Big Game Hunting or Spinning Wheels? Breaking Down the Bucks’ Rumor Mill and Offensive Woes

Big Game Hunting or Spinning Wheels? Breaking Down the Bucks’ Rumor Mill and Offensive Woes

Big game hunting, the pursuit of large animals for trophies and sports. Is that actually what the Bucks are doing here? And do we have numbers that would tell you? Let’s maybe pump the brakes. We dig into some of the offensive issues and the latest rumors on today’s Locked on Bucks. You are Locked on Bucks, your daily Milwaukee Bucks podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. >> Welcome in to Locked On Bucks. I am Justin Garcia, joined as always by Camille Davis. We thank you for making this your first listen of the day and everyone for helping make the Locked on Sports Network the number one sports podcasting network in the industry. Today’s episode of Locked OnBucks is brought to you by Game Time. Download the Game Time app. Create an account and use the code locked on NBA for $20 off your first purchase. You can find Camille weekly on our Locked on NBA coverage and the Technical File podcast as well. You can hear me, of course, each and every game on the Bucks Radio Network and our postgame shows as well, which I’ve seen a few of you trickling into as you’re waiting for Camille and Frank to uh to get their postgame reaction out there. Um yesterday Camille we addressed some of the rumors that were out there what the Bucks should do for trades and uh shortly after we recorded it even more started to come out with some potential names that this team was linked to. So, we did the little blurb on what is the definition of big game hunting cuz I think it’s Jake Fischer that had the report of, “Hey, the Bucks are going big game hunting here, the sounds of it, that they’re in a a staring contest right now with Giannis and they’re adamant. We are not trading you unless you ask to be traded. So, we’re not even taking calls from teams. We’re hanging up and telling them he’s not available.” >> And Fischer’s reporting was um Giannis just isn’t willing to say I want to be traded. So, here we go. We’re going to have this standoff for months and months and months. Some of the names that came up. Um, I I don’t know that I would link to quote unquote big game hunting. And as you and I were talking before we started recording, I took that report as my intel tells me the Bucks are trying to cook up something big here. But they’ve also been linked to these names. And those names of course Zack Lavine uh which we mentioned um some other very interesting ones which definitely don’t fit big game hunting like we saw Marcus Smart and Andrew Wiggins on there and the bigger one yesterday was Jeremy Grant who would uh kind of fit the vibe of you know teams that we’ve criticized in the past for how they run their organization of like oh this guy had a big game against me he’s got to be good let’s go trade for him. Uh Jeremy Grant is going to be 32 years old I believe at the end of the season here or in a matter of months. He’s making $32 million. So he is uh along with Drew Holiday the highest paid member of the Portland Trailblazers. And that contract runs for another year with a player option >> after that uh deal for 36 million in the 2728 season. So, uh, either way, any way you slice it, unless it includes like a Bobby Portoris or a Miles Turner, you would be taking on money in years in a contract to bring in Jeremy Grant. But, let’s just start there without any um, uh, players linked or any talks intensifying reports of that nature. When you saw the name Jeremy Grant, what was your thought? >> Well, that says it all. was exactly just that was my exact reaction to it cuz like yeah, he’s definitely a big wing. We know he can score a bit. Uh the price tags is a bit it’s a bit hefty uh for for him at the moment. And one thing that I really loved about the direction the team was going in this summer was that it felt like the Bucks were trying to get younger and adding guys and I kept saying like, “Hey, free agency all off season. Hey, let’s make sure we’re adding guys who are younger than Giannis.” like not saying they have to be like projects, but like just let’s keep the age in mind of guys that we’re adding on to this team. And uh Grant doesn’t quite fit into that. He’s not a a big wing that like attacks the glass or anything like that. Like he’s he’s going to get you some buckets for sure. Um and that’s I don’t want to just dumbify his game down to that, but like that’s what he’s really going to give you. He’s going to give you some buckets. So it wasn’t a name that really moved me. And to be honest with you, a lot of the names that I’ve heard associated with the Milwaukee Bucks so far during this trade rumor season, they haven’t really been like any names I’m like, “Hey, if they could figure out a way to do this, I’d be excited about it.” Like every name I’ve heard so far be thrown around. It’s kind of been like I don’t really think that fits. I don’t know if that’s really what you want. It kind of feels a little given a little desperate to a certain degree, but I mean it is what it is. And the Bucks don’t have many assets to begin