Milwaukee Bucks: Recent Results A Cause For Concern?

By Greg Chin | Mar 2, 2015

Feb 25, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd talks with guard Michael Carter-Williams (5) during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

The Milwaukee Bucks are in the midst of one of their best seasons in recent history. After being stuck in a constant loop of battling for the eighth seed only to crash out in the first round, the Bucks have a bright future ahead of them, and are quickly becoming one of the league’s most entertaining teams.

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Their surprising start to the season has them sitting at sixth in the league; and at one stage, were even as high as fifth. No one expected this team to be so good so quickly, and the Bucks could be looking at the best win-loss percentage since the 2009-10 season.

However, at the trade deadline, the team decided to move one of their key players to bring in younger talent. Brandon Knight was shipped to the Phoenix Suns, and in return the Bucks received Michael Carter-Williams. It was a move that surprised many, as Knight was a big reason for the Bucks’ success, and was in the midst of his most productive season yet.

Since the trade, the Bucks have gone 2-4, with wins coming against the lowly Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers. When the Bucks made the trade, concerns surrounding disrupting team chemistry were raised, and judging by their recent results, it seems to be a real cause of concern.

In that six-game stretch, the team’s offensive rating has plummeted – going from 103.1 to 92.2. This was to be expected – Knight was the team’s lead facilitator on offense. Outside of Knight, no one on the starting lineup could be regarded as a consistent shooter, and with Knight gone, the offense was always going to take a hit.

However, on the flip side, their defense has improved significantly. Their regular season defensive rating with Knight was 101.5, but that has improved in the six-game stretch to 95.4 – a league best mark. It may be due to the small sample size, but for the most part, is an encouraging sign.

MCW has had a spotty reputation as a defender, and there were concerns that he had “checked out” on the defensive end after playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. It’s encouraging to see that he is able to use his size and length to help improve the already-impressive Bucks’ defense.

With both sides seemingly cancelling each other out, what is the final verdict? Did the trade improve or hurt the Bucks?

Well, it depends on how you look at it. It’s hard to argue that the trade didn’t adversely affect the Bucks. Losing one of your key rotation pieces will always hurt team chemistry, and even more so when it’s the point guard. The offense was always going to take a hit, and MCW’s reputation as a volume shooter was never going to replace what Knight brought to the team.

However, the Bucks didn’t make this trade with the “now” in mind. They swapped Knight for MCW for a multitude of reasons, many of which were related to the future of the organization. Regardless of how the season pans out for the Bucks, it should be considered a success. This is a team that eclipsed their previous season’s win total by the All-Star break. They’ve lost two key players to injury (Jabari Parker) and off-court issues (Larry Sanders).

The Bucks are all about the future – they are a young team with a young coach, and shouldn’t be fazed by what happens the rest of the season. Their goal is to create a contender in 2-3 years, and despite what the results say now, they are already on their way.

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