NBA Power Rankings Week 15: Concerns for Milwaukee Bucks, other contenders

Last week: Beat Chicago 111-98, beat Charlotte at Paris 116-103

This week: Tuesday vs. Washington, Friday vs. Denver

The Milwaukee Bucks came out of Paris with the first NBA regular-season victory on French soil and return stateside with eight consecutive wins and 13 victories in their last 14 games. Of course, they are 40-6 — a 71-win pace.

Of those eight straight wins, six have been by double figures, with a nine-point win at Golden State on Jan. 8 and a five-point victory over the Celtics on Jan. 16 the only outliers. Their plus-12.1 net rating is best in the NBA by a full five points over the second-best plus-7.1 mark of the Los Angeles Lakers.

And the Bucks are doing much of this, at least lately, with Giannis Antetokounmpo doing more with less. After missing two games in late December with a sore back, Giannis has averaged only 29.6 minutes per game over Milwaukee’s last 12 games.

He’s cramming 28.5 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists into those 29.6 minutes. Per 36 minutes, those numbers are 34.7 points, 15.7 boards and 6.6 dimes. Not bad for not even playing 2½ quarters.

In the Bucks’ two games last week, he put up 58 points, 30 rebounds, 16 assists and two blocks in 63 minutes, shooting 64.1 percent overall despite making only 1-of-6 from deep. His free throw shooting is still a problem, however. A 7-for-16 performance leaves him at a career-low 60.6 percent.

That is a steep decline, but Antetokounmpo has been fading at the foul line for three seasons now, going from a career-best 77.0 percent in 2016-17 to 76.0 percent, 72.9 and now 60.6 in the subsequent three campaigns.

Given that play tightens up come spring and the postseason, it’s something that has to be a nagging concern for the organization.