2016-17 NBA Season Preview: Milwaukee Bucks
Welcome to theScore's 2016-17 NBA preview, where you'll find comprehensive coverage of all 30 teams and storylines to watch this season.
Milwaukee Bucks
2015-16
| Record | Central | East | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33-49 | 5th | 12th | N/A |
Offseason Roundup
| Additions | Departures |
|---|---|
| Matthew Dellavedova (Trade w/ CLE) | Jerryd Bayless (PHI) |
| Mirza Teletovic (3 yrs/$30M) | Greivis Vasquez (BRK) |
| Jason Terry | O.J. Mayo (suspended) |
| Michael Beasley (Trade w/ HOU) | Tyler Ennis (HOU) |
| Thon Maker (draft) | Johnny O'Bryant (waived) |
| Malcolm Brogdon (draft) |
- Extended Giannis Antetokounmpo (4 yrs/$100M)
- Re-signed Miles Plumlee (4 yrs/$50M)
- Re-signed Steve Novak
Projected Starting 5
- PG Giannis Antetokounmpo
- SG Malcolm Brogdon
- SF Rashad Vaughn
- PF Jabari Parker
- C Miles Plumlee
Player to watch: Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Greek Freak has entered each of the past two seasons as the favorite to take home Most Improved Player, and this year should be no different.
Teams around the association only dream of landing young players with the type of length, versatility, and enthusiasm that Antetokounmpo possesses, and his presence alone in Milwaukee makes the Bucks one of the most intriguing organizations going forward.
What makes this season - his fourth in the league - even more interesting, is Giannis' full-time shift to point guard, something Bucks head coach Jason Kidd has been laying the foundation for since last year. The transition won't always be smooth, but provided Antetokounmpo continues to cut down his turnover rate (which he's done each year), his effectiveness at the point could match the intrigue around his position change.
He'd be even better running the Bucks' offense if opposing defenses respected him as a shooter. During his rookie campaign, Antetokounmpo shot nearly 35 (34.7) percent from deep, with 28.2 percent of his field goal attempts coming from behind the arc. Over his last two seasons, however, only 8.5 percent of his attempts have been of the 3-point variety, as he's knocked down less than 23 percent of them.
With Middleton out, Antetokounmpo will be forced to carry an even greater burden on both ends of the court. How equipped he is to shoulder that load will determine Milwaukee's playoff hopes.
Season Expectations
With all due respect to potential rookie phenom Ben Simmons, the NBA's most impactful preseason injury has been Middleton's hamstring tear.
The two-way swingman, who finished last season in the top-20 of ESPN's Real Plus-Minus metric, is Milwaukee's second-most important player, and losing him for the majority of the season likely means the difference between realistic playoff hopes and another year of growing pains.
A healthy, lanky Bucks squad would have been a virtual lock to improve on the team's 22nd-ranked defense last season (they ranked 2nd in 2014-15), but it's tough to look at the current, Middleton-less roster as constructed, and think they have enough to win even 40 games.
The best-case scenario now, and perhaps the most realistic, would see Antetokounmpo take another step toward stardom, the Bucks derive some value from trading Monroe, and the organization land another long-term piece via the 2017 draft.