with. No. Um, those other names to round out the reports were Marcus Mart. We mentioned Andrew Wiggins. >> Really quick on Marcus Smart. On the Marcus, >> Dejante Murray was the last name, but yeah, on Marcus Smart, go ahead. >> We mentioned this on technical file last night and one of my co-hosts is a Lakers fan. And when it was thrown out that one of the names associated with the was Marcus Smart, he was like, “Take them. Go ahead quickly.” And whenever a fan base tells you go ahead and take a player, generally there’s a reason uh behind that. >> Um yeah, I mean those names are not names you would say are quote unquote big game that you’re hunting after. I mean I suppose Zack Lavine debatable. >> It’s right. It’s a it’s a known name but debatable on whether or not that’s quote unquote big game hunting. Jeremy Grant is not. Um, Andrew Wiggins is not. I think Andrew Wiggins would be helpful for this team, >> but also if you’re the Miami Heat and you look at it, um, >> how much impetus do you have to trade with the Bucks and motivation? Unless you just say, “Look, we’ve had the guy in our building. We value X, Y, and Z that he does. This guy isn’t going to be a differencemaker for like this guy isn’t going to be what unlocks everything, and now the Bucks are back and they’re winning. So, all right, let’s milk some assets out of you and then maybe your best players still ask for a trade over the summer and we can be one of those teams that makes that deal. Um, but yeah, I take it as the big game name is something we haven’t heard and that is a staple of John Horse that they move in silence. And you know, you you think back to the Drew trade and even the Bucks fans were clamoring for it, but we realistically looked at it and thought, I don’t know how the Bucks kind of enter this conversation with with what they have. Same for Dame. And yet there we were each of those instances that he was able to pull the trigger on it. So we shall see. That is the latest on the updates here for potential moves that the Bucks are. But I think the larger picture in Jake’s reporting is something that at least for the time being puts Bucks fans at ease and that we are hanging up the phone. We’ve told teams we’re not doing it and like if you want to be traded, tell me you want to be traded and that hasn’t happened. So >> I still believe there’s not going to be a trade in season for for numerous reasons capwise, but that as well just kind of doubles uh that logic. So knowing that then it just shifts to okay, we’re going to have you at some point in a matter of I think weeks based on what Doc said yesterday. We’ll get to coming up next. Um can we put ourselves in a spot to figure this out and become the quote unquote dangerous playin team if that is our ceiling. So, what Doc Rivers had to say >> after practice um yesterday, I know it uh it raised a lot of eyebrows, especially on one end of the floor. Some of the things that he said, the update that he had on um Giannis and some other numbers, Camille, that I dug up in the spreadsheet that I have crafted here after every game that really really stand out. We’ll dig into that coming up after this. You know, there’s no reason to let big wireless drain your wallet, especially during the holidays. Right now, Mint Mobile is running their best deal of the year. All of their unlimited plans are 50% off. That means you can lock in 3, 6, or even 12 months of unlimited premium wireless for just $15 a month. It’s the easiest way to take your overpriced phone bill and give it the full Scrooge treatment. What makes this even better is how simple Mint makes the switch. No contracts, no nonsense, just real savings and real quality service. Switching to Mint lets you keep your same coverage for an lower price. Setup only takes minutes. You can bring your own phone number in without any issues. Service is fast and super reliable, even on the go. And it feels good knowing you’re not overpaying just to stay connected. Turn your expensive wireless present into a huge wireless savings future by switching to Mint. Shop Mint unlimited plans at mintmobile.com/lockedonba. That is mintmobile.com/lockedonba. Limited time offer upfront payment of $45 for 3 months, $90 for 6 months or $180 for 12 months. Plan required. Taxes and fees. Initial plan and term only. 35 gigabytes may slow when network is busy. Capable device required. Availability, speed, and coverage varies. See mintmobile.com for details. And thank you for making Locked OnBucks your number one listen of the day. You can now level up and go ad free. If you join the Everydayer Club, you get Locked on Bucks with no interruptions. Members only Discord access and more. All for just $5 a month or $50 a year if you go annual. You can find the URL to join the Everyday Dair Club in the show episode description of uh today’s podcast. And you know, maybe Camille, we’re we’re thinking of ways to juice it up. We talked about it on a show last week. Maybe the Discord access we just give you uh some insights into the the text threads that we have with some other media members as well. Um, speaking of media members, they were at the Freigher Sports Science Center yesterday for