Milwaukee will struggle again, but the addition of Jabari Parker, the development of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the return of Larry Sanders give Bucks fans reasons for optimism.
The Milwaukee Bucks took a big step back last season, finishing with the worst record in the league at 15-67. They had the biggest roster turnover of any team, most notably replacing the backcourt duo of Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis with Brandon Knight and O.J. Mayo. While Knight showed flashes of promise, Mayo was a disaster, averaging only 11.7 points a game on 40.7 percent shooting, while featuring in only 52 games due to injuries and fitness problems.
Mayo’s season reflected Milwaukee’s as a whole. Franchise big man Larry Sanders missed 59 games due to injury, 25 which were due to a torn ligament in his thumb suffered after a night club altercation. Veteran Ersan İlyasova also missed much of the season as well with an ankle injury.
The season was lost early after a 4-16 start, but Milwaukee found optimism with last year’s first round pick Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 18 year old from Greece showed displays of athletic dominance with his length and six-foot eleven frame, and a strong showing in this summer’s FIBA World Cup has Milwaukee fans excited for his potential growth this season. Young players Kris Middleton, Nate Wolters, Brandon Knight, and Jon Henson also gave Bucks fans reasons for to feel optimistic for the future.
Offseason
In April, long-time owner Herb Kohl sold the team to Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens for $550 million. The sale was celebrated in Milwaukee, as both Lasry and Edens committed $100 million each to build a new arena, ensuring the team would stay in the city.
Milwaukee then landed the number two overall pick in the draft, and selected Duke freshman Jabari Parker, a player whom the organization had been incredibly high on leading up to draft night. A lot of attention will undoubtedly be on Parker this season, who should receive plenty of playing, and is perceived as one of the more NBA ready players of the 2014 draft.
In a surprising move, the Bucks fired last year’s head coach in July to bring in Jason Kidd after his failed attempt to become head of basketball operations in Brooklyn after just one season as head coach. Kidd was one of the best to play the point guard position, but struggled early last season as a head coach. While he has a good relationship with the new Milwaukee ownership, he will face a new set of challenges in developing the team’s young roster.
The Bucks were quiet in free agency, claiming point guard Kendall Marshall off of waivers, signing guard Jerryd Bayless, and trading Carlos Delfino and Miroslav Raduljica to the Clippers for Jared Dudley and a 2017 first-round pick. Dudley, whose career had slightly stalled in Los Angeles, will likely see a lot of playing time, and will be a strong locker room presence for the young roster.
Season Outlook
The Bucks will have plenty of growing pains this season, but the team has collected a number of exciting prospects that should give fans hope for the future. The spotlight will be focused on Parker and Antetokounmpo, but the return of Larry Sanders and his sustained health could be a better barometer for how the Bucks do this season and in the future. It seems the team will have to be patient however, as Sanders recently had minor surgery that will keep him out of the rest of preseason. The team does expect him to be back for their October 29th season opener against Charlotte.
Milwaukee will also take any positive impact they can from Mayo, who so far appears to have entered the season in better shape, and recently scored 19 points off the bench in a preseason game.
If Sanders, Mayo, and İlyasova stay healthy and are productive, their play combined with the young prospects of Parker and Antetokounmpo could result in the Bucks winning a few more games than expected. They are however, not ready to compete for a playoff spot again, though it appears things are headed in the right direction to a certain degree.
Projected Record: 25-57
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