Milwaukee Bucks 2017-2018 Season Preview: Continuity is Key

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“Fear the Deer” season is officially upon us as the Milwaukee Bucks get set to build off last year’s 42-win playoff season. What a season it was as Giannis Antetokounmpo earned the league’s Most Improved Player award while leading the Bucks in points, assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks.

The 22-year-old phenom made a giant leap towards being one of the NBA’s top players and is just getting started. His rookie teammate, Malcolm Brogdon, defied all odds by being the first second round pick in league history to be named Rookie of the Year and the first Buck to earn the award since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Despite former 2nd overall pick Jabari Parker going down with his second ACL injury after 50 games, Milwaukee was able to get 26-year-old sharpshooter Khris Middleton back in the lineup to help them make their run to the postseason.

Under the tutelage of future hall of famer Jason Kidd, the Bucks experimented with different lineups and rotations while still finding a way to get things done. Kidd resurrected Tony Snell’s career after coming over from Chicago for Michael Carter-Williams. Greg Monroe, in a new role coming off of the bench, played well enough to be in the discussion for 6th man of the year.

ICYMI: A Wild NBA Offseason

It was an interesting yet crazy offseason throughout the NBA with multiple stars switching teams including Chris Paul leaving sunny Los Angeles to go the Houston Rockets while All-Stars Paul George and Carmelo Anthony found their way to Oklahoma City to join Russell Westbrook on the Thunder. Possibly the most shocking move of all was Kyrie Irving breaking up with LeBron James and the Cavs by demanding a trade and finding a new home in Boston on the Celtics along with free agent signee Gordon Hayward. The good news for the Bucks is now the East is seemingly more wide open than ever.

The Bucks didn’t make any major splashes in free agency besides retaining an important piece in Tony Snell, who signed a 4-year, $46 million dollar extension. During the draft, Milwaukee picked up another lanky 6’10” forward in Michigan’s D.J. Wilson and followed it up by acquiring SMU’s athletic swingman Sterling Brown.

While they remained remotely quiet with player personnel, the Deer made plenty of headlines elsewhere starting with the loss of general manager John Hammond, who took the same position with the Orlando Magic after nine seasons in Milwaukee. Most notably, Hammond earned the executive of the year award after the Bucks went from 34 to 46 wins during the 2009-2010 season. After what seemed to be a bizarre search for a replacement, the Bucks decided to hire from within by naming director of basketball operations Jon Horst the team’s new GM. While some think he’s just a face for Jason Kidd, Horst has made it clear that he’s in charge and capable of making decisions.

As their new state of the art arena has made tons of progress toward opening in the fall of the 2018, the Bucks welcomed a new state of the art training facility in downtown Milwaukee with the opening of the Froedert and Medical College of Wisconsin Sports Science Center.

Last but not least, the Bucks introduced the Wisconsin Herd, a new G-League expansion team (formerly the D-League), which will take home in Oshkosh, Wis. with a brand new facility of their own. The Herd becomes the 26th G-League team affiliated with an NBA franchise. This is huge news for the Bucks as it allows them to develop more young talent within the organization in their own backyard.

Offseason Roster Moves

Draft:

D.J. Wilson (F, 17th overall pick)

Sterling Brown (G, 46th overall pick, acquired via the 76ers)

Sindarious Thornwell (G, 48th overall pick, traded to the Los Angeles Clippers)

Free Agency:

Tony Snell (SG/SF, re-signed, four-years, $46 million)

Jason Terry (PG/SG, re-signed, one-year, $2.3 million)

DeAndre Liggins (G/F, claimed off waivers from Cleveland)

Players Departed:

Michael Beasley (SF, signed with the New York Knicks)

Spencer Hawes (PF, waived)

Gary Payton II (PG, waived but signed to Wisconsin Herd as two-way deal)

Biggest Loss:

Without a doubt, the loss of Michael “point a minute” Beasley will hurt. Beas, who averaged 9.4 points in 16.7 minutes on a career-high 53% shooting in 56 games, was acquired a week before the season last year after Middleton went down with a torn hamstring.

Not only will his production will be missed, but also the goofiness and relaxed attitude he brought to the table while still filling a major scoring void off the bench. His production will need to be replaced and the Bucks are hoping that production will come from veteran Mirza Teletovic. If Telly can bounce back with a stronger season along with more consistent minutes, it should make a major difference on nights other guys struggle.

