ESPN.com
Bucks rank: 16th
Last week: 17th
"At what point do we start talking about the young Bucks as a playoff dark horse? Not saying we're there yet. Especially not after a rough weekend. Just asking: How long do we wait before we legitimately start asking if Jason Kidd's kids, with all that length all over the floor, can snag the No. 8 seed?"
I don't have an answer to Marc Stein's question. I also don't care much to answer said question this early in the season, and especially after back-to-back beatdowns over the weekend. If you disagree with me and wish to discuss the likelihood of the Bucks sneaking into the playoffs, then have at it in the comments.
Sports Illustrated
Bucks rank: 15th
Last week: 16th
"As I said before the season, jump on the Bucks' bandwagon -- we're down to standing-room only. With the perfect blend of blossoming youngsters and motivated veterans, the Bucks have been the biggest surprise in basketball through four weeks."
Small correction here: NO BANDWAGON IS TOO SMALL. THERE'S ROOM FOR EVERYONE!
SB Nation
Bucks rank: 17th
Last week: 18th
"The Bucks beat two bad teams (Knicks, Nets) before losing to two good teams (Raptors, Wizards), which is a good representation of where they are right now. They're winning games they should, but not quite good enough to hang with the big dogs."
That sounds a lot like being in the middle of the pack again, doesn't it? Before you freak out at being back in the middle and hide under a blanket though, consider this: there were very few games last year that you could pencil the Bucks in as victors for. That's changed this season, has it not? It could just be simple mean reversion, but for now calling it ''progress'' seems both fair and enjoyable.
Yahoo Sports
Bucks rank: 15th
Last week: 18th
"Rookie forward Jabari Parker scored more than 20 points for the first time with 23 in a triple-overtime win over Brooklyn on Nov. 19."
We can confirm this. Say, let's watch those highlights once more.
NBA.com
Bucks rank: 17th
Last week: 17th
"Giannis Antetokounmpo shut down Joe Johnson late in Wednesday's triple-OT win in Brooklyn, but the Bucks couldn't get full stops against the Raps or Wiz, allowing them to convert 35 total offensive rebounds into 59 second-chance points. For the second straight season, the team Jason Kidd coaches ranks 28th in defensive rebounding percentage."
The rebounding is definitely a big concern, but it's worth noting that teams like the Mavericks, Rockets, Pelicans, Bulls, and Raptors--all teams that are over .500--are in the bottom third of the league in DRB% with the Bucks. The difference is that those teams have high functioning offenses while the Bucks have the fifth worst. Possessions tend to matter more when you can't score that efficiently, and thus the rebounding becomes a much more glaring issue.
Stats:
The 7-7 Bucks made a small improvement, averaging a 1.2 position climb this week for an average finish of 16.