The Milwaukee Bucks did not enter the 2025-26 season with much fanfare surrounding them. After all, they reeked of desperation with the way they waived and stretched Damian Lillard's contract just to bring Myles Turner — a good, but not game-changing player — aboard. But Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to play at an MVP level, and his teammates are stepping up. As a result, they have moved to 8-5 on the season — with their 147-134 win over the Charlotte Hornets giving them their eighth victory of the new campaign.

A rotating cast of teammates has stepped up alongside Antetokounmpo. Ryan Rollins has made the starting point guard role his, while Kyle Kuzma is undergoing a bit of a renaissance. Kuzma, who started the season on a bench role, appears to have awoken. On Friday night, he put up 29 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists — leading Milwaukee in scoring even over Antetokounmpo, who finished with 25 points, seven rebounds, and 18 assists.

Kuzma's stock had been falling gradually over the past year or so, so this is a welcome sign for the Bucks, especially when they traded franchise legend Khris Middleton just to bring him over.

This is without a doubt Kuzma's best game as a Bucks player. He shot nearly 65 percent from the field and was very much locked in on the boards. With Milwaukee being an Antetokounmpo-centric team now that the squad no longer has another All-Star-caliber player, these contributions from role players like Kuzma are invaluable and are just exactly what the Bucks need to be excel in the weakened East.

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Defense is a major concern for the Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts after missing a shot late in the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Fiserv Forum.
Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Allowing 134 points in a single game is not necessarily an indicator of bad defense, although that number can look very unseemly. But the Bucks did not provide much resistance against the Hornets on Friday, particularly from the perimeter. Miles Bridges and Kon Knueppel both lit them up for 32 points apiece, and if it weren't for their explosion during overtime, Milwaukee would have lost an NBA Cup game they should have won.

At the very least, the Bucks still got the job done. They're the reigning NBA Cup champion for a reason, and they are going to do their best to defend that crown of theirs.