Two embarrassing losses, the NBA championship favorite fell! The boss became a drag, and the countdown to leave the team started

Editor|Lao Kankanqiu

NBA 2024-25 season playoffs have started, many teams have performed surprisingly. In the Western Conference, the Thunder continued their strong performance in the regular season, swept the Grizzlies 4-0 with a big score, becoming the first team in the league to advance to the second round, but Dort's injury performance caused too much criticism; the Lakers were unexpectedly at a disadvantage, trailing the Timberwolves 1-3 with a big score, James carried the team but failed to save the victory; although Butler was injured on the Warriors, with Curry's outrageous performance, he led the Rockets 2-1 with a big score, and the prospects were very optimistic; the only stalemate match between the Clippers and the Nuggets, who is currently drew 2-2 with a big score, who can win the battle of Little Tianwang Mountain will determine the direction of the game.

As a comparison, the situation in the East is relatively simple. The teams in the first and second half have a clear gap in strength. The Cavaliers led the Heat 3-0, and the promotion has been a foregone conclusion. After the Celtics scored two consecutive games at home, they were difficult to reverse by the Magic away and then won another game. There is no suspense in the big score 3-1? The most surprising thing is the Bucks. Antetokounmpo cannot beat four-handed hands with two punches and once suffered an embarrassing two consecutive losses. Although he struggled to win a game with the performance of the role players in the third game, he lost again in the G4 game, and Lillard also suffered a serious injury and left the court. As a favorite to compete for the championship at the beginning of the season, he is obviously drifting away from the championship.

1. Antetokounmpo's "isolated island dilemma": data is inaugurated but it is difficult to prevent the system from collapse. The Bucks fell behind the Indiana Pacers with a big score of 0-2. Although Antetokounmpo gave away the dominant data of "36 points, 12 rebounds" and "34 points, 18 rebounds, 7 assists" in two consecutive games, becoming the first player since Chamberlain to have accumulated "70 points, 30 rebounds, 8 assists" in the first two games of the playoffs since 1967, his embarrassing two-game losing streak made his personal heroism seem tragic and powerless.

It has to be said that these two losses exposed the fatal flaw of the Bucks system - over-reliance on Antetokounmpo, and the tactical error tolerance rate is extremely low. Data shows that when Antetokounmpo was not on the court, the Bucks' offensive efficiency was only 107.5 (fifth from the bottom in the league), while the Pacers easily won with team basketball (G2 six players scored in double digits).

What's more ironic is that the team's other core boss, Li Rard, has continued to be in a sluggish state after his comeback. He only made 4 of 13 shots in G2, with a plus-minus value -10. His defensive loopholes were infinitely amplified, which became a drag on the team. For the other two in the starting lineup, Kuzma just barely ended the embarrassment of scoring zero, while Daluo became a breakthrough point targeted by the opponent on the defensive end. Head coach Rivers' on-the-spot adjustment was also questioned. He gave the Pacers a 40-point score in the first quarter, and abandoned Daluo's decision-making contradictions in the last quarter, reflecting the chaos in the tactical system.

2. Bucks Crisis: The salary of the "pseudo-strong team" is locked and the future overdraft is

Since the gamble on Lillard in 2023, the team has fallen into a vicious cycle of "dual core incompatibility". It is impossible for the Bucks to complete the reinforcement. Antetokounmpo and Lillard's total contract amount in the next three years exceeds US$400 million, and their salary space is completely locked. What's more fatal is that the Bucks will only have one first-round pick available in the next seven years, and reconstruction has become a luxury.

What is even more worrying is that the Bucks have a record of 0 wins and 10 losses against the Cavaliers, Celtics and Knicks, which are the top three in the Eastern Conference this season, and the essence of the "pseudo-strong team" is fully exposed. In addition, when the playoffs are 1-3 behind, the historical probability of a comeback is only 4.5%. If the Bucks are finally eliminated in the first round, this super giant team with "internal and external dual cores" may usher in a crisis of disintegration, and the rumors of Antetokounmpo's departure will also come true.

Captain Maxtein bluntly said: "The Bucks may be the most passive team in the league at present. They are unwilling to take the initiative to trade Antetokounmpo, but the latter will most likely leave because they don't see hope for the championship."

3. Antetokounmpo's realistic choice: "Loyalty" and countdown to leave

Antetokounmpo's "dissatisfaction signal" has long been released: he publicly complained last season that the team dragged down data and hinted at the big city stage. Milwaukee’s “small city curse” is even more difficult to crack – no top free agents are willing to join in the past five years, and loyalty may be just a synonym.

According to NBA reporter Clutch Points reporter Brett Siegel, Antetokounmpo's latest odds have been released, with the Nets ranking first, the Spurs second, and the Lakers third. The Nets hold the Bucks' first round picks in 2025 and up to 15 draft picks in the next year, which can provide rich chip returns.

4. Hope is broken: Can G3 reversal not become a turning point?

Back in the Bucks' home game, the team struggled to win a 117-101 win with Trent's 9 three-pointers in a single game (to tie the team's record) and Antetokounmpo's 37 points and 12 rebounds, and the big score was rewritten to 1-2 behind. This victory did not ease the team's crisis. In the G4 game, Lillard left the court with serious injury and was expected to be directly reimbursed for the season. The team is likely to bid farewell to the playoff stage in the first round.

In fact, only 6 teams in NBA history have turned the tables behind 0-2, while only 13 of them have fallen behind 1-3 (288 rounds of the playoffs). The most difficult thing is that the Bucks have been eliminated twice in the past three years. Even if a miracle happens, the team's structural flaws will not be able to support the championship goal. For Antetokounmpo, the 31-year-old Antetokounmpo has only 3-4 years left in his career, and staying in the Bucks may mean "no chance to compete for the championship again."