Ha little over three months ago Milwaukee Bucks were crowned as kings of the NBA after beating the Phoenix Suns. A triumph that opened the doors of legend for a Giannis Antetokounmpo, who finally saw his extraordinary personal performance rewarded with a ring that seemed only the beginning of a glorious time in Wisconsin. Today, 117 days after that featThat team wouldn’t even be a ‘play-in’ team if the regular season ended today.
We have barely been 14 games, just over a fifth of the course, but the patient’s symptoms are not at all promising. With a Overexploited Antetokounmpo (26 points in 34 minutes in 20-point loss to the Hawks), The Bucks are not showing the depth they showed last season and the bench, a fundamental part of the team’s successes, is not producing as expected and the team’s performance is beginning to worry.
It is true that Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton injuries and casualties due to health protocols They are weighing on the team at the start of the season, but neither has the schedule been too demanding so far. The Bucks have time and tools to improve, but they should start to find solutions so that when they react it is not too late. At the moment they have already lost their place on the podium among the favorites to the ring in the bookmakers in favor of the Warriors and if they continue like this the fall could be total.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was once again very alone against the Hawks who climbed on the back of a Bring young in trance. The point guard seems that little by little he is recovering the touch of the wrist and against the Bucks (120-100) he showed his most lethal version of the season with 42 points and eight 3-pointers from 13 attempts. He also added 10 assists and eight rebounds and tied with Kevin Durant and LeBron James as the third player with the most 40-point matches (17) in his first four NBA seasons.
NIGHT RESULTS
- Lakers 114-106 Spurs
- Hawks 120-100 Bucks
- Hornets 106-102 Warriors
- Rockets 89-115 Suns
- Nuggets 124-95 Trail Blazers
- Clippers 90-100 Bulls
Another of the teams that is suffering more than necessary in this first part of the regular season are los Portland Trail Blazers. The arrival of Chauncey Billups to the bench, for now, has not contributed anything to a team that has eight defeats in the first 14 games of the season and that fell heavily to the Nuggets (124-95) in a game without Damian Lillard and in which the Oregonians again showed signs of lack of clarity in attack with a 43% accuracy in field goals and 12 turnovers.
Kevin Durant he continues to accumulate tickets to be the MVP of the season, fulfilling the forecasts of the GMs and the bettors. The forward for the moment is enough and there is enough just to support the Nets and against the Thunder he again uncovered the jar of essences with 33 points (leads the NBA with seven games above 30 points) and eight rebounds in a game in which Patty Mills scored eight 3-pointers, setting a new record for a backup in Nets history.
The Chicago Bulls they are having fun and they are having fun in a season in which they have earned themselves being candidates for the most spectacular team of the season. Against the Clippers (90-100) They again demonstrated their great form with an exhibition culminating in one of the night’s plays with an alley oop between Caruso and Lavine from the center of the field. So it is easy to play basketball.
The Charlotte Hornets have found the formula that seemed lost by the rest of the NBA teams: how to beat the warriors. The North Carolina team inflicted the second loss of the course on Curry and company led by a good Miles Bridges who is on track to be confirmed as the great candidate for the Most Improved Player award of the season in a team that regains momentum with its third consecutive win.