Doc and a couple of players after practice. Um, there was a lot of takes flying on social media with what Doc Rivers had to say. Some of it stood out to me. Um, one piece of it, actually two pieces in particular, I guess we mentioned an update on Giannis, too. It’s not like a concrete update, but he was asked about Giannis and basically said it’s it’s going to be a while if you’re read between the lines. So, I I take that as a yeah, it like New Year’s Eve at the absolute earliest, probably not until the first week of January for for the Giannis return, which then puts even more importance on everything else that he had to say. So, I had two things in mind. I think we’re going to overlap on one of them, but what stood out about what he had to say to you? >> Yeah. I mean, the first thing that stood out to me was Doc just talking about the offense in general and saying like there’s not many changes that he’s looking to make to the offense. Um, and I was kind of like, really, not yet. But the other part of that that kind of goes into why this stood out to me is that he was talking about not being too reactionary. and he was saying, you know, our team was in a really good spot 48 hours ago, then we had this terrible loss and like I’m not going to like completely change course over one game. You don’t want to be reactionary. And I absolutely agree with that sentiment. Like you don’t want to be a coach or a staff that is just reacting um egregiously to one situation, right? But my my problem might be too strong of a word, but the thing that kind of made >> I don’t think so. Is it not? Okay. My problem with it is that like it’s not just one game that the offense is being reacted to about though. Like the game against Brooklyn was bad for sure. We talked about it. There’s no need for us to say anymore about what a terrible, terrible outing that was for the Milwaukee Bucks. But the offense hasn’t been great this season. Like the Milwaukee Bucks still have one of the best effective field goal percentages in the entire league. It’s second. So, it’s like when they get a chance to put the ball up into the hoop, normally it’s going in. To have the second ranked effective field goal percentage in the league and the 17th ranked offense by points per possession is is mind baffling to me to a degree of like something clearly isn’t working here. Clearly, the whole concept of the offense being purely drive, kick, try to spray out isn’t working, especially now that you’re down a Giannis who can create his own shots in various ways, have the gravity that can create for others, so on and so forth. Like, it feels to me like the offense needs more uh especially with Giannis out of the lineup. So, to hear like there’s no changes to the offense, but he did concede like, hey, defensively, we’re going to simplify some things and try to get that together. And I get that because the defense has been worse than the offense, but the offense hasn’t been this thing that I feel like is beyond reproach. So that part kind of was like why no changes to the offense then? >> Um, okay. 100% aligned on that. I would also push back on we were in a good spot before the Nets game. >> Um, I mean, no, but fine. Uh, I’m glad you you brought up some of those numbers because I was looking through it, uh, listening to it and having to go back and think, what am I missing here? Like, is it possible? I’m just too close to this. I can’t see the forest from the trees, and we’re overlooking X, Y, and Z. Then you dug into it even more and looked at the four factors, and you mentioned one of them. They have the number two effective field goal percentage in the league. Pretty good, right? Should be good. Um, of the teams that are in the top 10 for effective field goal percentage, how many of them do you think are in the top 10 in offensive rating? >> Well, knowing the Bucks are in there, I would say nine. >> We know one isn’t, right? >> I would guess not. But >> you’re going to say nine. >> Let’s I’m going to say eight. >> Eight is correct. It is the Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks are seventh in effective field goal percentage and 16th in offense. Um, which kind of checks out like they’re closer to the bottom in the top 10 and they’re middle of the pack in offensive rating. By record, they’re a middle of the pack team at 15 and 12. The Bucks are second and 17th. The other teams, the Nuggets, first in effective field goal percentage, first in offense. Thunder third in effective field goal percentage, fourth in offense. Lakers are fourth in effective field goal percentage, seventh in offense. Timberwolves are fifth and sixth. Micks are sixth and second in offense. Spurs are eighth and ninth. So, uh, Celtics ninth and fifth, and the Rockets are 10th and third. So, you see they’re they’re tied to each other, uh, very closely, and it’s just not the case for the Bucks. In the case of the Atlanta Hawks, it’s similar reasons why the Bucks are not there. So, it’s it’s not hard to see what the issues with this are. The Bucks are 17th right now in turnover rate on offense. that number has started to slip further and further away as the season has gone on. Hawks