Eighteen days into the 2022/23 NBA regular season, only one team remains undefeated. The Bucks have opened the season with seven straight victories and will put their 7-0 record on the line in a Friday night showdown vs. the Timberwolves in Minnesota.
The Bucks were viewed as one of this season’s top title contenders ahead of the season, so the fact that they’re off to a strong start comes as no surprise. Still, it’s an impressive feat for a team that’s missing several key rotation players.
All-Star forward Khris Middleton has yet to play at all while recovering from offseason wrist surgery. Pat Connaughton also hasn’t played yet for Milwaukee due to a calf strain, and Joe Ingles remains sidelined as he continues to rehab from an ACL tear.
In spite of their missing wing depth, the Bucks have an unblemished record in the early going thanks in large part to the usual MVP-caliber play of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is averaging an eye-popping 33.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in just 33.4 minutes per game.
Having a healthy Brook Lopez back in the starting lineup averaging 30-plus minutes per game has also been a boon for the Bucks, especially on defense. Milwaukee’s 101.3 defensive rating is easily the NBA’s best, and the team also ranks atop the league in rebounding rate (53.2%) and opponents’ field goal percentage (41.9%).
As impressive as the Bucks’ start has been, there are some caveats worth mentioning. Six of their seven games have been at home and only one of their wins has come against a team (Philadelphia) that finished in the top six of its conference last season. Milwaukee’s other victories have come against Atlanta, New York, Brooklyn, Houston, and Detroit (twice).
Still, if the Bucks can get by an up-and-down Wolves team on Friday, they’ll be in good position to keep their winning streak rolling. Three of their next four games after Friday will be against the Thunder and Spurs, two teams considered lottery-bound.
We want to know your early-season impressions of the Bucks and your expectations for the team going forward. How long can Milwaukee extend its undefeated run to open the season? When Middleton, Connaughton, and Ingles get healthy, should the Bucks be considered the favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference? Is Antetokounmpo the early MVP frontrunner?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your two cents!
The Bucks have all the star power you need, all the depth you could want, and play tough defense. Once Middleton returns, their offense will catch up to their #1 ranked defense. Honestly, the only ding I have on the team right now is they seem resistant to giving Nwora proper minutes while Middleton and Ingles are recovering. Going small alongside two tough bigs is fine, but integrating Nwora into a more complete role can only help them in the long term.
What if Nwora just isn’t that good?
He’s great, as long as you ignore the constant turnovers, the 2 or 3 non competitive shots a game, and occasionally playing like a hyper DJ Wilson. He just needs to get comfortable on the court IMO.
No way, and they’re giving him plenty of minutes. He played 25 the other night. More than Allen.
He’s not done anything that proves he’s warranting of minutes when Middleton and Connaughton are back.
Well they are looking good. Would love to see them trade Nwora and Hill for Crowder then sign Thomas. Besides I think Beauchamp is better then Nwora who plays no defense. Give Nwora minutes to Beauchamp. Crowder could be viewed as a PJ Tucker type for them. Thomas wouldn’t be used much but could help them offensively in second unit
These are wins that’ll help when it comes to seeding in the playoffs, but it’s a loooong season and really doesn’t tell us much. These guys are mature and established, already having a team identity, so this is what they should be doing. We’ll see stars develop on other teams as we get deeper into the season and other teams start to gel. It’s really about getting into the playoffs, then answering the bell and hopefully weathering injuries.
Couple things…while Brooklyn and Atlanta wins are (today) being downplayed, both those teams were supposed to be pretty good this year, right? I mean, weren’t people already putting Atlanta in the finals back in August?
The other big thing..I thought Lopez was washed? That 1 guy said so, and backed it up by saying we can’t trust Bud’s assessment over his because Bud…likes George Hill.
The best way to describe the Bucks is that they are the inverse of the Nets.
The Bucks have a lot of chemistry, but I’m really concerned about their age and lack of speed. True – they are doing this without Middleton and Pat, but their schedule has been extremely soft. Love the idea of getting Crowder or Eric Gordon and maybe a back up point down the road.
Is it really going to solve your age concerns by getting either of those guys? I could be way off here, but aren’t the both like 32 or 33?
The overall age doesn’t concern me so much, because they’ll certainly use the now common DNP-Load Management system for Giannis, Jrue, Lopez and K-Mid in particular. I’m also confident Hill will have at least 2 stints of missing 2 weeks or more.
The point of all this is to hang banners. The Bucks are legit contenders, get guys that put you over the top, worry about the rest later.
Hard tellin not knowin.
The Bucks are the Eastern Conference…
When healthy they do not have competition… The Celtics might have just enough, but Williams’ knee and the age of Horford are big red flags… Let alone their coaching turmoil…
The on paper Nets could be in the conversation but that paper is on fire in a dumpster somewhere waiting for the next bit of petrol to stoke the flames…
No other team has enough firepower to be mentioned in the East… In the West the current champions have a murderers row to deal with…
Even with more talent in the league than ever the East has still got a long way to catch up to the West in terms of competition…
Not mentioned yet is the start Jrue is off to so far. Statistically, one of his best.