Milwaukee has a clear injury report and a 1-5 record, so health does not explain the start. By our count, the problem is on the floor, where the Bucks give up 119.4 points per 100 possessions.
Last season
The Bucks finished 32-50, with the offense ranked 24th and the defense 26th. Doc Rivers resigned, Taylor Jenkins was hired April 30, and the roster was rebuilt around Tyler Herro, Myles Turner and Kyle Kuzma. The question this fall was whether a new group could do better. Six games in, health is not what is holding it back.
Since Oct. 20
By our count, Milwaukee has lost zero minutes to injury across 13 days, which puts the Bucks 30th of 30 on the list of clubs hurt most. Around the league, 1,359 minutes are out today. The Bucks have no one listed. Every rotation player has been available, and the results have still been poor.
Oct. 26 to Oct. 31
The Bucks beat Indiana 110-102, then lost 100-132 to Houston and 111-136 to Cleveland, both at home. Cleveland scored 48 in the second quarter. Over six games, Milwaukee scores 106.6 and allows 119.4 per 100 possessions, a net of minus-12.8. That is a small sample, but the defensive number is the one to watch.
Within reach
Our projections, at this season's rates, show small milestones close by. Jaime Jaquez Jr. is 7 rebounds from 1,000 and about one game away at 7.2 a game. Ryan Rollins is 2 threes from 250, about two games. Herro is 11 rebounds from 2,000, about three. Turner is 80 points from 10,000, about 12 games.
Nov. 2
Milwaukee opens a trip at Minnesota, which is 4-3. The Timberwolves list Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo as out and Rudy Gobert as day-to-day. Edwards had averaged 33.3 points in four games. The Bucks sit 14th, one game behind 10th-place Miami at 2-4, so a road win would cut into that gap.
Are the Bucks dealing with injuries this season?
No. The Bucks have no one listed on the injury report. By our count, they have lost zero minutes to injury since Oct. 20, the lowest total of any club.
How close is Jaime Jaquez Jr. to 1,000 career rebounds?
He has 993, so he is 7 short. At his 7.2 a game this season, we project it at about one game, a projection and not a promise.
