Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Bucks made several big gambles and might pay high price

Published

2 years ago

February 23, 2024

Milwaukee Bucks made several big gambles and might pay high price

Before the season when the Milwaukee Bucks traded for Damian Lillard and paired the long-time Portland Trail Blazers star with Giannis Antetokounmpo, they were heralded as an Eastern Conference contender reborn after a disappointing playoff run.

A few months later, however, those takes are starting to get freezer burn. The Bucks entered the All-Star break with a number of cracks showing in their armor, including an embarrassing two-game losing streak—the first a 123-97 loss to the Miami Heat without Jimmy Butler, the second a 113-110 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies who were led in scoring by Ziaire Williams and two-way player G.G. Jackson.

“We had some guys here,” Bucks head coach Doc Rivers quipped postgame. “We had some guys in Cabo.”

Rivers himself, of course, is a product of the Bucks’ difficult season. Rivers replaced Adrian Griffin at the helm after Milwaukee fired the first-time head coach 43 games into his tenure. That came on the heels of Mike Budenholzer’s firing last year after the Bucks became the rare 1-seed to lose to an 8-seed when they fell to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat. Budenholzer’s 2021 run to the franchise’s first championship in nearly 50 years wasn’t enough to save his job.

The returns are still very early, but Rivers hasn’t fared much better to date. The team is 3-7 since his tenure began on January 29, with a negative net rating (points generated per 100 possessions minus points allowed per 100 possessions) at -1.7. The offense has cratered to 24th overall at 111.9, which has negatively countered the fact that the defense has actually been two points per 100 possessions better compared to their season average.

But the Bucks’ problems pre-date Rivers. Lillard is shooting 34.1 percent from 3-point range on 8.5 attempts per game, and he shot just 27.8 percent in January, to go with 32.6 percent in February.

Meanwhile, the Bucks can’t survive lineups with Antetokounmpo off the floor at all. They outscore opponents by 7.2 points per 100 possessions when he plays, per the website Cleaning the Glass, which is solid—the Los Angeles Clippers have the fourth-best net rating in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at 7.2 as well. But when Antetokounmpo leaves the floor, the Bucks are outscored by nine points per 100 possessions. With Lillard and former All-Star Khris Middleton on the floor and Antetokounmpo off, that total falls even further to -14.1 (albeit in a small sample size).

Those are disastrous numbers, and they are indicative of the kind of problems the Bucks will face in the postseason. Antetokounmpo is shouldering an MVP-level load and doing it admirably—30.8 points, 11.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game.

Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks is seen at Fiserv Forum on February 12 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Bucks are in a precarious situation going forward.

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

But blue-blood contenders like the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets have surrounded their MVP/MVP-adjacent stars with talent that complements and enhances them, which is a symbiotic relationship. If a role player can make Nikola Jokić or Jayson Tatum’s life easier, they will in turn make life easier for the role player. The Bucks don’t seem to enjoy that luxury with Antetokounmpo.

If Lillard heats up from 3-point range, and if the defensive improvements are real, the Bucks have plenty of time to turn things around once they get back from All-Star break, even if some players mentally left for Cabo a little early. The Celtics appear to have a stranglehold on the Eastern Conference’s top seed, but the Cavaliers are just 1.5 games ahead for the 2-seed, and they won 18 of their last 20 games before the break to reach that point.

If the Bucks don’t get it together, however, they are staring at a very uncomfortable situation. To acquire Jrue Holiday from the Pelicans in 2020, the Bucks dealt the right to swap their 2024 first-round picks, their unprotected 2025 pick, the right to swap their 2026 first-round picks, and their unprotected 2027 first-round pick. To acquire Lillard this summer, the Bucks traded the right to swap their 2028 first-round pick to the Trail Blazers, their 2029 first-round pick unprotected, the right to swap their 2030 first-round pick…and Holiday.

