Likely without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks face challenge of fixing defense vs. Bulls

The Milwaukee Bucks likely will be without Giannis Antetokounmpo as they fight to climb up from their No. 8 playoff seeding against the Chicago Bulls on Friday night at the United Center.

Antetokounmpo is listed as doubtful for the game after spraining his right ankle during the second quarter of the Bucks' Wednesday loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. This season the Bucks are 2-2 without their leading scorer.

“Just got to figure it out," Bucks center John Henson said. "We were without Khris (Middleton last season), one of our best players, we were without Jabari (Parker) — so we have to figure it out like we always have with one of our best players being hurt. ... 

“We’ve just got to play the right way, move the ball a little more. Jabari’s not a bad replacement. I think we’ll be fine.”

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Regardless of Antetokounmpo's status or who gets tabbed to fill his spot in the rotation, the Bucks have to find a solution to their ongoing defensive struggles.

While that end of the court has featured its share of issues throughout the season, Milwaukee's defense has been especially problematic over the past seven games — a span in which the Bucks have compiled a 3-4 record.

The Bucks have allowed at least 100 points in each of those contests for an average of 117 points per game. During that stretch the Bucks have kept up, scoring 116.6 points of their own.

"It's way too easy for the other team," Middleton said. "There's no resistance. We're giving up too many three-balls, too many layups. Too many second-chance points tonight (against the Clippers)."

Part of that has to do with playing at a much faster pace relative to the rest of the season. Over their 71 games, the Bucks have played at the eighth-slowest pace in the league (96.1 possessions per 48 minutes). During this seven-game stretch, the Bucks have played at the fourth-fastest pace (102.5).

More points are to be expected when teams have more possessions to work with. The problem for the Bucks, though, is their defensive rating — a measure of points allowed per 100 possessions — has been dreadful during this span. At 114.0, Milwaukee's defensive rating over the past two weeks is the third worst in the league.

For reference, the league's worst defensive rating over the course of the season belongs to the Phoenix Suns at 113.3; the Suns entered Thursday with the NBA's worst record at 19-53.

“We need to be significantly better defensively," Bucks coach Joe Prunty said. “We’ve seen that we can do it, that’s not the issue. We have, in quite a few games here now, enough to call it a serious problem that needs to be addressed ... and we’ve talked about as a team. We need to take care of it.”

The running theme for the Bucks has been one of significant lapses, recently coming early in games, that have put them in difficult holes. In three of their past four games, the Bucks have fallen behind by double digits in the first quarter. For the season, Milwaukee has fallen behind by double digits in 41 of its 71 games.

"We can always score a lot of points," Parker said. "It's the way we start. Mainly control the tempo, from that point on we're playing catch-up. Any team can play catch-up."

Prunty, along with numerous players in the Bucks locker room, has pointed to a lack of urgency as a key component of the team's defensive struggles. They've demonstrated the ability to defend well and get stops, but especially in their past two losses against the Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers that intensity has been reserved for the fourth quarter and has been too little, too late.

“How we played the last quarter, if we start off like that I don’t think it’s even a ball game," Henson said of Wednesday's game. "We can’t wait to have a sense of urgency. We’re not good enough to play like that."

Early in games and during extended lapses, the issues have been both obvious and plentiful.

Players have given their opponents dare shots without so much as getting a hand up to contest, individuals have lagged behind plays in frustration after turnovers or failing to get a foul call and defensive communication has fallen silent during stretches.

Many times after a straight-line layup or wide-open three-point shot, players have exchanged confused, frustrated looks wondering what went wrong.

The most troubling thing for the Bucks, though, is there shouldn't be any lack of urgency at this point in the season. Milwaukee's likely to make the playoffs, but getting out of the No. 8 seed is becoming less likely. 

The Bucks, who had a goal of being a top-four team in the East, knew that every game after the all-star break carried a high level of importance.

And yet, with players continuously referencing the need for urgency and improvement, neither has been found on the court. Why?

“That’s a good question," Henson said. "We’ve just got to come out and play angry on Friday. You know, in the playoffs if you come out lackadaisical you’ll get swept.

"Hopefully, we can realize that and fix it.”