Hope is a strange thing. It can uplift in a time of need, or lead one down a path of carefree delusion.
It’s outrageous to hear a fanbase that gets to watch Giannis Antetokoumpo on their perennial contender long for the rise of another young prospect, but here we are. Not out of a sense of insufficiency with the remarkable feats he achieves nightly, but almost out of fear. For his sake, the Bucks needed to get this draft pick right.
The history of sports are littered with all-time athletes who have and have-not. Tim Duncan, brought into an organization that eagerly surrounded him with hall-of-fame players and coaches, maximized his talent to the fullest extent, totaling 5 rings, a cemented NBA dynasty, and a consensus top 10 career ever. Kevin Garnett, brought into a tumultuous organization more concerned over power struggles, and lost 3 first round picks in trying to sign Joe Smith, ended up with a single championship, on a different team, taking a backseat to that team’s franchise mainstay.
Even within the state of Wisconsin, there’s Aaron Rodgers, who has suffered January heartbreak annually, never able to capture that elusive 2nd Super Bowl, much less even get back to the big game. Why? He spent a decade trudging along with lackluster defenses, inept coaches, and ignorant GMs that refused to capitalize on his strengths.
We cannot bear to see the same fate fall on Giannis, a once-in-a-lifetime talent that has dedicated his prime to playing in Milwaukee. And in his career, the Bucks have shown him both sides of the coin.
This was an organization that cleverly turned scraps into PJ Tucker (a key title contributor) at the trade deadline, but then let him walk in free agency for nothing, whether out of miscommunication, cheapness, or stubbornness that his production could be replaced by Semi Ojeleye.
This front office executed one of the marquee championship trades of the era, trading for Jrue Holiday, then almost put it all in jeopardy on the very same night, prematurely moving for Bogdan Bogdanovic, doing the impossible in the process; getting caught for tampering by the NBA.
The Bucks made arguably the greatest non-lottery pick ever in taking Antetokounmpo, then followed it with the likes of Jabari Parker, Thon Maker, DJ Wilson, and Donte Divincenzo.
And in context, there is no organization with more salt in the wound than Milwaukee. Within a decade of existence, Lew Alicindor was gone for filler. Dirk Nowitzki was traded on draft night for Robert “Tractor” Traylor. Bucks fans got a taste of Ray Allen, before his prime years were shipped away for 3 months of mid-thirties Gary Payton. Took Jimmer Fredette ahead of Klay Thompson, and allegedly chose to trade for Monte Ellis when offered Steph Curry, because of injury concerns. Traded picks that would become Norman Powell and OG Announby for Grevis Vasquez.
MarJon Beauchamp may never reach the highs that Giannis climbed to along his meteoric trajectory, and probably will never be able to stoop below the lows of the past. Draft night was filled with anxiety, many worried that Jon Horst would light his last fully-controlled first round pick for a while on figurative fire. Fans have seen the recent years of picks being burned on raw projects that don’t pan out, or being traded it all together behind a roster so desperately needing youth. And yet, by the end of the night, he used it on someone that made sense; an athletically gifted wing, with potential and defensive traits that can’t be taught, plugging an immediate hole.
For the first time in a while, Bucks fans have someone they can be hopeful in.
When Beauchamp makes his Bucks debut in the Summer League on Friday, many Bucks fans will watch on with excitement and curiosity. As he takes the court, I envision the years ahead, after Khris, Jrue, and Brook. A next generation of players will have to surround Giannis one day, but while most other teams have a pool of prospects who they believe can carry the torch in the not-so-distant future, for the Bucks it remains quite unclear. Searching for comfort, I take solace in knowing MarJon could be one of them, and selfishly imagine a future where he is the Pippen to Giannis’ Jordan, single-handedly extending any championship window.
He isn’t guaranteed to be either, but isn’t that the fun in hope?
