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The Bucks have played four games and opinions are starting to be formed, so we’ve got the first week of results from our new Tuesday Tracker—thanks to everyone who voted! It seems like the bulk of votes came in prior to Wednesday night’s debacle north of the border, so there are a few of these that could have gone differently had polling come in the wake of that game. Onto the results...
Poll
Khris Middleton has only played 16 and 17 minutes in two of the Bucks’ three games so far. How concerned are you about his health?
This poll is closed
-
6%
Very concerned
(11 votes) -
29%
Somewhat concerned
(51 votes) -
40%
A little concerned
(70 votes) -
24%
Not at all concerned
(42 votes)
Over 75% of respondents are some degree of concerned about Middleton’s playing time—or lack thereof—so far. After last year’s injury-marred campaign, this makes sense. But as I pointed out yesterday, in terms of minutes this buildup is going about the same as what we saw last winter when he made his second return. He also played just 17 minutes on Wednesday night.
Poll
Who should be the Bucks’ fifth starter alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez?
This poll is closed
-
38%
Malik Beasley
(93 votes) -
32%
MarJon Beauchamp
(77 votes) -
10%
Pat Connaughton
(26 votes) -
10%
Jae Crowder
(25 votes) -
5%
Bobby Portis
(12 votes) -
2%
Someone else
(6 votes)
Beasley is off to a nice start from behind the arc and is averaging two steals per game (must have something to do with that aggressive defense we keep seeing), but few are under the illusion that he’s a plus defender. That being said, he’s certainly putting in the effort on that end and his shooting merits him a spot in the rotation. In the starting lineup, though? Fewer are convinced. Beauchamp’s efforts on quick guards like Tyrese Maxey (not so much on Trae Young) make him a strong candidate too, and the way the defense currently looks, it might make sense to elevate the youngster into that role if things don’t improve.
Poll
With Giannis signing his latest extension, how confident are you that he’ll sign another when he becomes eligible again in 2026?
This poll is closed
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29%
Very confident
(71 votes) -
38%
Somewhat confident
(93 votes) -
25%
Neutral
(61 votes) -
4%
Somewhat doubtful
(10 votes) -
1%
Very doubtful
(4 votes)
Here’s one I don’t think would have been affected as much by the Toronto loss, though I’m a bit surprised that there weren’t more people who are “very confident.” Maybe it’s reflective of some cautiousness, or just the general nature of stars in the NBA. But hey, nearly 70% of voters are confident Giannis re-ups when he’s next able to, and I doubt this poll would have looked so optimistic a week or two ago.
Poll
In general, how many three-pointers should Giannis attempt per game?
This poll is closed
-
31%
Zero
(77 votes) -
59%
One or two
(143 votes) -
3%
Three to five
(8 votes) -
5%
As many as he likes
(13 votes)
Speaking of Giannis, his infamous early shot clock, dribble-up three-point attempts are back, and drawing heavier scrutiny with Damian Lillard on the floor. A sizeable chunk of people think he should take a page out of Waukesha County’s book and stay away from downtown completely, but most people think he can still put one or two up, presumably in the right circumstances. I tend to agree—once in a while, it’s a decent idea. Like when they have a solid lead.
Poll
Where do you expect the Bucks to rank this regular season in terms of defensive rating?
This poll is closed
-
8%
1st–5th
(20 votes) -
37%
5th–10th
(90 votes) -
41%
10th–15th
(100 votes) -
12%
Worse than 15th
(29 votes)
They’re currently 29th... but hey, you’re not alone if you were among the 80% of people who anticipated 5th–15th. Literally everyone on staff predicted the same thing in the pre-opening night roundtable (yours truly had seventh, and I’m gonna wear that one if it’s extremely wrong). There’s still a long way to go, and we hadn’t seen Griffin’s scheme under the regular season lights at that point, but there were some hints in the preseason it could be like this. So maybe we’ll all be wrong together!
Poll
Do you approve of the job Adrian Griffin is doing as the Bucks’ head coach?
This poll is closed
-
24%
Yes
(59 votes) -
5%
No
(14 votes) -
69%
Undecided
(166 votes)
Now we have the approval polls—we’ll keep running tabs on these. Lots of fans are withholding judgment, which is very reasonable with a first-year head coach. Had this poll been strictly conducted on Thursday, though, I have a feeling the nos would have a stronger showing. Let’s see how this looks next week.
Poll
Do you approve of the job Jon Horst is doing as the Bucks’ general manager?
This poll is closed
-
95%
Yes
(228 votes) -
0%
No
(0 votes) -
4%
Undecided
(10 votes)
No surprise here: Horst got Giannis to sign on the dotted line yet again (though maybe not every Bucks fan would like to keep him around) and once again put together a team that looks like one of the league’s best on paper by swinging a massive trade. But zero people disapprove of him right now, so we can firmly stay that he’s enjoying an overwhelmingly positive sentiment from the fanbase. Will he get dinged for his coaching hire if Griffin’s approval rating drops, though?
Poll
Do you think this Bucks team can win the title as currently constructed?
This poll is closed
-
84%
Yes
(210 votes) -
4%
No
(12 votes) -
10%
Undecided
(27 votes)
We’ll keep this one around weekly too. Very few naysayers in the wake of the 2-1 start—maybe 2-2 wouldn’t have added that many more. Maybe it would have. Let’s see how things look a week from now.
Has your opinion changed since your vote? Tell us about it in the comments. We’ll be back on Tuesday with another poll.
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