are 19th. The Bucks are dead last in offensive rebounding. The Hawks are 23rd and the Bucks are second worst at getting to the free throw line. The Hawks are 25th there. So, that’s the company you’re in. You cannot be in the bottom half of multiple of those four factors and expect to be a good offensive or defensive, whichever side of the ball you’re looking at. You’re not going to be good if you’re in the bottom 10 in multiple categories in there. I mean, the Celtics 30th in free throw rate, fine. Number five in offense, number nine in effective field goal percentage, number two in how infrequently they turn it over, number seven in offensive rebounding. So, it’s one area, and that’s how it always was under Bud, too. It was we’re going to do everything well except offensive rebound, but we’re going to get to the free throw line. We’re going to look for quality shots. We’re going to protect the ball, and our offense is going to be good. They’re doing none of that so far this season. And it it really stands out even more when you look at the um true shooting attempts for this team. So, Frank and I talked about this on um whatever postgame show. All of these losses are >> blur together a little bit here >> together. Camille, but Frank and I talked about this on on one of the more recent shows, the true shooting attempts and um why this is important, right? It’s it’s everything that we just talked about in the four factors here. But to distill it here, your your true shooting attempts are you take your field goal attempts and you add um your free throw attempts times like it’s like 044 or something to factor in the end ones and everything else just to say, okay, if they’re getting fouled and they’re getting to the free throw line and they’re getting up shots, these are the amount of actual shots this team is taking throughout the course of a game. Um, in that spreadsheet that I keep for every single team, I have true shooting attempts on average because I I started this because frankly this was the one reason why I could not find that anywhere else for the full season. You can find games. >> So where would you guess the Bucks rank for average true shooting attempts per game in the NBA? >> Even factors in free throws, which has been an area for the Bucks where they haven’t been able to get there too often. Um, but I mean they’re shooting really well, so that kind of brings them maybe like 11th or somewhere in there. >> Okay. You think it’s 11th? We’ll give you the reveal coming up after the break here. Camille, where the Bucks rank, why this has become a problem, and then the one other thing we haven’t gotten to that Doc had to say after a practice yesterday. We’ll get to all of that coming up next. Well, the World Cup is coming back to North America for the first time since 1994. And with 48 teams for the first time ever, it’s going to be massive. But getting tickets, that’s usually the hardest part. And that’s why the Game Time app is clutch. Finally giving fans a real advantage when it comes to snagging seats. With Game Time, you can track price drops in real time, get alerts when great seats open, and buy tickets the moment they hit the app. It puts the power back in your hands and makes going to the World Cup realistic instead of impossible. You pull up the app and the layout makes it simple to scroll through the matchups and compare seat views. Just pick a game, tap a section, and have your tickets locked in within minutes. No confusion, no hunting for fine print. As we said, you get the seat view as well. You can literally see what the pitch looks like from your seat before you make the purchase and get alerts for teams and matches to make it easy to grab those tickets the moment they drop instead of missing out. So take the guesswork out of buying World Cup tickets and every match, concert or event with Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, use the code locked on NBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, download the app, make an account, and use the code lock.NBA NBA for $20 off with game time. Speaking of game time and hunting down tickets, Camille, I was talking to our boy over the weekend who I believe used game time to get in the building in DC to take on to take in John Cena’s final match. I mean Kane just >> living his best life here. >> Um all right, you your guess was 11th for true shooting attempts per game. It is 29th. >> Oh my goodness. Free throws obtained. >> 29th. >> Wow. >> So, the Bucks are averaging 94.7 true shooting attempts per game. The league average, Camille, guess what number the league average is? >> Say the Bucks number one more time. >> 94.7. And by the way, only the Clippers are worse at 94.5. >> Yeah, you don’t want to hear that. Uh, I’m going to guess league average is like, 105. >> 100.1. Okay, >> still you’re five fewer shots per game than what the average is seeing >> in the league. Not the best. The average um their opponents, Bucks opponents, so if they’re taking 94.7, how many would you guess the opponent is getting? >> They’re probably they’re probably taking like a 100 at the very least. >> I was stunned. I expected this number to be higher. It’s