Don’t Sleep on Jabari

One name you wont find on the offseason roster moves list is Jabari Parker, who was up for a max extension this summer. With the Bucks failing to come to a deal by the October 16th deadline, the former Duke product and 2014 second overall pick will enter restricted free agency next summer. After both Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid, the first and third overall picks in the 2014 draft, got 5-year, $148 million dollar max extensions recently, the Deer weren’t in a position to commit that money long-term to the 21-year-old who has already had two major knee surgeries. Now, don’t panic Bucks fans. This doesn’t mean Milwaukee is giving up on Parker just yet. They are playing it safe with their young superstar. I would imaging the team will match any offer he will get next summer. If they don’t, then you can imagine what backlash the organization will get if he leaves and turns into the All-Star he is expected to be.

Here’s an all access look at his rehab from Sports Illustrated:

Giannis, Giannis and Even More Giannis

These days, one can’t think of the Milwaukee Bucks without talking about the Greek Freak. Coming off a stellar season in which he was named an All-Star starter while finishing in the top 20 in the league in points, assists, rebounds, steals and blocks, Antetokounmpo is no longer the next big thing. He has officially entered superstar territory and has even been mentioned in many offseason MVP talks heading into this season.

Much like Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, the Bucks go as Giannis goes. He’s the soul of the franchise as everyone feeds off him. He has all the intangibles you want in a superstar, and on most nights will be the best player on the floor. The easiest way to game plan for him is to make him shoot from the outside, which is no secret after shooting a mere 27% from three last season. I would bet that was high on his offseason priority list and the Bucks hope to see an improvement this season. If Giannis can get his percentage up over 30% it would be a major step forward and a sign of his dedication as he enters his prime.

Khash Middleton

With Parker out, perhaps the most important piece on the Bucks roster will be Khris Middleton. Despite a small sample size of 23 starts, Khash was instrumental in helping the Bucks make their final playoff push. While Giannis may be the franchise cornerstone, Middleton is the heartbeat of the team. His ability to score and take pressure off Giannis defensively will be essential on a nightly basis. He is arguably the team’s best on ball defender and will have the task of trying to shut down most other team’s top players. This season is an important one for Khris, who has a ton of All-Star potential, and the Bucks will need him to play at a consistent level every night.

Staying The Course

After keeping the same roster together, it’s important the Deer take their experience and chemistry to the next level with a higher sense of urgency. Thon Maker is a year older with 40 starts under his belt including playoffs, Greg Monroe enters a contract year, Middleton had a healthy offseason, Giannis is Giannis, Malcolm Brogdon is well beyond his years and Tony Snell has found himself a home.

While they have to wait a few months for Jabari to get back into the fold, all signs point to the Bucks being a top four team in the Eastern Conference barring any other major injuries. Getting Parker back will only make this team that much better. They have to start the season fast by using their youth and length to get out and run teams out of the gym on a nightly basis. With less back-to-backs this season due to new scheduling, the Bucks should be able to have more energy night in and night out. No more excuses.

Veteran Leadership

While the roster is filled with loads of youth from top to bottom, it’s vital to any team to have those vets around for leadership on and off the floor. Enter Jason Terry. What seemingly started as a roster fill signing last season turned out to be one of the more underrated signings in recent franchise history. At 39-years of age, no one expected him to be the Jet of old on the floor but just a solid voice to the young guys in the locker room while providing leadership as needed. He turned out to be a solid contributor off the bench while shooting over 42% from three and playing 74 games while averaging 18.7 minutes per contest. After much waiting as to whether he would be back this season, Milwaukee cleared the runway and made room for takeoff as they welcomed the Jet back with open arms. The heart and attitude he plays with on a nightly basis is exactly what the Bucks need and the perfect example for the young guys to follow. He will surely be counted on to be that guy once again as they hope to make an even deeper run in the playoffs.

Outlook

With the same team back along with a couple more athletic additions in the draft, the Deer look to build off an impressive playoff season. It was fun getting to the playoffs again but that can’t be the goal. They must take the next step and advance in the playoffs. They have an identity in place and with multiple moving parts elsewhere around the league; they have a solid foundation to keep building off of as they look to continue their rise in the Eastern Conference.

The bar has been set and the expectations for this team are bigger than they ever have been now that they have a hungry superstar in Giannis. This is no longer about owning the future. The future is now. With 18 nationally televised games including Friday night’s opener versus King James and the Cavs, the Deer are beginning to earn the respect they deserve. It’s time to Buck up and turn it up another notch because there are 29 other teams that are trying to do the same.

Prediction:

The talent, stability and continuity of the roster is there and gives the Bucks a great chance to perhaps get close to the 50-win mark for the first time since the 2000-2001 season when they finished 52-30.

Final Record: 49 - 33

Central Division: Second (Behind Cavs)

Eastern Conference: Anywhere from 3rd – 6th