"No way in hell they can win": Stephen A. Smith calls out Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bucks' defensive frailties

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks lost to the New York Knicks 129-122 on Christmas. Milwaukee’s defense allowed New York to score 36 points in the first and third quarters and played catch-up for nearly the entire game. The defeat snapped the Bucks’ nine-game winning streak against their opponents.

The Bucks traded Jrue Holiday, one of the NBA’s best defenders, for former Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard. Without “JHolla” hounding the opposing team’s best perimeter threats, Milwaukee has struggled on defense.

Stephen A. Smith, on "NBA Countdown", had this to say about what ails the Bucks the most:

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“And that [so-so defense] is what’s going to hurt Adrian Griffin in his first year [as head coach]. Budenholzer was a damn good coach. When you see the defensive lapses of the Milwaukee Bucks, that alarms you because there’s no way in hell they can win the big picture if they don’t play defense.”

Adrian Griffin is in his first season as a head coach so he may still be adjusting to his new role. Losing Jrue Holiday, though, is unquestionably the biggest reason why the Bucks are no longer the defensive force they once were.

Damian Lillard and Malik Beasley have never been excellent defenders in their careers. Khris Middleton’s creaky knees aren’t helping either. The Bucks no longer have athletic perimeter defenders who can make life difficult for opponents.

As a result, there is too much pressure on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez to defend the rim. The two, particularly Antetokounmpo, can cover much ground, but they are playing with below-average defenders.

In the Milwaukee Bucks' loss to the Indiana Pacers in the semi-finals of the NBA In-Season Tournament, the team surrendered 37 points in the fourth quarter. The Pacers repeatedly gutted Milwaukee’s defense with relentless attacks to the basket despite Antetokounmpo and Lopez manning the paint. Indiana had too much momentum in their forays to the rim due to the Bucks’ poor perimeter defense.

The New York Knicks used the same tactic against the Bucks on Christmas. They relentlessly attacked the basket, which helped them outscore Milwaukee 72-50 inside points. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez could only do so much in trying to prevent the Knicks' aggressive drives.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard each had 32 points. Khris Middleton added 24. Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis Jr. also had good games on offense. Milwaukee’s offense hummed, but the defense struggled.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee Bucks are improving on defense

All is not gloom and doom when it comes to the Milwaukee Bucks defense. They started the first two weeks of the season ranked 27th in defensive rating. Heading into the game against the New York Knicks, they’ve climbed to 20th.

December has been when Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Bucks have shown their biggest strides on defense. Before the game against the Knicks, they were 12th in defensive rating.

Antetokounmpo has been putting the onus on his teammates to improve on the defensive end. It’s still early in the season and the Bucks are showing signs of becoming at least a decent team that’s capable of limiting their opponents.

Despite a so-so defense, they are No. 2 in the Eastern Conference with a 22-8 record. Milwaukee’s offense has undoubtedly been carrying the team. The Bucks will need its defense to step up to become legit championship contenders.