2014-15 NBA Season Preview: Milwaukee Bucks

Welcome to theScore's preview of the 2014-15 Milwaukee Bucks. Visit our preseason hub for previews of all 30 NBA teams.

Milwaukee Bucks

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2013-14

Take that, Philadelphia. The 76ers were guilty of the league's most egregious tanking, but it was the Bucks who wound up with the league's worst record, and the No. 2 overall pick as a result.

It wasn't supposed to be like this in Milwaukee, though. Unlike Philly, the Bucks planned to compete and put their money where their mouths were, signing Gary Neal, O.J. Mayo, Carlos Delfino, Zaza Pachulia and Miroslav Raduljica at a combined cost of more than $90 million. Not one of those deals panned out, and a four-year, $44-million extension given to Larry Sanders before the season looked like a mistake after injury trouble, drug trouble, teammate trouble and moral trouble.

An 11-game losing streak in November pretty much signaled this team wasn't what management had expected, and the focus turned to young players and a high draft pick. Namely, Giannis Antetokounmpo had one of the most fun rookie seasons in recent memory, and though he averaged just 6.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists, the potential is obvious for the 19-year-old.

Brandon Knight also had the best season of his young career, albeit not good enough to solidify himself as a starting point guard, and Khris Middleton and John Henson both looked the part of ready contributors with upside. So it wasn't an entirely lost season, if you're an optimist.

Offseason Roundup

When most fans would confuse the highlight of your offseason for DJ Khaled, you obviously didn't make a big splash.

That said, claiming the dirt-cheap Kendall Marshall off waivers from the Lakers was a savvy move, and he should help get the younger Bucks players the ball in opportune places, easing the offensive learning curve. The team also added Jerryd Bayless for additional guard depth

The best move of the offseason for the Bucks was the acquisition of Jared Dudley from the Clippers for Delfino and Raduljica, who the Clippers promptly used the stretch provision on to clear off the books. Dudley is a nice player and a capable spacer when healthy, but the big get for the Bucks was landing a first-round pick for swallowing Dudley's $4.25-million salary.

The Bucks also sent a pair of second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets to acquire Jason Kidd as the team's new head coach, the first major move by a new ownership regime.

Additions

PG Jerryd Bayless (2/$7M)
SF Jared Dudley (trade)
PG Kendall Marshall (waivers)

Departures

C Jeff Adrien (free agency)
SF Carlos Delfino (trade)
C Miroslav Raduljica (trade)
PG Ramon Sessions (free agency)
C Ekpe Udoh (free agency)

2014 Draft

PF Jabari Parker (1st round, 2nd overall)
SF Damien Inglis (2nd round, 31st overall)
PF Johnny O'Bryant III (2nd round, 36th overall)

You don't lose an entire season for nothing, and in Inglis and O'Bryant the Bucks landed a couple of potential rotation players. O'Bryant brings size and inside scoring that's generally a rare find in the second round, while Inglis fits perfectly with the Bucks' implied "length rules everything" strategy as a wing with a 7-foot-3 wingspan. Both are expected to break camp with the team.

Oh, and they also landed the second pick in the draft, Duke forward Jabari Parker, who fellow rookies have pegged as the likely Rookie of the Year. He'll have an obstacle to overcome given the recent trend of No. 2 picks busting.

Parker shouldn't have trouble breaking that trend, as the self-proclaimed "throwback player" has an NBA-ready game at the power forward position. While he may never be a quality defensive piece, no other prospect can score as effectively or in as many ways as Parker, an immense asset made even more dangerous by his smart passing and strong attitude. He's a keeper, and possibly a franchise-altering player.

Starting 5

• PG Brandon Knight
• SG Giannis Antetokounmpo
• SF Jared Dudley
• PF Jabari Parker
• C Larry Sanders

Breakout Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo

If you don't know, now you Antetokounnmpo.

The league's most exciting rookie flashed enormous potential in his first year, lending encouraging signs that at just age 19, a breakout is imminent. The raw Greek struggled to adjust to the speed of the NBA game at first, but he improved as the year went on and his end-of-season numbers are respectable given the jump in competition he faced.

A promising Summer League stint - he averaged 17 points on 46.2 percent shooting in four games - and some international experience at the FIBA World Cup - he averaged 6.3 points on 45.8 percent shooting against elite competition - have further cemented the foundation, and an experiment at point guard should make Antetokounmpo a more balanced and dangerous offensive player.

With a refined feel for the game, better teammates, and a developing 3-point shot, Antetokounmpo will find himself in the discussion for the league's Most Improved Player award at year's end.

Season Expectations

It's not going to be a winning season in Milwaukee, but that won't be the main goal, anyway. Kidd will look to install a new system as the new owners find stability in the front office, all while giving the team's young core plenty of time to develop.

The Bucks will struggle, but it won't make for hard-to-watch basketball. With names like Antetokounmpo, Parker, Middleton, Henson and Sanders (and for the record, we'd pay good money to see Kidd unleash that lineup for a few minutes at a time to terrorize opposing offenses), there are plenty of reasons to watch if you're a Bucks fan.

In the end, they'll likely secure another high pick and have a better idea where Henson, Middleton, Sanders and Knight fit long-term around the Parker-Antetokounmpo franchise duo.

1 to Follow on Social Media

The Bucks will also boast the league's social media MVP, because there is simply no better NBA tweeter than Kendall Marshall, aka KButter5. Humorous, light-hearted and self-deprecating, Marshall may be the most endearing athlete and unofficial Chipotle spokesman on the internet. To wit: