The Bucks are 1-12, have dropped nine straight, and by November the season already feels like it’s slipping away. But even in a mess this deep, there are still a few individual stories worth tracking - some encouraging, some ugly, and some that sit right in the middle.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been the clearest bright spot. The former Miami Heat forward has looked like one of the few Milwaukee players actually gaining ground, and his recent stretch has been especially strong.
He put up 25 against the Lakers and followed that with 22 against the Magic on Friday, then knocked down five threes against Orlando. That kind of shooting matters because perimeter touch was supposed to be the question mark, and right now he’s answering it loudly.
He’s hitting 44% from deep, which is a huge sign for a player whose offensive range was supposed to be a concern. Jaquez has been better than advertised, and he’s giving the Bucks something real to hold onto.
Rookie Brayden Burries is also trending in the right direction, even if the ride has been uneven. He hasn’t been spectacular every night, and that’s part of the package with a young player.
Still, there have been enough positive flashes to notice. His best outing came against the Toronto Raptors on Nov 6th, when he finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists.
That game showed more than scoring; it showed a guard who can affect the game in different ways and is trying to make the right decisions. In a season like this, Milwaukee should be leaning into that kind of development.
Kel’el Ware, though, is a different story. The former Heat center was expected to have a much larger role, but that hasn’t happened.
November has been rough: 4.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 31.7% shooting from the field and 16.7% from three. For a seven-footer with his athletic tools, those numbers are hard to ignore.
His playing time has been just as concerning, with Ware averaging only 16 minutes per game this month. He did show something against Orlando on Friday, finishing with 10 points and 6 rebounds on 4 of 6 shooting in 17 minutes, but that hasn’t been enough to change the bigger picture.
On a team that’s rebuilding, you’d expect more runway for a young player like him, but that hasn’t been the case.
Tyler Herro sits in the most complicated spot of all. The scoring is there, but the efficiency has dipped in a way that matters.
He’s averaging 21.2 points in November, which is solid production, but he’s also shooting 42.7% from the field and 31.1% from three. That’s not good enough for someone taking 7.5 threes a night.
He’s had some strong scoring games - 27 against the Lakers and 25 against the Celtics earlier in the month - and he added 18 against Orlando, though he needed 17 shots to get there. Herro is still Milwaukee’s best player, but the numbers aren’t turning into wins.
The Bucks’ start is too broken to pin on one guy, and Herro shouldn’t carry the full blame for a 1-12 record. The problems run deeper than that. But if he’s going to be one of the main scorers and a central piece of the offense, Milwaukee needs cleaner shooting from him and more nights that actually end in the win column.
In Other News...
Tyler Herro Adds More Drama To A Bucks Night Going Sideways
A rough night for Milwaukee on the scoreboard got a little noisier in the stands when Tyler Herro got into a verbal exchange with a heckling fan during the Bucks game against Orlando. The Bucks spent most of the night chasing the Magic, and Herros own line through three quarters reflected the frustration around the building, with 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting.
Herro has already been part of his share of off-court drama, including a previous altercation with former teammate Bam Adebayo, so the back-and-forth only added to the sense that this was a game going sideways in more ways than one. It also came against the backdrop of Milwaukees broader struggles since the major trade involving Giannis Antetokounmpo, a stretch that has left the Bucks searching for steadier footing on and off the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Trade Search Is Heating Up At A Crucial Time
With the February 11 trade deadline drawing closer, the market is already starting to take shape, and one of the more interesting developments involves the Brooklyn Nets. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, Brooklyn is expected to explore moving some of its veteran players, with Michael Porter Jr. among the names mentioned as the team weighs its options.
For Milwaukee, any shift in the Easts trade landscape is worth watching, especially if a player of that caliber becomes available. Fischers report also notes that other teams are beginning to sort through their own trade considerations, but for now the bigger story is that the deadline conversation is heating up at a time when front offices are still trying to separate real opportunities from league-wide noise. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Let Another Winnable Game Slip Away For A Familiar Reason
The Bucks had a chance to steady themselves in their second NBA Cup game, but instead they let another winnable one slip away against Orlando, which picked up its first home win of the season. Myles Turner returned from rest and gave Milwaukee a solid night, leading the team with 14 points and 11 rebounds while shooting efficiently from both the field and beyond the arc.
Still, the familiar issues were hard to ignore. Tyler Herro and Brayden Burries never found much rhythm offensively, and Milwaukees shaky work at the free-throw line again left points on the table in a game the Bucks could have controlled. For a team trying to build momentum in tournament play, the frustrating part is how recognizable the script has become. [Read more 🡒]