The Bucks began transitioning away from their #OwnTheFuture motto over the summer, and the renewed #FearTheDeer slogan is symbolic of a transition we have seen both on and off the court. The Bucks are no longer happy just making the playoffs while hovering around .500. This summer, Coach Kidd and several players stated their goal of 50 wins and a playoff series victory for the 2017-2018 campaign.
The Bucks came out storming this season with Giannis becoming the Vegas MVP favorite after a freakish start against some tough competition. But should the Bucks’ PR department be so quick to part ways with their old, and possibly quite relevant slogan? Are they truly in the “Future” the Bucks are supposed to be “Owning”? The short answer is no. We are closer than ever, but still not quite there yet.
It is important to remember that Giannis will turn 23 on December 6, which is a little over a month away. The young Greek has quickly become the best Buck anyone under 30 has ever seen, and has made them a marquee team. Feeling as though he breaks a new record every night, the 22 year old is still far away from his prime years. I will just say it: He is a top five player in the NBA right now and he is four years away from his “peak.” So while he is dominating the NBA right now, in four years he will owning it. The distinction is crucial and must be understood.
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It seems like game by game we see Giannis make incremental improvements. Every young star seems to get praised for their work ethic at some point, but it is so rare to see the dividends of that supposed work ethic manifest themselves so quickly. But still…. we have to wait.
Another important facet of this Bucks team is Malcolm Brogdon. While the talk of the summer was that Brogdon was close to his ceiling, his play thus far has indicated otherwise. Brogdon is playing at a higher level than he did last year. While the analysts of the summer were discussing how the Bucks did nothing to improve their roster, the President was in the gym improving his game.
On a similar note, fans argued tweeted that if Tony Snell played as well as he did last season, he should get paid. Instead Tony went out there and has improved his game. He looks a little more comfortable with the ball in his hands and early on his assist rates are up. The Bucks are setting their goals higher and we have seen some noticeable upticks in play from key players.
Are we there yet?
No.
Again, the Bucks are not in the future yet, let alone owning it. Middleton is off to a cold start and the team has had a couple of lackluster showings against the league's upper echelon. That is when the descent back to reality occurs for Bucks fans. They are still growing towards their final form. The coaching staff gets the brunt of the questioning, but some nights the effort just isn’t ready to compete physically and mentally against elite teams. The November 1 loss against the Hornets might prove to an aberration coming off a back to back against an okay team, or it might be a sign that the defense isn’t what it is cracked up to be.
The Bucks may not have expectations to win it all this year, but they will compete. This team is in a crucial stage of forging the future. Needless to say, the Bucks played it safe last summer by keeping most of the roster together. If they fall short of their goal, a key piece will most likely be moved. Regardless, the Bucks should consider bringing back #OwnTheFuture.
Only time will tell if the recent slump is indicative of anything major, but as the Bucks work toward owning the future, it is important that they survive the present. In the meantime, Bucks fans will continue to wait.
We always do.
This article was brought to you by Cream City Central, a sports website based in Milwaukee that covers the Bucks, Brewers, Packers, Badgers and Golden Eagles. This article was written by staff writer Alexander Juneau. You can find more articles from them here. You can also find them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
