These were my thoughts heading into the season. Projections will be revisted.
In a condensed season that featured 72 games plus playoffs in the span of 7 months, the retrospective theme for the 2020-21 NBA season was depth. Increased back-to-backs, choppy road trips, and positive covid tests taxed every NBA franchise with injuries and exhaustion, and thus how deep your rotation ran became almost as important as how talented it was.
The team that took greatest advantage of this were the Milwaukee Bucks. A team that had grown a reputation for deep benches over the past few seasons, the Bucks cruised into the playoffs with a big 3 of all-stars that could take over a game, several valuable role players, and overall around 10 players capable of pressure-packed minutes. Like many other teams, injuries hurt them, the first major blow being the indefinite loss of starter Donte DiVincenzo in round 1. The biggest test would come 2 rounds later, when superstar Giannis Antetokoumnpo suffered a gruesome knee hyperextension that would sit him out for the remainder of the Eastern Conference Finals, and placed the Bucks’ title dreams in jeopardy.
The Bucks would win the 2 games they needed to without him, with the entire team picking up on the production lost, and the rest is history. They would avoid the injury-ridden flameout that other top-heavy teams (such as the Lakers and Nets) had suffered, and win their first championship in 50 years.
A memorable run, but the road to repeating will become even harder. With the losses of most notably sharpshooter Bryn Forbes and defensive specialist PJ Tucker in free agency, the bench that may have made the difference must now be retooled. Precedent shows that GM Jon Horst has consistently found a way to upgrade the core year after year, but being more cap-strapped than ever, a peak Bucks bench may have hit its end. In a league where contenders coming for the crown only get better every offseason, let’s examine this season’s bench mob, in an effort to predict if this team has what it takes for a respectable title defense.
What the Bucks need
Modern basketball makes it simple; as far as role players go, if you can shoot 3’s and play good defense, you are wanted. This is no different for the Bucks. Any lineup with a force as dominant as Giannis Antetekoumnpo is going to inversely space the floor, with defenders laying off to protect the paint. Shooters that can take advantage will go a long way towards avoiding the stagnation that the Bucks often had throughout playoff games. Meanwhile bringing in faces that can continue instilling the foundation of defense (where the Bucks ranked 1st last playoffs) will be integral.
So let’s examine the 8 bench players I believe have the best chance to rejuvenate the Bucks bench this season:
Bobby Portis
BOBBY! BOBBY! BOBBY!
If you followed the Bucks’ playoff run at all this year, you know who he is. The fan favorite, the people’s champ, crazy eyes himself. The cap situation, which allowed the Bucks to only offer him a maximum of $5.9 million per year (well below what other teams could’ve and would’ve offered) with their Mid-Level Exception, made it seem unlikely that he would return. Yet here he is, taking a paycut for the 2nd consecutive year, to stay for the title defense. He even held off on the MLE, signing a $4.3 million 1+1, and allowing the Bucks to spend it elsewhere. What a legend.
Hopefully the endorsements for staying will help him match the salary he’d be getting elsewhere. As for basketball, he’s once again going to bring energy, scoring, and toughness to the Bucks 2nd unit. During the playoffs, his ability to get buckets no matter how (almost comparable to Lou Williams’ role on teams over the years) proved vital to the team in meaningful games, especially as the pace slowed down into the half-court. His defense is continuing to improve, and with another year shooting his 47 3PT% mark (3rd in the entire league) from last season, he could become a bonafide 6th Man of the Year candidate.
Being the lone big in the bench rotation next year, his role will likely increase. Expect a lot of small lineups with him coming in for Lopez, and Giannis moving to the center position. Which, considering its success in the Hawks and Suns’ series respectively, is a good thing.
All in all, his return is security; as you’ll see, a lot of risk is involved in the other signings, and solid contribution is not guaranteed. But just know, even in the nightmare scenarios where the maybes flaunder, the depth will never be completely depleted. Because we’ll have Bobby.
Grayson Allen
From the depth addition of last offseason to potentially the one of this offseason. Badger fans who still have 2015 ingrained in their memory may wince at seeing this Blue Devil in green and cream, but Allen can be the key to the Bucks repeating.
Traded to Milwaukee in exchange for Sam Merill and two 2nds, he fits the ideal 3 & D archetype, shooting nearly 40% from beyond the arc in his first full season, and playing an irritating brand of defense. The latter half could be the piece to solving the puzzle on how to replace Tucker’s physical presence. Or better yet, how to add onto it, with Allen bringing an offensive skill set not just far greater than Tucker’s, but one that could even give DiVincenzo a run for the starting spot come opening night.
We may not have (as Tucker coined during his stay in Milwaukee) a dog, but we do have a rat.
Jordan Nwora
This may be the most curious case for fans to follow this season. Nwora, now entering his 2nd year, showed flashes of playability in his rookie season, and depending on who you ask, maybe even stardom. This included, most notably, a 34-point showing against the Bulls on the final night of the season, with the ball in his hands and the starters out. But Mike Budenholzer’s unwavering rotations would not give him a chance as a regular.