In other words, the Bucks won’t control their own draft pick again until 2031. If things go wrong and the Pelicans and Blazers start swapping picks with the Bucks immediately (unlikely but possible), the Bucks may have traded every pick from 2024 to 2030 just to acquire a 33-year-old point guard sharpshooter who is hitting just 34 percent of his threes.

Other possibilities exist. The Bucks could rediscover their best form in the postseason, Lillard could catch fire, Antetokounmpo could overwhelm opponents, and the Bucks could storm to a championship. If that happens, Milwaukee fans in 2029 staring at what might be a chilly roster can warm themselves with memories of two titles in 2021 and 2024.

But with the (justifiable) goal of maximizing Antetokounmpo’s tenure with the team, the Bucks took some enormous gambles over the last four years, and they pushed all of their chips into the middle of the table this summer. With every loss to a Heat team sans Butler, or a Grizzlies team fielding G-Leaguers and 10-day-contract players, the Bucks see a few more of those chips go into the dealer’s pocket.

The Bucks return to action Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who currently hold the top seed in the Western Conference, at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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Milwaukee, WI

Brandon Woodruff exits Milwaukee Brewers' loss in 4th inning

Published

2 hours ago

July 5, 2026

Press Room

Brandon Woodruff exits Milwaukee Brewers' loss in 4th inning

Starter Brandon Woodruff, 33, exited with an injury in the fourth inning of the Milwaukee Brewers’ 4-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night, and manager Pat Murphy said that the veteran would probably need to be placed on the injured list.

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Milwaukee, WI

Game Discussion: Milwaukee Brewers (54-32) @ Arizona Diamondbacks (43-43)

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12 hours ago

July 4, 2026

Press Room

Game Discussion: Milwaukee Brewers (54-32) @ Arizona Diamondbacks (43-43)

Brewers have a chance to win their second series in a row and their first of July this evening in Arizona as they get set to take the season series against the Diamondbacks.

After a late night yesterday with over eight innings thrown by the Brewers bullpen, they’ll lean on Brandon Woodruff to provide them with rest. Woodruff will be making his third start on the mound since returning from the injured list and his ninth overall on the season. Since returning, Woodruff has thrown 11 2/3 innings, giving up just two hits, no runs, and has struck out 16. That brings his season total to a 2.59 ERA with 41 strikeouts.

Tonight’s start will be Woodruff’s ninth against the Diamondbacks in his career. Most recently, he was sent to the injured list after he completed 1 1/3 innings at the end of April. Overall, he has been up-and-down throughout the course of his career against the Diamondbacks, posting a 4.65 ERA with 51 strikeouts.

For the Diamondbacks, Merrill Kelly will be handed the ball to make his 15th start of the season. He’s been in the midst of his worst season up to this point in his career as he enters tonight with a 5.84 ERA, having allowed 18 home runs, 33 walks, and only striking out 33. He finished the month of June with a 7.31 ERA, as in his last start, he allowed five runs to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Lifetime against the Brewers, Kelly has been successful, posting a 3.41 ERA in 11 games. However, in his last outing against the Brewers in April, he gave up five runs on six hits and five walks.

Though no lineups have been announced yet, much of both of these lineups have faced both teams’ starting pitcher. For the Brewers, Sal Frelick and Brice Turang have witnessed the most success against Kelly, as they hope to replicate what they did in Milwaukee back in April.

You’ll be able to listen to tonight’s game on the Brewers Radio Network on WTMJ 620 while being able to watch it on Brewers.TV. First pitch will be another late one as it’s slated for 8:40 p.m.

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Today’s Summerfest schedule and picks: Saturday, July 4

Published

22 hours ago

July 4, 2026

Press Room

Today’s Summerfest schedule and picks: Saturday, July 4

Every morning throughout Summerfest 2026, we’ll deliver a guide that covers the day’s entertainment and how you can get in the gate free of charge. This is where you’ll find info about the AmFam Amp headliners, eclectic picks from our knowledgeable staff and the music lineup for the day (see the full 2026 Summerfest lineup here).

