NBA Mid-Season Grades: Celtics standout; Warriors, Lakers receive failing marks

Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks have had an interesting first half of the season. After trading for Damian Lillard during the offseason, the Bucks, as you would expect, entered the season with astronomical expectations. And if you look at the standings, you'd think that the Bucks are living up pretty well. However, the Bucks just fired their head coach and hired Doc Rivers. Those aren't exactly actions you would expect a contending team to make at the midway point of the season.

Nevertheless, here we are. Despite their locker-room issues, which will hopefully be sorted out with the new head coach, the Bucks have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference standings and are just a few games behind the Boston Celtics. While it may seem like a pipe dream for the Bucks to catch the Celtics at this point, this is a team that will be one of the favorites to come out of the East.

If there were some real issues going on behind the scenes, and it sure seems like there were, the Bucks did a great job of rising above them on the court. Despite some bad management, the Bucks get a high mark for their success in the first half of the season.

Grade: B+