Lori Nickel: On four-game skid, the Bucks are hurting and the red flags are up and waving

• The Milwaukee Bucks are struggling due to injuries, suspensions, and questionable roster moves.
• The team’s recent performance has been disappointing, with a lack of energy and a string of losses.
• Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo’s MVP-caliber play, the Bucks face an uphill battle to avoid another first-round playoff exit.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has put the Milwaukee Bucks on his back before, to save the day.

But trailing the Atlanta Hawks 104-85 midway through the third quarter Sunday night, Antetokounmpo drove to the basket, was blocked on a close-range shot and was not rewarded with a foul. Looking around in disbelief, he took an uncharacteristic one-second break before getting back on defense.

Nine seconds later, the Bucks called time out and Antetokounmpo took a few seconds more to put his hands on his knees and stare down at the court, alone with his thoughts, before joining his mates at the bench.

Totally understandable. How can this be anything other than frustrating?

The Bucks have fallen two places in the Eastern Conference standings since March 15, lost two straight at home, four straight overall and 6 of their last 10 − but pointing out their many shortcomings feels like kicking a wounded animal. Maybe it is just this simple: Damian Lillard is out indefinitely with a terrifying blood clot, Bobby Portis is serving a suspension for his poor judgment until April 8, his backup Jericho Sims is hurt and AJ Green is hurt. The Bucks are severely undermanned.

But when the Bucks found a unique and mysterious way to lose as they did Sunday to Atlanta − shooting 69% at the half and still trailing, and then losing, to the fast-breaking Hawks − Milwaukee’s red flags are now raised and waving, with coach Doc Rivers trying everything to rally his guys.

“You try to build guys up and you try to teach them,” Rivers said Sunday. “We watched a long film today. It wasn’t necessarily the most positive film, because it showed all our mistakes, but it is positive if you take it as a teacher and as, we have to get better at these things. That’s how I made it. It wasn’t a screaming thing; it was just matter of fact. Things we have to do.

“And I stopped and asked, am I right? Do you see this? And guys were very engaging, and they talk, but then we came out and (lost to Atlanta).”

How did they get here?

Absent Bobby Portis leaves a big hole

A year ago, he was a heavy contender for the NBA sixth man of the year. In 2021 and 2022, he saved the Bucks while Brook Lopez underwent back surgery and missed significant time.

Now Portis is grounded for taking an unapproved medication, and is sitting out 25 games on unpaid leave because of it. His energy is missed.

Antetokounmpo said recently the Bucks have to play scrappy, gritty, defensive basketball, because regardless of talent level and interchanging parts, it is the one thing any competitor can fall back on.

Portis would have helped in this area as the scrappiest of all. Instead, he’s not available for his teammates.  Portis was also the kind of leader to call BS when he saw it. He would fire up the home crowd. The NBA is not at fault for his suspension. This is on Portis.

Some of Jon Horst’s moves have been questionable

The Bucks general manager began blowing up this team a little less than two years ago. When Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat destroyed Milwaukee in the first round of the NBA playoffs, Horst fired coach Mike Budenholzer – who had won the NBA title just two years earlier.

Then Horst was responsible for the debacle of hiring Adrian Griffin with great pep rally-like fanfare, before dumping him months later and making the midseason hire of Rivers in 2024. The Bucks lost in the first round of the playoffs again.

It would be shortsighted to lay all of the Bucks woes the past two years on Horst. But he does share responsibility.

He drafted 19-year-old AJ Johnson, who was too inexperienced to help the Bucks in any way this season, so Horst subsequently dealt Johnson in a trade in February. 

And then there’s this about Horst’s decisions with the coaching changes:

• Budenholzer had two years and $16 million left on his contract when he was fired.
• Griffin had a multi-year contract worth approximately $4 million per season.
• Rivers is scheduled to make $40 million through 2026-27.

More: The Bucks owe around $18 million to three head coaches this season, which is historically high

The owners will have to determine if the Bucks look any better for it?

The Bucks haven’t caught any breaks

There are other issues that stand out, too. Lots of roster turnover and little time to gel. Half a dozen close losses by two or three points; too many games where the Bucks have trailed early and had to fight to come from behind. That might just indicate the team doesn’t have what it takes to meet outside expectations.

Another kick in the teeth is that Sunday was the first of five games for the Bucks in seven days this week, and that includes travel to Philadelphia, Miami and New Orleans to make up for a snow out. What a dismal way to follow up a recent West Coast trip at the end of the season when everyone already is exhausted.

To withstand an NBA schedule that is more grueling than the NFL’s and more demanding than MLB’s, a team simply needs a disaster plan B, C and D. Milwaukee looks like it bet everything on Giannis and Dame.

Disinterested parties make for a bad look

Sunday night’s crowd, which had many celebrations for Pride Night, had little else to cheer about. The Bucks gave up 118 points to Atlanta in the first three quarters, smothering their own impressive offensive output.

It was so flat at times in Fiserv Forum that a fan at the end of the third quarter could be heard as clear as day shouting: “Let’s go! We have a whole other quarter!”

There have been gaps of empty seats at Fiserv Forum all season long. Nothing to cause alarm, but noticeable, nonetheless.

It’s hard to remember the last time Antetokounmpo was on the court with 3 minutes left in the game, fighting for his life and his team’s comeback attempt while disinterested spectators headed toward the aisles and streamed for the exits like they did Sunday.

By the time Antetokounmpo finished his postgame workout and treatment, and addressed questions from the media, the handful of reporters who had been there to cover the whole game had shrunk to just two.

Even in the darkest days in Green Bay, the Packers draw so much interest that losses are covered and analyzed ad nauseam because fan interest demands it.

Antetokounmpo doesn’t deserve this. He’s played another season at MVP-caliber status. He’s played tough and smart, taking essential-only days off when needed to stay healthy. He’s the heartbeat of the team, the backbone of its drive, the leader in every way. And with so many roles that he fills already, now he’s traffic cop as well, directing new teammates to the spots where they are supposed to be on offense and defense.

Just three years after the Bucks were in a ferocious playoff war with the Boston Celtics to try to defend their NBA championship title, they are now faced with the most unthinkable task of all.

Trying to find a way to not lose in the first round of the NBA playoffs once again.

“We’ve just got to come in and have pride,” Kyle Kuzma said. “And take criticism constructively. Be better than we were. The best thing about this league is we always play another game …

“At least now. In the regular season. So we got another chance to get back on track.”