The Bucks look to put their slow start behind them tonight against the Celtics

The Bucks have lost two straight games after a win at Philadelphia on opening night.

It's safe to say this wasn't the start to the season Doc Rivers wanted for the Milwaukee Bucks.

After a 115-102 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, the Bucks opened the season with a 1-2 record. So one may ask: What's going on with the Bucks?

This isn't the first time the Bucks have struggled in recent years. They suffered first-round exits in the last two playoffs and ultimately struggled to repeat their title-winning season in 2020-21. While serious injuries have played a major role, it's safe to say it's been a tough time for Milwaukee. However, the Bucks begin the 2024-25 season at relatively full strength (without Khris Middleton) and after a full offseason under coach Doc Rivers. However, they still deliver disappointing results – even if three games are not enough to draw any valuable conclusions.

The Bucks struggled defensively in Friday's 133-122 loss to the Chicago Bulls, shooting 47.9% from the field and an incredible 44.7% from distance on 47 attempts. They improved defensively on Sunday and limited the Nets to “only” 115 points. However, this time the offensive implementation was missing. The Bucks shot just 30.3% from three-point range, and you simply can't win in today's NBA if you shoot the ball so poorly from distance.

Maybe it's a combination of factors at certain moments, but the offensive stats show the Bucks haven't been as bad as their 1-2 record suggests. The Bucks rank sixth in the league in shooting percentage (120.7 percent), fourth in overall field goal percentage (49.4) and fifth in effective field goal percentage (57.3). They also rank ninth in opponent shooting percentage (44.2) and 12th in opponent effective field goal percentage (52.1). They weren't sad at all and it looks like they need to adjust a few things here and there to get back to winning ways.

Unfortunately for the BucksThey will face another title contender, the Boston Celtics, on the road this Monday (7:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV). The Celtics are undefeated in three games and are crushing their opponents by an average margin of 16.3 points per win – and that includes a narrow 124-118 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. This is the perfect time for the Bucks to bounce back from two disappointing losses, as showing they can keep up with the Celtics should help them get back on track regardless of whether they win a third game in a row or lose.

It's still early in the season, so there's no reason to hit the panic button yet. However, Monday's game in Boston is already an important game for the Bucks. Then they have to show that they can still be considered a competitive team in the Eastern Conference. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard will have to be at their best to keep up with a star-studded Boston team, as a 1-3 start is not what the Bucks were hoping for at the start of the 2024-25 regular season.