Today at the AmFam Amp

Jelly Roll w/Tyler Hubbard, Three 6 Mafia, 7 p.m.

If you’re not familiar with the Jelly Roll Cinematic Universe, this must look like the weirdest lineup at the amphitheater during Summerfest 2026. You’ve got Mr. Roll himself at the top, with his swirl of country and rap that broke through in 2023 to the tune of two platinum-selling albums: Whitsitt Chapel and Beautifully Broken. Then there’s Tyler Hubbard, a comparatively straight-ahead country artist who’s found success solo and as a member of Florida Georgia Line.

Which brings us to Three 6 Mafia, the influential Memphis hip-hop group whose deep catalog of crunk and other rap subgenres left a huge mark on countless artists, including Jelly Roll. The Amp’s headliner has said Three 6 Mafia is one of the reasons he started rapping in the first place, and he’s collaborated with DJ Paul while appearing live with the group’s members frequently over the years. No doubt they’ll share the big stage tonight at some point.

Radio Milwaukee staff pick #1

Known Moons @ T-Mobile Stage, 2:30 p.m.

This reco is a “six degrees” situation that started back when I was in some mediocre (read: shitty) pop-punk bands that played with a group called Pleasant Street. Guitarist Nick Woods was part of that band and went on to other projects like Direct Hit!, which made the best punk albums of the mid-2010s. His Pleasant Street bandmate Danny Walkowiak is, in my opinion, among the best drummers in this or any generation. He’s now part of Milwaukee alt/dream-pop band Known Moons, another very good product of our city’s music scene. Go see them today.

— Jay Burseth

Radio Milwaukee staff pick #2

Soul Asylum @ Generac Power Stage, 5:30 p.m.

It was almost exactly a year ago that Soul Asylum’s Dave Pirner and Ryan Smith stopped by our HQ for a Studio Milwaukee Session and, in the process, reconfirmed my belief in the power of pioneering alternative bands.

Soul Asylum might have been the first one I hooked onto after reaching the age when I was musically mature enough to make responsible album-purchasing decisions, and those songs from Grave Dancers Union and Let Your Dim Light Shine still rattle around in my brain. Pirner and Smith were wonderful to watch last summer in our space, and it’ll be great to catch them again on the Big Gig’s final day.

— Brett Krzykowski

Radio Milwaukee staff pick #3

VALÉ & Gego Y Nony @ Aurora Pavilion, 3:15 p.m.

Barranquilla lands in Milwaukee with a lot of pop, R&B in a language I know all too well: Spanglish.

VALÉ, the 23-year-old Colombian artist now based in Los Angeles, has been busy releasing singles and EPs since 2021, building a collection of music that gets audiences dancing. This artist introduces moments of reggaeton within an electrifying pop beat, all while weaving between her native Spanish and English as she speaks on the pressures of love and family.

Headlining her first tour in November, this is a great chance to see VALÉ as she continues to rise in the world of Latin alternative. She also happens to be a great match for the duo following her on stage at the Aurora Pavilion: homegrown reggaetoneros Gego Y Nony.

Hailing from a family of percussionists, these brothers keep Puerto Rico and Milwaukee close to their heart as they sing, rap and compose their own music while leaning into the “new wave” of reggaeton, influenced by artists like R.K.M and Ken-Y. What makes this concert all the more exciting is the fact they’re from Milwaukee, which continues to be a place where artists’ unique styles, DIY spirit and community-centered focus shine. Expect love tracks (all clean — a plus for families), dancing and plenty of positive vibes.

— Paula Lovo

How to get in free today

Freedom on the Fourth Food Drive presented by Harley-Davidson

From noon to 3 p.m., the first 5,000 patrons who donate three nonperishable food items will receive one free admission ticket, valid for the day and time of the promotion only. All food will be collected at the Mid Gate entrance. Canned fruits and vegetables are especially appreciated. All donations benefit Hunger Task Force.