Things are not going as expected in Milwaukee. Damian Lillard's arrival opened up a completely different landscape than before. The team, the synergy (especially defensively) was replaced by the pursuit of a championship with a superstar.
This irregularity seems to have reached the locker room. According to Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes, Bobby Portis, one of the key pieces of the team in the past, and who is not having his best season, had a strong argument with Adrian Griffin, the new coach of the team.
Portis berated the players' lack of energy in an intense manner, and it seems he clashed with a coach who, for the moment, is outgrowing one of the hottest benches in the NBA.
Damian Lillard on winning the NBA In-Season Tournament Cup: "I'll just take the money"
What's wrong with the Bucks?
The Bucks power forward didn't have his best night, with four points and 2/5 shooting, but he seems to be the only one looking for solutions.
The start in Wisconsin is not good. They win games by inertia and, in part, by having one of the best in the world wearing their jersey. The identity that Budenholzer had given, the union and energy that the franchise that won the ring in 2021 had, has been lost.
The In-Season Tournament seemed to be the only illusion, but the Pacers, the big surprise of the tournament and of this start in the NBA, stood in their way. Indiana was a steamroller in the last quarter (25-37) to end up taking the game (119-128) and get the ticket to the final.
The departure of Holiday, Jevon Carter and Grayson Allen has left a roster that depends, to a large extent, on the performance of its four references (Giannis, Lillard, Middleton and Brook Lopez) without defence. That loss of essence has led Milwaukee to be one of the worst defences in the NBA.
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