Milwaukee is 1-4 and 13th in the East, scoring 106.8 points per 100 possessions and allowing 117.4. The numbers show where this club stands now, but five games are too few to show where it finishes.
October 24
The 116-127 loss in Philadelphia showed the shape of things. Jaquez Jr. scored 21, Ware put up 19 and 13, and the margin was still 11. Jaquez Jr. now averages 17.8 points and 7.2 rebounds and shoots 42.1 percent from three. That makes him the clear second engine behind Herro. It does not yet show he can win a night on his own.
October 26
The lone win, 110-102 over Indiana, belonged to Herro, who had 23 points and 10 rebounds. He is averaging 23.4 points on 47.2 percent from deep in 30.9 minutes, and his $33.0 million salary looks well spent so far. Only AJ Green, at 48.0 percent in far fewer minutes, has shot it better. Five games of threes tell us nothing yet about April.
October 28
Houston's 132-100 rout left Milwaukee's net rating at -10.6, with the offense at 106.8 and the defense at 117.4. At a pace of 106.0, the Bucks play fast and give up more than they score. Myles Turner sits at 6.6 points and 18.2 percent from three, though Behind the Buck Pass argued this week that his defense deserves more notice. A single 32-point loss bends a five-game sample hard.
October 30
Milwaukee is two games behind sixth-place Cleveland and one behind Indiana in tenth, with 77 to play. The current pace projects to 16-66, which says more about the start than the finish. Jericho Sims has climbed to 28.9 minutes a night, and Pete Nance, back on a two-way deal, is at 28.2 over five games. Those minutes reflect need more than a settled rotation.
What is the Bucks' net rating this season?
Through five games Milwaukee sits at -10.6 per 100 possessions, built on a 106.8 offensive rating and a 117.4 defensive rating.
How far are the Bucks from a play-in spot?
At 1-4 and 13th in the East, Milwaukee is one game behind Indiana for 10th and two behind Cleveland for sixth, with 77 games left.
