Buckin' hell

Milwaukee's defense is really, really bad, and there doesn't seem to be a path out.

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

The Doorway; James McNeill Whistler; 1879-80

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Scores

Bucks 99, Grizzlies 122 — Before we get to the main topic here, this Ja Morant pass is absurd for multiple reasons.

The first reason is that he is sitting down 20 feet from the basket and still has the vision and path to throw a lob to a cutting Santi Aldama. Incredible lob call from Aldama, too: imagine your teammate is sitting down with the ball and three opponents near him and you cut baseline and call for the lob. Incredible. That’s love.

The second reason this is an amazing pass is because what the hell are the Bucks doing? Pat Connaughton sees Ja looking for an outlet and tries to guard the outlet instead of getting in the grill of the dude who can’t legally move. Bobby Portis Jr. gets up and starts moving away to guard the pass into the paint instead of getting in Ja’s grill. Damian Lillard gets up and does the right thing but putting a hand in Morant’s face … but does it way too slowly.

This feels representative of the Bucks on defense right now. They are 24th through five games, worse than they were a year ago. They have given up 109 or more in each game and have now given up 120 twice. Their only decent defensive performance came against a Sixers team missing Joel Embiid and Paul George (a team that has already lost to the Raptors and Pistons this season). On Wednesday night, the Nets — who under no circumstances should finish the season a quality defensive team — held the Grizzlies to 106. The Grizzlies put 122 on the Bucks.