Speculating about Milwaukee Bucks being a “mess” and having “chemistry issues”

Since Mike Budenholzer took over as the Milwaukee Bucks’ head coach in 2018, the franchise has been very stable and has experienced minimal to no drama. That is reportedly changing.

Milwaukee is 4-7 in their last seven games with a 23-13 overall record and has slipped to third in the Eastern Conference. They’ve struggled with injuries all season long, as guys like Pat Connaughton, Joe Ingles, and Jrue Holiday have missed time.

Khris Middleton, who had two offseason surgeries–one on his knee and one on his wrist–missed the first 20 games. He then returned to play in seven of their next eight games from the beginning to the middle of December, but has now missed their last eight contests due to knee soreness. There isn’t a clear timetable for his return or what’s going on.

Bill Simmons of The Ringer dropped a tidbit about the Bucks that is beginning to catch steam. In his most recent podcast, he said, “Milwaukee is a mess. There’s rumors about chemistry going on and weird stories floating around about them now.” Not great, Bob.

The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly a “mess” and have “chemistry issues.” Here is some speculation about why that might be.

There’s no hard evidence about chemistry issues and there haven’t been any follow-up stories or reporting that I’ve seen. That means it’s time to recklessly speculate about why there may be chemistry issues on the Bucks (if there is).

• There’s been a lot of movement in the rotation through the first couple of months. This could be wearing on guys as a lot of the rotation isn’t sure exactly what their role is now or will be come playoff time.
• Jevon Carter was starting for most of the season and that unit had the best net rating in the NBA. They were also the best defensive lineup in the NBA. He was pulled from the first five and his minutes have been sporadic through the month of December. Remember, he was also benched in favor of a less productive George Hill in the second round of the playoffs.
• Jordan Nwora probably feels like he’s a rotational player in the NBA, but can’t earn a spot on the Bucks. His restricted free agent tender sat out there for a long time before he finally signed right before the season. From the Bucks’ perspective, he’s likely a trade candidate, but can’t be moved until January 15th.
• Nwora’s sticky hands and lack of vision when he has the rock in his hands, could be causing issues with teammates. Specifically, we’ve seen Bobby Portis show frustration with him on the court.
• Trade rumors have been circling Grayson Allen since he landed in Milwaukee. He’s human and can only take so much of that before it begins to affect his morale and happiness.
• Middleton has made vague comments about his long-term future with the Bucks.

Again, this is all speculation and we have no concrete reports or information about any of these theories. If the Bucks were fully healthy, it’s likely they would be winning and none of these “issues” would be a thing. Winning cures everything.

For now, let’s monitor the situation moving forward. Antetokounmpo and Holiday are set to return to the lineup and Middleton has begun more on-court work. Having those three at full health would be a major boost for the Bucks.