not good, but 99.3, >> okay, >> is the opponent average. So they are giving up um with the decimals and rounding it’s minus 4.7 that you are facing in true shot attempts per game. What you’re taking versus what the opponent is taking. You said you don’t want to hear that name uh and be in the company of the Clippers. Only one team is worse than the Bucks in that deficiency and that’s the Wizards who are minus 7.1. So you are second worst in the league >> at your volume of true shot attempts and you’re second worst in deficiency in in other words how much more the opponent is getting than you and both those teams you’re in the neighborhood of are a really bad Clippers team and you know as C said about the Nets a Wizards team that’s also not trying to win. These should be alarming things that stand out. Which is why I do have to push back and and say to your point, no, it is a little more serious than this of like we can’t overreact here. The offense will be fine. It’s, you know, it’s efficient. We’re getting good shots. >> Wow. >> Because it’s not as simple as that. And it’s the modern math of the league where the company you’re in with those numbers. That’s the most important thing is possessions and true shot attempts takes that into account. You’re 29th in the two most important areas there. You’re not going to turn it around if you continue to hover in that range. >> And like this is one of those situations where it’s like a lot of things are true, right? They’re there have been bad as we have just laid out with the numbers. Giannis has been hurt. That affects things. They have been now playing without AJ Green. That affects things. One thing that Doc also mentioned was that you know the the pairing of Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins, you know, like it seemed to me as if he was saying like, “Hey, when everybody’s healthy, >> they won’t be sharing the court together starting anymore. We’re going to try to split those two up.” Which makes some sense, but given where they are right now, >> I I would say it does not make sense because >> I don’t know about you, I was guilty of this last year, too, when we were talking about it’s fine, like just Gary likes his role on the bench, bring him off the bench, yada yada yada. Like, no. especially when we’ve seen the construction of this this roster that it it may not have I’m not going to say it’s not good, but it may not be to the level that we thought it was coming into the season. Um, you have to play your best players together and play them for extended periods of time. >> And those are very clearly your your three best players, if not three of your four best players. So, like no, there is no scenario where you should say, you know what, I think we need to break them up a little bit more. Like if you’re you’re going to talk about staggering, fine. But that doesn’t mean, well, one guy starts and one guy doesn’t. It means, okay, you’re going to get the quicker hook in the first quarter so we can pre preserve you for some bench minutes. But like, we need minutes with the three of you guys on the floor together. >> See, I was thinking like if they’re all healthy, then your starting lineup would be Kevin Porter Jr., AJ Green, Cous, Giannis, and Turner with how they’ve been playing, trying to put the more size on the wing. And we’ve talked about the spacing challenges that can come with Kuzz and Giannis sharing the court together. But with the way that Coup has been playing this season, again, part of it is based on if they can utilize him properly. We don’t want Coos just standing in corners. He has to be active on cuts and whatnot. And one could argue, well, >> I think he largely has not done that, >> right? And the only time I’ve really saw it was that very was the first start against Charlotte where he was really active um in that way. But like if it’s not going to be consistent then there’s no point to start Kuzz anyways. But if they can do that then I do like that combination a bit. But um yeah I mean to your point like you want your best players playing together. I just wonder for Ryan and it it’s hard to because it’s been a lot of up and down for Ryan. It’s been a lot of growth on his plate if he can just be like hey I’m running that second unit but you could achieve that as you said by the quick pull of the staggering. So there’s a lot of different ways to get to it. But that was something else that Doc did mention of just like, hey, maybe we we split these two up a little bit more. But right now, without AJ Green, without Giannis, and as much as we probably paint without Torian Prince, who probably should not be this big of a a missing link to this team, but again, the wing size um is is important. I understand why this is the way that they’re playing it right now. Will be interesting to see how it looks when everybody comes back healthy, but they got to figure something else out. like he he mentioned too in that Nets game that part of the problem for the offense was that their game plan for that game was something different and the guards weren’t executing that which made everyone else confused and I was kind of like okay I can I can