Bucks look to move past slow start tonight vs. Celtics

It’s safe to say this wasn’t the start of the season Doc Rivers wanted for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Fresh off a 115-102 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, the Bucks have opened the season with a 1-2 record. Thus, it’s fair to wonder: what’s going on with the Bucks?

This isn’t the first time the Bucks have struggled in recent years. They have suffered a first-round exit in the last two playoffs, and ultimately, they’ve struggled to replicate the title-winning season of 2020-21. While key injuries have played a significant factor, it’s safe to say it’s been a tough stretch for Milwaukee. However, the Bucks are opening the 2024-25 season at relatively full strength (minus Khris Middleton) and following a full offseason under coach Doc Rivers. Yet, they’re still posting underwhelming results — even if three games are not enough of a sample size to draw valuable conclusions.

The Bucks struggled defensively in the 133-122 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Friday, allowing them to shoot 47.9% from the field and a staggering 44.7% from beyond the arc on 47 attempts. They improved defensively Sunday and limited the Nets to “only” 115 points. However, this time, the offensive execution was lacking. The Bucks shot just 30.3% from three-point range, and you simply can’t win in today’s NBA when shooting the ball this poorly from deep. 

Maybe it’s a combination of factors in specific moments, but the offensive metrics show the Bucks haven’t been as bad as their 1-2 record suggests. The Bucks rank sixth in the league in true shooting percentage (120.7 percent), fourth in overall field goal percentage (49.4) and fifth in effective field goal percentage (57.3). They also rank ninth in opposing shooting percentage (44.2) and 12th in opposing effective field goal percentage (52.1). They haven’t been woeful by any means, and it seems they have to tweak a few things here and there to get back to winning ways.

Unfortunately for the Bucks, they’ll take on another title contender, the Boston Celtics, on the road this Monday (7:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV). The Celtics are undefeated through three games and are destroying the opposition, averaging a margin of 16.3 points per victory — and that includes a tight 124-118 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. This will be the perfect time for the Bucks to bounce back from two disappointing losses, because showing they can compete with the Celtics should help them get things back on track, regardless if they win or drop a third straight contest.

It’s early in the season, so there’s no need to hit the panic button just yet. However, Monday’s contest in Boston is already an important game for the Bucks. This is when they need to show they can still be considered a contending team in the Eastern Conference. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard need to be at the best of their abilities to match up with a star-studded Boston team, because a 1-3 start is not something the Bucks were hoping for when the 2024-25 regular season started.