This year provides that chance. With the loss of a scoring spark off the bench in Bryn Forbes, Nwora will be looked on to fill that hole. Like Forbes, his shooting is excellent, and he can score off the dribble. His ability to drive and create space (often using a James Harden-esque stepback) may be even better than Forbes. However, he does come with similar deficiencies; his lack of willingness to facilitate means that if his shots aren’t falling, he’s not making an impact. Along with this, his defense can often leave him as a complete liability on the other end.
Nwora had a great Olympics for Nigeria, and while struggling a little more in the summer league, was still able to muster a handful of good performances. But the question still looms: can it translate?
Pat Connaughton
If you’re still using him as the fall guy, stop it.
A lot of questions came when Connaughton put pen to paper and signed on for 3 years last offseason, and even more arose after an up-and-down regular season. Many felt he was not held accountable, and being given too many minutes in the rotation. But, all of that is put to rest after this run.
Pat shined during the playoffs off the bench. From game 7 in Brooklyn, to tying up game 4 of the Finals, he hit clutch shot after clutch shot, assuming the Robert Horry role that every title team needs. His defense didn’t even look half-bad, as he continued to hold his own (not falling for pump fakes!). His versatility playing positions 2-4 (which makes Connaughton such a favorite of Bud) makes him a key to unlocking smaller lineups that were so successful last year. And his rebounding, which was always his strong suit, proved especially vital in the Suns comeback.
PJ’s hustle will be missed, but the Bucks will have no shortage of it in Pat and the returning DiVencenzo.
George Hill
“He’s baaaaack.”
Backup point guard was far and away the biggest hole in the Bucks roster last season. The DJ Augustin experiment backfired, and after offloading him in the PJ Tucker trade, the Bucks went to the buyout market and brought in Jeff Teague. He had his moments while being reunited with Budenholzer, most notably a 3/3 3PT performance in the closeout game of the Hawks series, in the building where they both used to call home of all places.
But, for the most part, a lot of his playoff minutes left the fans in chagrins and dismay. In his own words, “he got an A on the group project.” We’ll leave it at that.
If the Bucks were going to repeat, the front office knew a splash had to be made. And that splash was using a majority of the MLE on George Hill. He may have spent time next to LeBron, but his best twilight years have come next to Giannis and the Bucks, being the consistent backup through all the ups and downs.
He had his struggles as a part of the Sixers’ failed title quest, but the hope is that the version of George Hill that led the league in 3PT% for Milwaukee shows up next season.
There’s risk involved, but the reward is safety.
Rodney Hood
“You get a 2018 Cav! And you get a 2018 Cav!”
From one to another, Rodney Hood is maybe the largest boom-or-bust move of the offseason.
On one hand, Hood could bring more scoring off the bench, and his past has shown said scoring to have a playoff resilient seal of approval. After all, we’re only 2 years removed from him being the 4th best player on a Blazers team that made the Conference Finals.
Like, remember all the shots he was hitting in that 4OT thriller against Denver?
On the other hand, recent history suggests that recreating will be no easy task. He’s still trying to come back from a nasty achilles injury (which has been proven possible maybe twice in NBA history?) He suffered 18 months ago, and his return is already off to a rough start. He shot an abysmal 36% from the field last season. Not just 3PT%, overall.
But then again, a player of his caliber only becomes available on the minimum when something like this happens.
Thanasis Antetokoumpo
The painstaking wait for his extention took longer than most fans wanted, and may have been doubtful at certain points, but he’s back once again.
The outlook of Thanasis can be divided into three sectors. The cynical portion of the fanbase thinks he isn’t really that good, gets too many minutes, and is just signed on to keep Giannis happy, wishing he kept his fiery personality to All Access episodes. Optimists believe in his value to the rotation, with his spot minutes being a spark plug for a team that often looks tired in the heat of battle. Neutrals are here to enjoy the chaos he brings to the sport of basketball.
But either way, he’s undisputably 2 things: entertaining, and vital.
Semi Ojeleye
This signing was reported on the night of Bucks fans coming to grips with losing Tucker, and so the initial reaction was closer to a slap in the face. Going from a grizzled vet that was a pivotal part of the Bucks title, and battled head on with the all-time greats, to the perceived replacement being a...meme/scapegoat player that was at the back of the Celtics bench?
If he can’t even make the rotation on a decimated 7th seed, how is he supposed to do it with the defending champs?
However, in retrospect, the signing could become a low-risk/high-reward move that raises the Bucks bench to another level. Ojeleye has garnered a reputation for bringing a high amount of energy to the floor, and received praise from those who spent time with him for his extreme work ethic. The fit appears ideal for the Bucks’ ethos, who being built around a superstar like Giannis, carries a relentless charisma with them.
And yes, his abilities fit the PJ role. Not to say he could or should be expected to fill those shoes come opening night, but if hey you need a corner three, he’ll do it.