The Milwaukee Bucks took a step back in 2015-16 when they finished with the worst record in the Central division at 33-49. After making the playoffs the year before, basketball fans in Milwaukee were hoping that a young roster could continue to climb the ladder in the Eastern Conference. Instead, they will likely need to temper their expectations once again. The Bucks were certainly active in free agency and at the 201 NBA Draft, but they didn’t necessary make the type of impact moves that would lead to dramatic and immediate improvement. Instead, Milwaukee will once again bank on an improving young core to continue its development as they continue to build from the ground up.
Offseason Changes
The Bucks allowed veterans like Jerryd Bayless, Greivis Vasquez and O.J. Mayo to walk only to bring in Matthew Dellavedova, Jason Terry and Mirza Teletovic. Teletovic should make a positive impact as a veteran forward that can stretch the floor with the ability to shoot the three-ball that Milwaukee so desperately needs. However, Dellavedova and Terry don’t represent substantial upgrades at their positions. Yes, they both offer experience and the presence of a veteran, but it’s questionable as to what they’ll deliver on the court. There are some that feel that money would have been better spent elsewhere – especially Dellavedova, who was barely even playing for the Cavaliers in the playoffs last year. The Milwaukee Bucks used their first-round pick on talented young shooting guard Malcolm Brogdon, but it will take time for him to reach his potential in the NBA. Meanwhile, Thon Maker was considered by many to be a major reach when Milwaukee selected him with the 10th overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
Strengths
The Milwaukee Bucks are an elite team in terms of athleticism and length, and they have a ton of talent up front. Teletovic is a strong addition as a three-point shooter and he should compliment Greg Monroe and Miles Plumlee, who do their best work in the paint as low-post scorers. Milwaukee should be one of the better rebounding teams in the NBA. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker have the potential to be All-Stars and this team’s fortune is directly tied to their success. Khris Middleton flies under the radar somewhat but he is an intriguing young wing with the potential to make an impact this year. There is talent here but the roles and the identity aren’t quite clear.
Weaknesses
For as good as this team should be on the boards and in fast break situations, they definitely could have used another three-point shooter to help spread the floor. Milwaukee scored an NBA-low 5.4 three-point shots per game last season and their inability to stretch the floor allowed opposing defenses to cheat. The additions of Dellavedova and Terry don’t represent major upgrades at a position where the Milwaukee Bucks already have Michael Carter-Williams and Tyler Ennis.
The biggest weakness on this team is determining the caliber of their young stars. Is Giannis truly going to be a star or is he going to be inconsistent, like we’ve seen so far in his young career? Can Parker truly elevate his game to the point where he’d be considered a started on any roster in the NBA? Speaking of starting caliber, is either Carter-Williams or Ennis in that category? The Milwaukee Bucks have a lot of talent but we’re not sure when these guys will start turning that potential into something tangible.
Outlook
There is no denying that Milwaukee has some considerable young talent on its roster with Carter-Williams, Antetokounmpo and Parker in the mix but management simply hasn’t done a good enough job of surrounding that core with complimentary pieces. Brogdon could turn out to be a stud but the Bucks focused too much on adding role players in the offseason rather than at least one pure scorer that could help them take another step in the standings. Milwaukee will be a competitive team in 2016-17, but it’s unrealistic to expect major improvement in the standings as a number of teams ahead of them became substantially better in the offseason.
Prediction: 5th in Central Division; 13th in Eastern Conference
