Bucks' struggles apparent as NBA season reaches midpoint

Kris Middleton (left), Jabari Parker (right) and Giannis Antetokounmpo have not had a great deal of time to play together due to Parker’s injury last season.It's officially the halfway point of the Milwaukee Bucks season: 41 games in, 41 to go.

If the Bucks were 25-16 right now, the preseason prognosticators would have been nodding their heads and saying, "Told you so."

Instead the Bucks are 16-25 and looking lottery bound unless they can make big changes in the second half.

The reasons for the Bucks struggles are apparent. The defense has slipped badly. Rebounding remains a major issue. The team has lost veteran leaders Zaza Pachulia and Jared Dudley, who were as important for what they did…