The Milwaukee Bucks have only started a season 1-11 twice in franchise history, and both times, it was because they were missing their best player. The context, however, was far different back in the day than it is right now.
The first time this happened was in 1974, when the Bucks were stuck without the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who missed the first 16 games of that season after an eye injury that led him to wear his iconic goggles. This time, it's because Milwaukee was backed into a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade by his agent, the media, and Giannis himself, with little direction on where the team should go next.
Although those circumstances feel dire, this Bucks team is without hope. That feeling starts, most importantly, with the two standout rookies they added to their lineup this offseason: Brayden Burries, who has assumed the starting point guard spot mere weeks into his debut season, and the burgeoning Nate Ament, whose raw physical traits and tantalizing skill set are matched by a relentless nature with the ball in his hands.
Fans have frequently compared the start of this season to the Bradley Center days because of the hopeless feeling on the court and the empty seats throughout Fiserv Forum. In fact, the Bucks have the lowest average attendance in the NBA right now by a decent margin. Even so, this is not the situation those beleaguered fans are making it out to be.
Despite their worst start in franchise history, the Milwaukee Bucks still have a lot to play for moving forward.
After Friday night's loss in Orlando, this is the worst start in franchise history. But it's also a revised version of the gap year the Bucks wanted to take a year ago, before Giannis shut the notion down. This is a chance for the franchise to reset, evaluate its roster, and chart a course forward into a new era of Bucks basketball.
A short while ago, the biggest issue surrounding this Bucks franchise, aside from the Giannis trade chatter, was their complete lack of draft picks to acquire and develop young talent. Their track record in doing so has been a mixed bag, with the highest possible outcomes like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton met by some of the lowest possible outcomes, like AJ Johnson, the 23rd overall pick in 2024, who didn't even make it through his second season with the team.
That's not to pick on Johnson, but to underscore this front office regime's shaky track record in the draft. In fact, this group didn't draft the Giannis/Middleton core at all — but they did do an excellent job of keeping them happy and constructing a winning roster around them.
The point being, GM Jon Horst and Co. have been building for the immediate present for nearly a decade, and earned the 2019 NBA Executive of the Year award because of it. They haven't had nearly enough time to figure out the pathway back to the postseason, or which players will get them there, and that's what this season is all about. Head coach Taylor Jenkins is rebuilding a locker room culture that was broken by his predecessor and finding out who has what it takes to compete.
So far, the answer to that question is Burries, Ament, Tyler Herro, and Jaime Jaquez Jr., but 13 games isn't a large enough sample size to figure it all out in earnest. Buckle up, Bucks fans, because this ugly season isn't going to turn around overnight, but in due time, they're bound to string together some wins and figure out the formula for the future, and when they do, Bucks basketball will feel hopeful again.
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