Is Milwaukee overrated?

Milwaukee ended this NBA regular season with the best record, 56-17, and topped the league standings in offense (118.7), point differential (+10.1) and rebounding (51.7). Leading the Bucks to the playoffs is reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, known as the Greek Freak because of his exceptional skills for a man his size. The 6-11 Giannis, 25, was born in Greece to Nigerian parents and plays for the Greek national team.

It’s been nearly 50 years since Milwaukee won the NBA title. The Bucks’ first and only championship came in 1971 with a lineup that listed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Bobby Dandridge, Jon McGlocklin, Greg Smith, Lucius Allen and Bob Boozer. Now, the expectation in Milwaukee is the Bucks will end the long drought and return to the throne.

But wait. There appear to be cracks in the Bucks’ wall, tell-tale signs that Milwaukee may not be a cinch for the crown after all. Before the NBA suspended the season last March, Milwaukee had lost three in a row – to the Los Angeles Lakers, 113-103, Phoenix Suns, 140-131 and Denver Nuggets, 109-95. In two of three games before the bubble restart in Florida, Milwaukee bowed to Miami, a darkhorse contender from the East.

In the bubble, Milwaukee was far from dominant, compiling a 3-5 record. The Bucks were thwarted by Houston, Brooklyn, Dallas, Toronto and Memphis in the seeding games. The drop in defensive intensity was glaring. Before the bubble, Milwaukee was No. 1 in the league in defense, giving up 101.6 points a game. After the bubble, the Bucks fell to No. 8, surrendering 108.6 an outing. Analyzing Milwaukee’s stats, you’ll find that the Bucks ranked last in yielding the most three point-shots made (14 average), three-point shots attempted (39.3) and total field goals attempted (94). That means Milwaukee’s defense is anchored on Giannis protecting the rim. Coach Mike Budenholzer’s gambit is to live with the percentages, allowing opponents to heave from beyond the arc but making sure they don’t get easy baskets in the interior. In the bubble, three-point shooting became a significant weapon and Milwaukee’s defense found it difficult to adjust to the offensive uptick.

Budenholzer’s strategy makes Milwaukee vulnerable to teams that thrive in three-point shooting. Take Miami, for example. The Heat is No. 2 in the league in three-point accuracy and it’s a reason why coach Erik Spoelstra has succeeded in upending Milwaukee twice in the regular season.

In the first round of the NBA playoffs, Milwaukee is up against Orlando, a team the Bucks swept in four meetings during the regular season. The Magic’s 7-foot center Jonathan Isaac is out of commission with an ACL injury and his absence will be missed by coach Steve Clifford. Orlando will rely on center Nicola Vucecic, high-flying Aaron Gordon, Markelle Fultz, Evan Fournier, Terrence Ross and D. J. Augustin to try to keep afloat but the Magic’s touch isn’t expected to derail the Bucks from advancing to the second round. Orlando also happens to own the worst record, 33-40, of any team in the playoffs.

Milwaukee’s deficiencies will be evident if and when the Bucks meet Miami in the second round. The Heat has to hurdle Indiana in the opening round to arrange the appointment with Milwaukee. The Bucks scuttled the Heat, 130-116 in the bubble but Spoelstra rested Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic while Milwaukee went with a full lineup. That outcome may not be an indication of how things will be if they face off in the second round.

Giannis is averaging 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists. For the Bucks to go all the way, his head has to be screwed right and tight. Giannis was ejected for head-butting in a no-bearing contest against Washington during the bubble and slapped a one-game suspension. With Giannis sitting, Milwaukee lost to Memphis in the next outing. Opponents are expected to try to harass Giannis in the playoffs, get him to lose control but the key to defending Milwaukee is containing Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe and Brook Lopez. That means Budenholzer must generate quality minutes from relievers like Kyle Korver, Ersan Ilyasova, George Hill, Wes Matthews and Robin Lopez to back up Giannis if the other starters are handcuffed.