Bucks Prepared for Second Half
With 28 games left, the Milwaukee Bucks sit 5.5 games out of the eighth and final playoff spot. The bigger issue, though, is the fact that there are five teams between the Bucks and the final spot. Outplaying one team by six games over a 28 game stretch is difficult enough, but outplaying five teams is quite a task for this young Bucks squad. Suffice it to say that the Bucks are no longer playing for a playoff spot, and should now be focused on next season.
The continued development of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Michael Carter-Williams, Jabari Parker, and John Henson is paramount. Veteran player OJ Mayo should remain seated on the bench as often as possible. Greg Monroe’s skillset clearly does not mesh with this team (the only thing he has in common with this squad is that he is young) and should be traded, if possible. Monroe is young and is considered one of the best scoring centers in the league. Even though he has few issues scoring on the offensive end, his defensive woes are enough to make him a headache for a team that requires its players to outwork the opposing team on the defensive end.
Carter-Williams has also shown that he is not the point guard of the future that the Bucks thought he could develop into when they traded for him two seasons ago. What the Bucks need from the point guard position is somebody who is able to nail the open jumper and distribute the ball when the shot isn’t there. While elite point guards can be found all over the NBA, there does not appear to be one on the current Bucks roster. That, more than anything else, is what plagues this Bucks team. A court general that is able to see plays develop and get the ball to the needed player is a necessity. The reason the Bucks flounder on offense is because there are too many players that can’t shoot well enough to make up for the lack of offensive fluidity. If a Golden State Warrior’s play is broken and the shot clock is winding down, they often have at least three players on the floor that can nail an open three-point shot. The Bucks rarely, if ever, have even one player who can consistently knock down an open three-pointer.
Hopefully in the draft lottery the ping pong balls bounce Milwaukee’s way and they can pick up a decent point guard at the top of the draft. A player like Ben Simmons would be great but he just isn’t what the Bucks need at the moment. Kris Dunn from Providence or Demetrius Jackson from Notre Dame would be great. Even a smaller player like Tyler Ulis from Kentucky could be a good fit on this team if he could be masked on the defensive side.
Barring a 28 game win streak, this team will have to play the role of spoiler as the playoffs approach.
