NBA Today: 3 Reasons behind Milwaukee Bucks' 16-game win streak

The Milwaukee Bucks opened the season with a 2-2 record, a sequence that included defeats to two Eastern Conference contenders in the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics.

Milwaukee's stuttering start to the season led some experts to question whether they were still among the favourites to advance from the East, however, Mike Budenholzer's team has responded in emphatic fashion over the past five weeks.

Since losing to the Celtics in late October, the Bucks have lost just once, and Wednesday's 127-112 win over the New Orleans Pelicans was their 16th consecutive win. Milwaukee's current 16-game win streak is tied for the second-most in franchise history, and the sequence of wins has provided the Bucks with NBA's joint best record (22-3).

With upcoming games against the Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers, the streak seems set to extend for another week at least, so we look at three reasons for Milwaukee's impressive run.

#3 The NBA's best offense

No team in the NBA is averaging more points than the Bucks

While Milwaukee's defense continues to improve, the Bucks have been the NBA's best offensive team during the opening two months of the season. Not even James Harden and the Houston Rockets can better Milwaukee's 120.8 points per game, and the Bucks are currently connecting with 48.4% of their field goal attempts - second only to the Lakers.

Having pushed the pace for much of the campaign to date, their total of 1326 points scored in the paint is the highest total in the Eastern Conference. Budenholzer's team also ranks second in points per possession (1.14), and they have topped 125 points on six occasions during their 16-game winning run to date. More importantly, they haven't dipped below 100 points and have only failed to put up 110 on two instances.

#2 A stacked roster with depth, surprise performers

Ersan Ilyasova is among the role players that have made an impact for the Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee's offseason was far from perfect as they lost Nikola Mirotic, and most notably the increasingly important Malcolm Brogdon. The loss of two important players was expected to harm Milwaukee's prospects going forward, though the Bucks have managed to regroup and continue to have plenty of impactful role players.

MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo missed Milwaukee's most recent win over the Pelicans, although Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe combined for 53 points, while Ersan Ilyasova also made the most of his call-up to the starting five, recording 18 points and 9 rebounds.

Brook Lopez also remains a force on the defensive end, while George Hill is quietly enjoying his best season since 2016. Ultimately the Bucks may lack a true second star but boast a well-rounded roster who have produced the NBA's longest winning streak of 19-20 so far.

#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo's continued brilliance

Giannis Antetokounmpo has further improved after being named 2019 MVP

Following an excellent 2018-19 season where he guided the Bucks to the league's best regular-season record and an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals, Giannis Antetokounmpo was named as the league's Most Valuable Player for the first time.

Having just turned 25, it was widely debated whether Giannis was approaching his prime years but the superstar has managed to further elevate his game during the opening months of 2019-20.

In 24 appearances this term, Antetokounmpo is averaging career-highs in points (30.9) and rebounds (13.2), while also averaging 5.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. His all-round game has been excellent and his leadership skills continue to grow as he intensifies attempts to bring a title to Milwaukee. Ultimately, it's been a great team effort so far this term but Antetokounmpo remains the driving force behind their 16-game winning streak.