The Milwaukee Bucks are tied for second in the Eastern Conference at 14-6, but there are plenty of questions surrounding the team. Let’s dive right into 20 observations about the Bucks through their first 20 games.

Giannis is having the most efficient scoring year of his career if we go by effective field goal percentage. A big part of the reason is all the space he’s working with when he shares the floor with Damian Lillard. He’s also cut his three-point attempts in half from two years ago.

He continues to be the lead cheerleader from the bench and a ball of energy when he gets into games. There have been a few times this season when Adrian Griffin has used him to inject effort into his team. However, he’s best suited with his butt on the bench.

Beasley is miscast as a defensive stopper with the starting lineup, but there’s no denying his outside shooting. He’s making a career-high 45 percent of his threes and is benefitting from being the fifth option with the first five. If the Bucks can acquire a defensive wing, he should thrive coming off the bench.

Beauchamp has clearly improved this season after hitting the weight room hard in the summer. He’s also hitting his jumper with a bit more consistency. Still, something feels off about him on the offensive end. Defensively, he has long arms, but lacks lateral quickness to keep his man in front of him consistently. He’ll benefit from continued minutes in the 15-20 minute range.

He’s currently sidelined by a sprained ankle, but it’s been another slow start for Connaughton. He still hasn’t found his outside shot and appears to have lost a step defensively. If the Bucks make a trade, he could be a guy to go due to his slip in play and contract.

After a disastrous 2022-23 campaign, Crowder began this season on a mission. He looked quicker on defense and was splashing from the outside. Unfortunately, he’s sidelined with a groin injury that required surgery. Hopefully he bounces back to his early season form, as the Bucks need his defense.

With all the injuries on the wing, Green has been thrust into a role over the last week or so. There’s no question he can shoot, but can he do anything else?

The rookie plays hard on the court, there’s no doubt about it. However, sometimes he has a bit too much Thanasis in him and gets overzealous while guarding the ball, leading to a foul. I look forward to watching him grow as the season progresses.

After a slow shooting start to the season, Lillard has picked it up over his last 10 games. He’s knocking down about 39 percent of his threes and is diabolical in his approach. He’s been as advertised on offense.

Livingston is in a developmental year with the Bucks and spends most of his time on the bench.

Lopez averages more blocks per game this year (2.8) than he did last season (2.5). He hasn’t lost a step despite entering his mid-30s and looks to anchor a defense that needs improvement.

Lopez spends most of his time on the bench...errrr...the floor. We rarely see him in games, which is probably a good thing based on how he played during the preseason, but he finds his way on camera thanks to his favored spot in front of the Bucks’ bench on the floor.

The Bucks are 20 games in, but Middleton isn’t back to full strength yet. After an achillies scare a couple of weeks ago, he’s returned to the lineup and continues to ramp up. There are spurts where he looks like vintage Middleton, but he clearly doesn’t have it all the time. He’s lost a step on defense as well.

Payne’s numbers are down in the box score, but he plays the perfect role for Milwaukee. He’s a change of pace point guard who can spread the floor and play with pace.

It’s been a roller coaster of a season for Portis as he finds his way on both ends of the court. The Bucks need more consistency from him with the second unit in the scoring department.

Milwaukee is 14-6 despite not always looking the best. That’s good enough to be tied for second in the Eastern Conference and 1.5 games behind the Boston Celtics.

The Bucks defense was overhauled in the offseason despite being one of the best units in the NBA. The massive shift in philosophy has led to a plethora of struggles. Their three biggest issues are a scheme that doesn’t match their personnel, perimeter defenders who can’t keep ball-handlers in front of them, and a lot of ball-watching from their veterans.

Griffin has faced a ton of criticism to begin his coaching career—some deserved and some exaggerated—and has his work cut out for him. A lot has happened during these first 20 games and we’ll see how the next 60 go.

The Bucks win differential is first in the NBA for the second straight year. Their 14 wins is 2.6 more than expected when compared to their point differential, according to Cleaning the Glass.

It’s clear the Bucks roster is flawed compared to how they want to defend. Beasley and Lillard cannot execute the type of defense Griffin wants. Will general manager Jon Horst make a deal with his limited trade assets to get Milwaukee a perimeter stopper? Only time will tell.