The Milwaukee Bucks had a rocky start to their 2024-25 season, opening with a disappointing 2-8 record that left many questioning whether they might blow up their roster.

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However, as the NBA Cup got underway, the Bucks began to show flashes of the team everyone expected them to be.

Their resurgence culminated in their first-ever NBA Cup title, a remarkable turnaround that established them as one of the league’s hottest teams at that point.

Since winning the NBA Cup, however, the Bucks have hit a rough patch, going 3-5 in their last eight games.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks even drew parallels between their struggles and the Los Angeles Lakers’ slump after winning last season’s inaugural NBA Cup.

While the numbers tell part of the story, they don’t capture the full context behind Milwaukee’s recent struggles.

One major factor has been the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks’ superstar forward.

Antetokounmpo missed four of the first five games following the NBA Cup victory due to an illness, a significant blow to a team built around his dominance. It’s no surprise that missing your best player affects team performance, especially during a demanding stretch of the season.

Another factor is the sheer energy the Bucks expended to win the NBA Cup. Competing for the title and its prize money required an all-out effort, and the NBA’s scheduling offered little reprieve.

The Bucks played their first game just three days after their championship win, leaving little time to recover both physically and mentally. Such challenges are unique to the Bucks and the Lakers, the only two teams to win the NBA Cup so far, and have likely contributed to the post-title dip in performance.

Despite their recent struggles, the Bucks are in a solid position within the Eastern Conference standings.

Slumps are inevitable over the course of a long NBA season, and Milwaukee has proven they can regroup and compete at the highest level. Winning a title, regardless of format, is always better than falling short.

With Giannis healthy and the team refocused, there’s little reason to doubt the Bucks will find their rhythm again and remain a formidable force as the season progresses.

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