will allow them to find their old dominant form and further climb up the standings. However, they would be wise to act fast in order to prevent another season from going down the drain without contending for a title at the peak of Giannis Antetokounmpo's career.
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