Milwaukee Bucks Preview
Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the cusp of taking the Milwaukee Bucks to the next level.
How would you feel about your favorite team being led by a dude that looks like a cross between the Stranger Things monster and Michael Jordan if his arms never got fixed after his game winning dunk to avoid eternity on Moron Mountain? How would you feel if your favorite player just became the first guy in league history to finish top 21 in all five major statistical categories? How would you feel if that guy was just 22 years old and two years younger than the rookie of the year who just happens to be his point guard? How would you feel if he could do this?
The Bucks have a generational talent, one who makes the word upside look ridiculous and the mere suggestion of a ceiling an insult to just how good he can be. Everything they do this offseason should be viewed in that frame. The final piece of the puzzle is there, it’s all about filling in the sides.
Last Season:
For the 16th straight season the Bucks failed to get out of the first round of the playoffs or win over 46 games, and yet coming up on two decades of rebuilding, things are looking up in Milwaukee. Despite building blocks Khris Middleton (torn hamstring), and Jabari Parker (torn ACL) missing the first and second half of the year respectively, the Bucks were still able to claw their way over .500 and put an opening round scare into a Raptors team that was probably never all that good. Despite his non-existent defense causing him to be a net neutral in terms of Real Plus-Minus (-0.78, good for 188th in the league or just one spot higher than the corpse of Paul Pierce), Parker took real steps forward. He put up 20–6 every night and shot 49% from the floor all while turning into a credible perimeter threat for the first time in his career.
The ACL injury, the second on his left knee in three seasons, raises real questions about whether Parker will ever reach the promise he showed as a generational talent coming out of Simeon High School. Giannis is going to single-handedly make the Bucks a perennial contender for the next decade, but Parker’s the guy who could make them the heirs to the LeBron Dynasty out East.
Somewhat disappointing debut seasons by international gunners Matthew Dellavedova and Mirza Teletovic (guaranteed a combined 50 million over the next two seasons) were mitigated by Malcolm Brogdon becoming the lowest drafted player to win rookie of the year, flashes of brilliance from a (*winks*) teenage Thon Maker, and Tony Snell overcoming the league’s dopiest name to be an effective floor spacer.
Draft From The Past:
Bucks fans might not love it, but the cleanest comparison I see for former Michigan star D.J. Wilson is Michael Beasley. Now Wilson has an advantage over Beasley in that he didn’t join the team because he thought it was a dispensary, but the two have a lot of the same faults. Both of their games are defined by ridiculously varied skill sets and athleticism for their size, but the lack of strength and basketball IQ to make it all consistently come together. Wilson has plenty of time to fix those flaws and he makes a ton of sense on this team if he does.
Free Agent Tinder Superlike:
It’s a pipe dream, but it has to be Chris Paul right? On/Off stats have consistently painted him as one of the three to five best players in the league, and while there’s little history of shorter guards aging well, CP3 showed negligible signs of dropping off last season. To make it happen Paul would have to turn down over $200 million from the Clippers (a max he painstakingly negotiated as the player union president) and theoretically more appealing offers from San Antonio and Houston. On Milwaukee’s end they’d have to clear an absurd amount of cap space and package onerous contracts with young talent to do so. But a hypothetical starting five of Paul-Middleton-Parker (Snell until he’s healthy)-Smoothie King Giannis-Medicare Thon would be ridiculously fun and pretty clearly the second or third best team in the East. More realistically rushing the Bucks developmental timeline doesn’t make sense with LeBron and the Dubs lurking. Milwaukee can afford to take a big swing this summer, but they shouldn’t feel any pressure to shake up one of the Association’s brightest futures.
One Defining Stat:
While Parker is often (including in this article) considered the essential second piece for the Bucks, Middleton (despite a slow recovery) was significantly better in terms of net rating finishing the year with a +5.7 vs Parker’s -2.5. Additionally the Bucks three most important other starters (Antetokounmpo, Brogdon, and Snell) all shot slightly better with Middleton on the floor.
How Far Away Are They?
While the Bucks rebuild hasn’t been quite as rapid as a Giannis one man break they’re certainly on the right track. Without speeding up their timeline by signing a star of Paul’s caliber I’d say they’re on track to make round two next year, be a conference finals contender the year after and be a legit title threat whenever KD can’t do this anymore.
The Up & Under:
The Up: Best case Milwaukee finds willing takers for Greg Monroe, Delly and Teletovic without having to give up any young talent. Paul, wanting to put as much land between him and the Warriors as possible, heads to Cream City. Going from never having a legitimate starting point guard to one of the five best ever leads to an MVP season for Giannis and the one seed for the Bucks. Milwaukee knocks out a loaded Celtics squad in round two and sends Paul George straight to LA. The Bucks proceed to take the Cavs to 7 and Giannis goes mano e mano with King Propecia and proves himself to be the NBA’s next great star. There is a darkest timeline however.
The Under: Michael Beasley, not re-signed but somehow still living in the Bucks training facility, decides to initiate D.J. Wilson by smoking him out, in the process starting a fire that burns the building down. Bango proceeds to stampede out of the building and takes out Jabari’s knee while Middleton re-tears his hamstring trying to get away from him. Delly, frustrated by all the carnage. talks Greg Monroe into starting a Fairy Bread company with him. Thon announces he’s retiring at the end of the season to spend more time with his grandkids. Finally, thinking he’s an “actual alien,” Donald Trump has Giannis deported into space with nothing but a Nutribullet for company.
