Are the Milwaukee Bucks ready to compete against the aging Cleveland Cavaliers and new look Boston Celtics?
On February 8th, 2017 the Milwaukee Bucks took on the Miami Heat in the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Milwaukee would lose not only the game, but they also lost the promising Jabari Parker to his second ACL tear in three seasons.
The Bucks’ record stood at 22-29 after the Miami game with Parker’s great season (20.1 PPG) over.
A 20-11 run to end the season run turned Milwaukee from a lottery team to the Eastern Conference’s No. 5 seed. While Giannis Antentokounmpo led the team in points, assists, rebounds, steals, blocks, and minutes, contributions from ROY Malcolm Brogdon and sharpshooter Khris Middleton gave the Bucks multiple threats on the offensive and defensive ends.
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They would face the pesky Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs. In one of the few exciting series of the 2017 NBA Playoffs, Toronto prevailed in six games. Milwaukee led the series 2-1 before dropping three straight to the more experienced Raptors.
Giannis averaged 24.8 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 4 APG, 2.2 SPG, and 1.7 BPG on 53.6 FG%. His play proved he’s ready for playoff basketball, putting the team on his back throughout the series. The budding star received little help from his teammates. Both Middleton and Brogdon shot 40 percent in the series, well below their season averages.
Had the Bucks went into the Raptors series with a healthy, more experienced roster they may have come out victorious. That team also would have given the Cleveland Cavaliers a much better fight than Toronto. The athletic-forward combination of Parker and Antentokounmpo would have given the Cavs a challenge defensively.
Of the players who averaged over 15 MPG in the first round, the oldest was just 26-years old. This is in stark contrast to the Cleveland roster who’s average age is 30-years old.
The Milwaukee Bucks will be without Jabari Parker for most of the 2017-18 season. Players like Michael Beasley and Tony Snell will once again fill the second forward role until Parker’s return. Look for Brogdon and Thon Maker to continue improving as young talents, with valuable playoff experience already under their belts. Both Rashad Vaughn and rookie D.J. Wilson have excelled in the summer league, and they may help round out the regular season roster.
The X-factor could be free agent Derrick Rose. While Matthew Dellavedova, Brogdon, and Middleton have held down the guard position, Rose would add veteran experience at least. Even through the Knicks debacle of a season last year, Rose posted a surprising 18 PPG on 47.1 FG% in 32.5 MPG, his best season since sustaining multiple knee injuries.
The Milwaukee Bucks starting lineup heading into the 2017-18 season could be: Rose, Brogdon, Middleton, Antentokounmpo, and Maker. Add Snell, Dellavedova, Beasley, and Greg Monroe to the rotation and this should be a 50-win team in the East. And by the time the playoffs roll around Parker will hopefully be assimilated back into the lineup.
And while many statistics and efficiency ratings are used to compare potential matchups between playoff opponents, height is often a overlooked commodity. According to FiveThirtyEight.com, the NBA’s tallest team last season was the Milwaukee Bucks. Golden State was the second tallest. Cleveland resides in the bottom half of the league, and Boston was dead-last.
The Cavaliers and Celtics could struggle against a team as formidable as the Bucks. With some added experience, Milwaukee’s main concerns now are 3PT-shooting and health. Expect the Bucks, led by the 22-year old Giannis Antentokounmpo, to be a real challenge for Boston and Cleveland’s limited size.
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Also, anticipate a battle between the Raptors, Wizards and Bucks for the remaining top-4 seeds. So even if Milwaukee isn’t in prime position for a Finals run this year, the call to “Fear the Deer” will only grow as their young stars continue to evolve in the coming years.