The Milwaukee Bucks opened the season looking like a team ready to reassert itself in the Eastern Conference. An 8-5 start suggested they might be finding their rhythm with a retooled roster.
But that early promise has quickly unraveled. After dropping eight of their last nine games-including a narrow 129-126 loss to the Washington Wizards on Monday night-the Bucks find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to the play-in picture.
This isn’t just a rough patch. It’s a full-blown identity crisis.
A seven-game losing streak has raised serious questions about the direction of the franchise, especially considering the high-profile moves that were supposed to keep Milwaukee in the contender conversation. And former NBA Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams didn’t hold back when assessing the situation.
“Since the Khris Middleton trade, we haven’t seen the Milwaukee Bucks that competed in a championship years back,” Williams said during a recent appearance on Run It Back. “They are very far from where they were on that team. And it’s just a bad mix of guys.”
It’s hard to argue with that. The Bucks have looked disjointed, and the chemistry that once defined their title run has been noticeably absent.
Middleton, once a crucial two-way wing and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s most trusted running mate, is gone. And while the Damian Lillard trade initially brought a wave of excitement, it never translated into sustained success.
Lillard’s Achilles injury and eventual return to Portland left a massive void in Milwaukee’s backcourt. The addition of Myles Turner helped address some frontcourt depth and rim protection, but it wasn’t the kind of move that shifts the balance of power in the East.
And then there’s the coaching carousel. Adrian Griffin was dismissed after a brief tenure, and Doc Rivers was brought in to stabilize the ship. But even that move, according to Williams, is part of a broader picture that points back to the franchise cornerstone.
“At this point, you know, you bring in Doc Rivers. You just fired Adrian Griffin a few years back, and all of these were decisions that Giannis was a part of, and that he had a say in,” Williams noted. “Now this thing is blown up.”
It’s a rare moment where the face of the franchise is being openly linked to the team’s missteps-not just on the court, but in the front office too. Giannis has always been loyal to Milwaukee.
He’s said all the right things, played through injuries, and consistently committed to the franchise that drafted him. But the current state of the Bucks has many wondering how long that loyalty can hold, especially if the team keeps spiraling.
“You can start anywhere,” Williams added. “You can start in the locker room, talking about how guys have to change their mindsets.
You can talk about coaching, or you can talk about where they are at with the salary cap. Nonetheless, it’s a bad position that the Milwaukee Bucks are in, and I don’t see this getting better right now.”
The reality is, there’s no quick fix here. The Bucks are trapped in a tough spot: aging stars, limited flexibility, and a roster that doesn’t seem to click. And with the Eastern Conference getting deeper and more competitive, the margin for error is razor-thin.
Milwaukee still has Giannis, and that alone gives them a fighting chance. But right now, the Bucks look like a team searching for answers-and running out of time to find them.