The Milwaukee Bucks were one of the darlings of the Eastern Conference in 2014 when they came out of nowhere to make the playoffs as the sixth seed. Milwaukee came crashing down to earth this past year when they struggled with consistency and posted eight fewer wins overall while finishing 12th in the East standings. A lot of the same young pieces are in place to think that they can bounce back this year but there are a handful of key moves that will help accelerate the process and help Jason Kidd’s team get back to the postseason. Here is a look at five things the Bucks have to accomplish this offseason.
Trade Greg Monroe
There isn’t much debate about the fact that Milwaukee made a mistake when they signed Monroe to a max contract last summer. Monroe is a quality young big man that can do a lot of good things at the offensive end of the floor, but he struggled defensively and his skill set might be better suited for another team. What’s interesting is that his numbers didn’t look that bad in Milwaukee. He played almost two less minutes per game than what he was used to, shot 52.2% from the field (compared to 49.6% in his final year in Detroit), scored 15.3 (compared to 15.9) with comparable rebounds and assists. While that passes the eye test, anybody who watched the Bucks play know how minimal of an impact Monroe had on the team’s wins. He simply doesn’t fit.
The Bucks could trade Monroe for a package that would include a big man that is better at his own end of the floor and at this point that appears to be the smart play.
Pass On Dwight Howard
There was a lot of talk about Milwaukee being interested in Howard before they signed Monroe but it wouldn’t make sense to move out Monroe and then bring in Howard at this point. Howard is still a strong veteran big man but he comes with a lot of baggage and the Bucks would be better off going in a different direction. The temptation will be there to sign a big-name player that brings some star power to Milwaukee but that is not what the team needs right now.
Make The Right Lottery Pick
This might be easier said than done but the reality is that the Bucks will have plenty of options with the 10th overall pick and they need to make sure they find the perfect fit. The best bet is likely a point guard that can shoot and that could mean taking Denzel Valentine out of Michigan State. Valentine’s skill set would make him the perfect fit in Milwaukee with the perfect mentor standing by to develop him in Kidd. Valentine averaged 19.2 points, 7.8 assists, 7.5 rebounds and 3.4 three-point shots per game on 44-percent shooting from beyond the arc in his senior season and he would make an immediate impact for the Bucks as a potential key franchise piece from the outset of his pro career.
Add More Pure Scorers
Milwaukee’s athleticism can only get it so far but if they want to emerge as a perennial playoff contender in the Eastern Conference they will have to add at least a couple of pure shooters that can stretch the floor and scare opponents. Kevin Martin and Jared Dudley could be a couple of prime options if they both hit the free agent market but the Bucks can’t stop there. Valentine would be an excellent addition but Milwaukee needs to add more pure scorers in order to take that next step.
Limit Kidd’s Control Over Personnel Decisions
Kidd made pretty much everybody he played with better in his NBA career and that is one reason why it will be important for the Bucks to limit his control in personnel decisions. Kidd might feel like he can coach players up beyond their expected potential but the reality is that his team took a step back this past season based largely on the fact that several players underachieved. Milwaukee will have some tough decisions to make this offseason and if they want to get back to the playoffs then management will need to be able to limit Kidd’s input on personnel decisions and make sure he has the right pieces in place to contend in the Eastern Conference.