see that happening as well but again the offense has been what the offense has been which is a drive and kick heavy type of situation. So, I don’t know, Justin, to your point though about the numbers, the offense has to change. Like, yes, I think the pieces, like having an effective field goal percentage that high shows like the pieces can work, >> right? >> It’s like, can we put them in a better situation though to get more consistent results, to get a higher volume of shot attempts? Like, something has to change. >> Well, and look, I get and it’s it’s valid. It’s not the excuse, but it is one of the reasons you have Giannis and you have a roster that was built around Giannis to maximize him and to surround him with guys that would pair nicely with him. Um, and you haven’t had Giannis, unfortunately, for extended periods of time this season. It was the back of your mind. I don’t want to say it, but what if a thing that was hanging over this team coming into the season? Fine. But injuries happen. I mean, teams are dealing with it and as we just said, it may be a little different for the Bucks with the way that this team has been set up >> with how they’re looking to play, but other teams have dealt with injuries. Like Cleveland hasn’t had their full, you know, arsenal of guys all season basically. I I think there’s other issues going on in Cleveland than that, but Cleveland hasn’t had their guys. I mean, look no further than taking the conference out of it because it’s still a third of the the way through the season, but when you look at these rosters, Camille, uh, who has the better collection of talent, the Bucks or the Phoenix Suns? Like, at the very least, I think it’s Yeah, it’s it’s identical, right? It’s it’s about the same. I mean, the Bucks obviously have the super duper star in Giannis. And Deon Booker’s been healthy this season. and he’s missed three games for the Suns. But still, Phoenix is what, 14- 12? >> Yeah. >> On the season um in those three games that Devin Booker has missed. If you take it out and say, “Okay, what about when when he plays?” Okay, they’re 13-8 in those games. And they’re doing that where your your second best players, Dylan Brooks, you know what he’s brought in terms of um the defense and everything and just the culture that we’ve seen him be at this point. >> Yeah. Jaylen Green has basically, for all intents and purposes, been out all season with an injury that they didn’t anticipate. It’s been like Grayson Allen, Dylan Brooks, and Colin Gillespie is their second best players on this team, and they’re running along at a playoff pace here in the Western Conference. So, to me, that tells you like, no, this is possible. Like there are other teams that have figured out ways even being a we have one star and just role players around him. They’re finding ways to win and yes it does take your star being healthy but there’s more to it than that. When you look at how Phoenix is finding success here again they’ve been pretty bad at putting opponents at the free throw line and protecting the ball. They’re doing everything else well. It really comes down to offensive rebounds that the Suns are not. Suns are doing that and a lot of teams that have good offenses are doing it. I mean, you look at two teams you would say don’t. The Bucks certainly not good. Um, the Thunder don’t do that offensive rebounding, but guess what? They do everything else. They’re number four on offense. Protect the ball. number one in turnover rate, number three in effective field goal percentage, and defensively they’re number one basically in every single one of those four factors. Um Boston, another team doesn’t crash the offensive glass. They do everything else or excuse me, they do now. That was one of their big changes. Miami didn’t do it, but they’re they’re starting to come back to earth. They’re playing at a faster pace. They’re protecting the ball. You look at all the teams that are in the bottom 10 in offensive rebounding rate. It’s a group you don’t want to be in. The Clippers, the Pacers, the Bulls, the Wizards, the Mavs, who’ve started to play better now, the Kings, the Bucks, and then those outlier teams. So, to me, it comes down to that and that’s this is what I want to hear. And I know Doc had, you know, that that back and forth where he was clearly agitated by it with Eric Name a couple weeks ago and that I don’t want to hear this question anymore. We have to defensive rebound. Offensive rebound. you either can or you can’t. And I think at this point we have unfortunately seen more than enough data to say that is just not the case. That even if you quote unquote can’t, you have to try to do it because of the importance of possessions in this game. >> Yeah. And clearly with what we have outlined here, like they need to get more possessions. Like that’s what we’re talking like they have to get more shot attempts up. And that’s what I was saying like just put a bow on it. Like this Bugs team is one of those things where it’s like there are a lot of things that are true at the same time, right? And it’s not just one thing or the other. It’s a lot. Like you said, yes, they have played games without