Bench issues and other takeaways from Bucks blowout loss

The Milwaukee Bucks played in their third preseason game against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night, and the Hornets came out on top, winning 105-90.

Milwaukee got out to a hot start thanks to its starting lineup, but despite opening the game fast, it didn’t last as Charlotte created separation in the second quarter.

Head coach Taylor Jenkins continues to evaluate his roster with different rotations through these preseason games, and there are still things his squad needs to work on.

Here are three takeaways from the Bucks loss against the Hornets.

Rebounding remains a problem 

One thing I pointed out that Milwaukee needed to fix before the season started was its rebounding. Last season, the Bucks were one of the worst rebounding teams and even had two different lineups that allowed the highest opponent offensive rebounding percentage. 

Milwaukee also ranked  No. 28 in the NBA in total rebounds per game, No. 19 in defensive rebounds and No. 30 in offensive rebounds. This offseason, the Bucks lost their two leading rebounders, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis, leaving them with a new group of players to figure it out.

That trend continued against the Hornets as they allowed 18 offensive rebounds and 24 second-chance points. Milwaukee did a better job in the second half, but the concern remains. If the Bucks want to be a competitive team this season, then they’ll have to clean up the glass much better than they did against Charlotte. 

Bench not providing help

Although there are a few players who are expected to contribute to Milwaukee’s bench who didn’t play in this game, such as Brayden Burries, Ousmane Dieng and Kasparas Jakucionis, the Bucks didn’t get much help from the ones who were out there. 

The bench unit combined for 34 points compared to the Hornets, which scored 49 points.

One of the few things that Jenkins and many fans could say about their team was that they have depth throughout the roster. And while there were some key players not playing, it was lacking. As a bench unit, Milwaukee shot 12-for-40 (30%) from the field and 3-for-19 (15.7%) from the 3-point line.

Kel'el Ware led the unit with 10 points off bench, but no other player had more than six. These games are helpful to see who sticks out and can contribute meaningful minutes, but tonight, there weren’t many players who did.

Transition defense is still a problem

If there’s one glaring issue from these first three preseason games for the Bucks, it’s their transition defense. 

Milwaukee has constantly been outscored on fast-break points, and tonight was no different. In the first game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, they were outscored 26 to nine in transition. It was 18 to 11 against the Thunder, and 15 to 20 versus Charlotte.

These points came in different ways, whether it was off misses, turnovers or even made baskets. The Bucks ranked near the bottom half last year in opponent fast break points (No. 19), allowing 15.5 points per game. So far through three preseason games, they’re tied for No. 26, giving up 21.3 points per game. 

It’s clear that it’s starting to become a problem, and it’s something that Jenkins and his team are going to have to clean up.