The Milwaukee Bucks haven't been playing their best basketball since winning the NBA championship a season ago, but that shouldn't be a cause for panic given that they've dealt with many injuries this season and Brook Lopez has yet to play in a game other than the first of the season.
Milwaukee isn't playing horrible basketball, but those who have watched them play know that they aren't playing the style of basketball that fans have come to expect from them. They remain one of the favorites to win the NBA title, but they must play with more ferocity in the second half, as evidenced by their performance against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday, that style of Bucks basketball could be back.
Milwaukee raises some concerns with their recent play, but they remain confident in their abilities when healthy.
Let's take a look at three bold predictions about the Bucks moving into the second half of the season.
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Milwaukee Bucks: 3 Bold Predictions For Rest Of 2021-22 NBA Season
3. Brook Lopez makes a strong comeback.
The biggest issue for the Milwaukee Bucks this season is whether Brook Lopez will be able to return, and if so, can he be as good as he was a year ago. Lopez has been a big reason for the Bucks' success, as they have been one of the best defensive teams in the NBA when he's on the court.
Everyone who follows the Milwaukee Bucks knows that unless your name is Bobby Portis, head coach Mike Budenholzer will not play you if you are not a high-level defender who gives everything he has on the defensive side of the ball. While Bobby has been playing great basketball this year, he isn't Brook.
Brook will need to play somewhat similar basketball for the Bucks when he does return for the remainder of the season if they are to have any success.
Of course, Giannis Antetokounmpo is so good that he could play center and still help the Bucks win an NBA championship. There's no doubting that they're still the top team in the NBA right now, but if Lopez can return, things will be a lot easier for them.
2. Khris Middleton regains his composure and plays the way everyone knows he can
Middleton isn't having a bad year, but he isn't doing the things that every Bucks fan expects him to do. Throughout the season, he has had games where he appears to be off and can't seem to get anything going on the offensive side of the ball. He's shooting his lowest field-goal percentage of his career, and he's not shooting above-average from three-point range like he usually does.
Simply put, Khris needs to be better. Giannis is perhaps the best player in the world, and while he can undoubtedly lead Milwaukee to another title, Middleton needs to still work things out.
He appears to be reverting to the Khris Middleton that the NBA is accustomed to seeing in just two games since returning from the All-Star break; he's looked much better. He is regarded as one of the best players in the world for a reason, and he must demonstrate to everyone that he can still take over a game at any time, just as he did a year ago.
1. The Bucks go back-to-back
Any year that does not end in a title is a letdown when you have the best player in the world on your team. Fans and players will be disappointed if the Bucks do not win this season, and rightfully so.
Milwaukee has more than enough talent to win again, and they must put on a show in the coming weeks to remind everyone who the champions are.
When the Bucks play against teams they believe are contenders in this league, they play their best basketball and win more games than they lose, as they have proved. There's no reason to believe the Milwaukee Bucks can't do it again right now because they've already demonstrated they can beat all of the NBA's best teams.
It won't be easy for the Bucks to repeat their success from last season, but they have enough talent to do so, and we could even argue that when they're fully healthy, this team is better than they were last season.
The two most important aspects in the Milwaukee Bucks' success for the rest of the season will be how good Brook Lopez is when he returns from surgery, because if he does not play at the level that the Bucks need, winning a championship will be substantially more difficult than it was a year ago. The other major question for this Milwaukee Bucks team is whether Khris Middleton can revert to his previous form, as he has done for the majority of his career in Milwaukee, because when he is on his game, Milwaukee now has three players capable of taking over a game at any time, which is extremely valuable come playoff time.
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