BROOKLYN – The slogan for the Milwaukee Bucks is “Own the Future,” which is fitting because they certainly haven’t owned the present.
Milwaukee is now 4-12 overall since trading for Michael Carter-Williams, including five straight losses. Keep in mind, the Bucks were at the peak of their season at 31-23 overall and coming off a four-game winning streak one day after the trade deadline.
On Friday night, the Bucks fell below the .500 mark for the first time since Dec. 27 (15-16) after losing a 129-127 triple overtime thriller to the Nets.
Carter-Williams has seen a statistical decline in his shooting from the field (.383) and beyond the arc (.073), rebounding (3.6) and assists (5.6) since arriving in Milwaukee while the team has fallen to sixth place in the East.
“I just need to be all-around a little bit better,” Carter-Williams said. “Tonight wasn’t my night. My shots weren’t falling and I’m just trying to get better each day.”
He had one of his worst games as a Buck on Friday night, shooting 7-for-26 from the field.
Before the game, coach Jason Kidd was asked if the trade was to blame for the team’s recent slump.
“No,” Kidd said. “It’s something much bigger than that that you guys are going to have to wait and write about. You guys look at the moment. Sometimes you’ve got to look in front of you. I think the trade was a good thing, a positive thing, no matter how our record shakes out. We’re here to build something, not to do something in six months. This is a bigger picture so we feel that we have a core here that will be around for a long time and have success.”
While there’s no doubt the future is bright for the Bucks with a core of Jabari Parker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Carter-Williams and Khris Middleton, the present has become murky. The injury bug has bitten two key veteran bench contributors – Jared Dudley and O.J. Mayo. Dudley missed his fourth straight game with back spasms. Mayo has missed 10 of the last 13 games with a hamstring injury. Both are without an official timetable to return.
The loss of those players has meant more playing time for Ersan Ilyasova, Tyler Ennis and Jerryd Bayless.
Keep in mind, Milwaukee also bought out Larry Sanders shortly after the trade deadline. He was expected to be the team’s starting center and a key member of the core this season and going forward.
According to Kidd, the Bucks – who won a total of 15 games last season – are playing with house money when he was asked about the team’s recent struggles.
“We’re in the sixth spot,” Kidd said. “No one here in front of me is saying we would ever be here. So how are we trending down?”
When Kidd was pressed by a reporter on the losing streak he replied, “That’s the way you look at it. We’re getting better every time we play, winning or losing… You learn from missed shots. You learn from making winning shots. So we’re not trending down. We’re actually learning from our mistakes, but also learning what it takes to win in this league.”
No player is learning more about what it takes to win than Carter-Williams after coming over from Philadelphia, where Sam Hinkie has put the “tank” in tanking.
General manager John Hammond believes Carter-Williams has the talent to become one of the better starting point guards in the league with the tutelage of Kidd, a Hall of Fame player at the position. In addition, the trade gave the team more cap flexibility going forward since it will no longer have to re-sign Brandon Knight – who could get a maximum contract offer in restricted free agency, as I outlined in a previous column. Meanwhile, Carter-Williams and Tyler Ennis are both under contract through the 2017-18 season.
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As for the rest of the 2014-15 season, Zaza Pachulia – the “soul” of the team according to assistant general manager David Morway – accurately explained what must happen if Milwaukee wants to return to form.
“We’re getting used to (Carter-Williams),” Pachulia said. “He’s getting used to us, but we’re working. It’s a process, a lot of games and trying to squeeze in practices and film, but at the end of the day everybody has to lock in. He’s our point guard so you’ve got to understand it. He’s going to run the show here. That’s why they brought him here. Everybody is depending on him.”
Michael Scotto is an NBA columnist for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter: @MikeAScotto.
The Bucks never should have released Nate Wolters. Over and out.