MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 30: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks dribbles the ball against ... More Taurean Prince #12 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum on March 30, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
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The Milwaukee Bucks have hit rock bottom in their 2024-25 NBA season, and at the center of the wreckage is their crumbling defense.
Milwaukee dropped its fourth straight game Sunday night, falling to the Atlanta Hawks 145-124. It was also their sixth loss in the last eight games, a skid that has them limping toward the playoffs.
At 40-34, they’re now staring down a first-round matchup with the New York Knicks—a scenario they were hoping to sidestep.
With eight games remaining, Milwaukee sits three games behind the Indiana Pacers for fourth and 1.5 behind the Detroit Pistons for fifth. They do face Detroit twice to close the season, but at this rate, they may already be out of reach by then.
At the heart of this collapse is Milwaukee’s vanishing act on defense.
During this four-game losing streak, the Bucks have posted a 126.5 defensive rating—26th in the NBA over that span. For reference, the New Orleans Pelicans own the league’s worst defensive rating on the season at 118.7, making Milwaukee’s recent efforts look even more disastrous.
Opponents are carving them up like a Thanksgiving turkey, scoring in transition, at the rim, from deep, and on second-chance opportunities. You name it, they allow it.
Sunday’s loss to the Hawks was a perfect snapshot of their struggles. Despite dropping 75 points in the first half, Milwaukee trailed by seven at the break after surrendering a staggering 82 points in the first 24 minutes.
The Bucks’ perimeter defense is non-existent. Andre Jackson Jr. is one of the only players who can consistently stay in front of his man, but his offensive limitations have him glued to the bench. As a result, ball-handlers are waltzing into the paint unchecked, setting off a defensive chain reaction that Milwaukee can't recover from.
Trae Young was the latest beneficiary, as Doc Rivers deployed Taurean Prince on him for most of the first half. Predictably, Young got wherever he wanted, creating easy buckets for himself and his teammates.
Defensive penetration is like a leak in a sinking boat—it forces the entire crew to scramble, but the more they panic, the worse it gets.
For a team full of veterans, Milwaukee is shockingly undisciplined.
Too often, defenders turn their heads to watch the ball, completely losing track of their man. This bad habit leaves them exposed to backdoor cuts and open threes, turning routine defensive possessions into highlight reels for the opposition.
Even their most basic pick-and-roll coverage has been a train wreck. The Bucks are supposed to “ICE” side ball screens—forcing ball-handlers toward the sideline instead of letting them dribble to the middle. Instead, they repeatedly fail to execute, exposing their defense to even more penetration.
Milwaukee knows it lacks foot speed, so it leans on size and physicality. Their starting lineup features four players 6-foot-6 or taller and three at least 6-9. Yet, over their last four games, they’ve grabbed only two-thirds of available defensive rebounds—a percentage that would rank dead last in the league over a full season.
The New York Knicks exposed this weakness on Friday, dominating the glass despite Milwaukee shooting 54.7 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from deep. The Bucks gave up 14 offensive rebounds and took 18 fewer shots than the Knicks, turning an efficient shooting night into another demoralizing loss.
With only two weeks left in the regular season, the Bucks are running out of time to change the narrative.
The lack of defensive discipline is glaring. The lack of defensive engagement is alarming. If Milwaukee wants any chance at making noise in the postseason, it’s time to show some fight and take control of its own fate. Do the Bucks have it in them? Only time will tell.