Giannis. Yes, this is a team that was designed to be maximized with Giannis. And we said before the season started, if Giannis missing time, this team isn’t really going to get to where we think that they possibly can get to. That is all true. But also, even without Giannis, the offense has not been good enough. The defense has not been good enough. like these things have all been happening. Even when he was healthy, the defense wasn’t good enough. And the offense, yes, it’s going to struggle without the superstar behind it. But as you pointed to, other teams have figured out ways, at least for stretches, to make sure that the offense doesn’t fall off an entire cliff that is somewhat effective. So the Bucks just have Doc keeps saying like the team has to do soularching and every take a look inward and figure things out and be accountable. And he kept saying it starts with me. It starts me as the coach and I agree with that. So again, it’s disappointing to hear like there’s no changes going to be made here when we can see with our eyes and numbers back up that the offense is underperforming especially given how well they can shoot the ball. Like they’re underperforming. Like there has to be something done differently. >> Yeah. I mean it it’s we didn’t even touch on the defense which by the numbers has been putrid. It has been even worse and there are larger discussions to be had there. Right. But I think in terms of your personnel, when you look at this and you say, “What’s the area we can most quickly impact and have a hand in turning around here without any sizable moves?” It would be the offense. And it comes down to protecting the basketball. Um Kevin Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins, and Giannis. Like part of it, too, is that, right, that you’ve had Giannis missing time, you’ve had KPJ missing time, we’ve talked about Rollins being the only quote unquote ball handler or facilitator on the floor. your turnover rate is going to tank when that’s the case. I get that. But even in games when you’ve had both of the guys on the floor or two of the three, I should say, it has not been good. That you need to limit and and frankly eliminate those mistakes. Like I I don’t want to see any more leaving your feet to pass or leaving your feet and not having a thought or thinking like, “Oh, can’t get this shot off. I’m just going to pass.” Because it it feels like to the naked eye the Bucks have had that more than any other team in the league so far this season. So, you got to protect the ball. And I mean, especially if it it seems like a losing strategy, but if you are not going to say we need to go after offensive rebounds even more, then you better protect the ball. Like, you better slice your turnovers in half. And you’re going to have to gamble more and be even more aggressive defensively to try to secure some turnovers to get those uh those shot attempts up, the true shot attempts, and just win the possession battle. Because you know all these numbers that we’re looking at Camille, you know, if we did a blind resume, there is no one that would look at this and say, “Yeah, I believe this team can turn it around when they get Giannis back.” Because every single number you look at is telling you this team has played like a bad team, and it’s not just a 10-ame stretch. It’s nearly 30 games that we’re looking at. So, I would say it’s pretty dire to say now is the time to absolutely turn all of these things >> around here. Uh, any closing thoughts on that? >> Just that, uh, if this team thinks that just adding Giannis back without changing anything is going to drastically change the outcomes that we have been seeing seeing. That’s fool’s gold. Like, that’s that’s just the last thing I’ll say on that. Leave your thoughts in the comments about uh some of these startling numbers too. The possession game, the true shot attempts, where the Bucks are coming up short, and and your thoughts on on what was said after practice yesterday. We will address it on an upcoming show. We teased it yesterday. I believe schedules didn’t work out, but we’re pretty confident we are going to have a three person show tomorrow and we’re going to get Frank on the show tonight to record with us and get his thoughts on this as well. But continue to leave your thoughts in the comments here on a lot that’s going on with this team. Thanks as always for tuning in to Locked on Bucks. As we mentioned, Frank will join us on tomorrow’s show to get us set for the Raptors game and everything that follows. Make sure you subscribe and follow the show so you get all of the latest episodes. If you have a last minute or need a last minute gift idea for someone that keeps asking you what you want, make it easy. Ask for the everyday club. Add free episodes of the show, exclusive Discord server access, and more. Subscriptions can be gifted through a link you can find in the show description. For those of you on video, we send you to the first ever 247 NBA YouTube channel. On audio, make sure you make that your second listen. NBA game night on locked in locked on NBA for Camille. I’m Justin. We’ll talk with you guys once again tomorrow on Locked on Bucks.

