Milwaukee Bucks: November recap and takeaways

October was just about perfect for the Milwaukee Bucks. November was not quite as great but certainly a success nonetheless as they maintain their second seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Milwaukee Bucks were rather inconsistent throughout the past month. In their 14 games, they won four games by 19-plus points, including some blowout wins against quality opponents. Then again, they also had six losses, putting them at just two games over .500 for the month.

While the losses were certainly discouraging, only one was a game that got out of hand, whereas the other five were all decided by a margin of four points or fewer. In their eight wins for the month, the Bucks had a margin of victory of 18.8 points, compared to just a 4.8 point margin of defeat in their six losses.

Here’s a quick breakdown of how they fared in November:

• Record: 8-6 (7-0 in October)
• Offensive rating: 116.7 (1st in the league for November, they were 6th in October)
• Defensive rating: 108.9 (17th, they were 2nd in October)
• Net rating: +7.8 (5th, they were 1st in October)

The Bucks have played the hardest schedule in the East, and the third-hardest schedule in the entire NBA. While November was a slight downturn in regards to their record, they still had an elite net rating, and even improved their offense to the league’s best while their defense took a step backward.

There were definitely a few winnable games the Bucks would like to have back, but those are all part of the growing pains for a newly elite team with a new coach. While losses are never welcomed, it’s better to experience close losses in November and learn how to win those games come May.