Milwaukee Bucks’ rumored “big game hunting” gets a reality check as trade buzz builds—will Jeremy Grant, Zach LaVine, or Marcus Smart truly shift the team’s fortunes? Justin Garcia and Camille Davis scrutinize recent reports, questioning whether these targets match the championship ambition amidst Giannis Antetokounmpo trade standoff drama.

The hosts break down alarming offensive trends, including the Bucks’ surprising drop in true shooting attempts and turnover woes despite high efficiency from the floor. With head coach Doc Rivers resisting system changes and critical injuries mounting, is roster construction—or coaching—the root cause? Plus, insider insights on Kevin Porter Jr. and the impact of missing wing size highlight what needs to change for Milwaukee to reclaim its East contender status.

0:00 – Bucks Trade Rumors & “Big Game Hunting”
10:09 – Offense & Doc Rivers’ Comments
19:00 – Lineup Combinations & Injuries

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOBucks?sid=YouTube

Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA

#MilwaukeeBucks #Bucks #GiannisAntetokounmpo #DamianLillard #NBA

Everydayer Club
If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans.

Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub
Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
Mint Mobile
Turn your expensive wireless present into a huge wireless savings future by switching to Mint. Shop Mint Unlimited Plans at http://MINTMOBILE.com/LOCKEDONNBA.
Disclaimer: Limited time offer. Upfront payment of: $45 for 3-mo., $90 for 6-mo., or $180 for 12-mo. plan required ($15/mo. equivalent). Taxes & fees Initial plan term only. Greater Than 35GB may slow when network is busy. Capable device required. Availability, speed, & coverage varies. See mintmobile.com.

Quo
Make this the year where no opportunity and no customer slips away.
Try Quo for free plus get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to https://www.Quo.com/lockedonnba. Quo — no missed calls, no missed customers.

Zocdoc
Stop putting off your doctor’s appointments and get the care you need.
Go to htps://Zocdoc.com/lockedonnba to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today.

Robinhood
You expect more from yourself. Expect more from your money. Get started today at robinhood.com/yourmoney. Your money. Your move.

All investments involve risk, including loss of principal. Options, futures, and crypto trading carry significant risk and may not suit all investors. Securities offered through Robinhood Financial LLC, member SIPC. Futures trading is offered by Robinhood Derivatives, LLC and not SPIC or FDIC protected. Crypto offered through Robinhood Crypto, LLC (NMLS ID 1702840), not FDIC or SIPC protected. Portfolio management offered by Robinhood Strategies, an SEC-registered advisor.

Gametime
Today’s episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.

FanDuel
Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The NBA and NFL seasons are here, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)