2015-16 NBA Season Preview: Milwaukee Bucks
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Milwaukee Bucks
2014-15
| Record | Central | East | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41-41 | 3rd | 6th | Round 1 loss to CHI (4-2) |
Offseason Roundup
| Additions | Departures |
|---|---|
| Greg Monroe (3/$53M) | Zaza Pachulia (traded to DAL) |
| Chris Copeland (1/$1.1M) | Ersan Ilyasova (traded to DET) |
| Greivis Vasquez (acquired from TOR) | Jared Dudley (traded to WAS) |
| Marcus Landry | |
| Rashad Vaughn (Draft) |
- Re-signed Khris Middleton (5/$70M)
- Re-signed John Henson (4/$44M)
Projected Starting 5
- PG Michael Carter-Williams
- SG Khris Middleton
- SF Giannis Antetokounmpo
- PF Jabari Parker
- C Greg Monroe
MVP: Greg Monroe
No longer will "Moose" have to feel cramped in the paint, sharing real estate around the rim with a 6-foot-11, 279-pound colossus like he did next to Andre Drummond in the Motor City.
Having Monroe in the frontcourt is a quintessential fit for the Bucks, who needed a dominant big man down low to clear out space, crash the glass, and be relied upon to score buckets with his back to the basket. The fact he doesn't protect the rim much will be offset by Milwaukee's wings, who will help cut down on drives to the net with stout perimeter defense.
(Monroe's Defensive Impact in 2014-15)
| MPG | SPG | BPG | Total BLK | Opp FGM at rim | Opp FMA at rim | Opp FG% at rim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31.1 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 34 | 4 | 7.3 | 55.1 |
(statistics courtesy of NBA.com)
Defensive complications aside, Monroe will be a breath of fresh air for an offense which only mustered 97.8 points per game (22nd) a year ago, as opposing defenses need to respect his presence down low. There may be some small growing pains along the way in regards of integrating him into the mix, but at the end of the day, Monroe should be Milwaukee's biggest standout on the season.
(Monroe's 2014-15 Statistics)
| PPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | TS% | USG% | PER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.9 | 49.6 | 75 | 10.2 | 54.9 | 23.9 | 21.2 |
Breakout Player: John Henson
Cue the defense-first center which Monroe has yet to prove he can be.
All 6-foot-11 of Henson - along with his massive 7-foot-4 wingspan and 9-foot-4 standing reach - should continue swatting away shots at a high rate as a newly minted $44-million man.
Henson led the NBA last season by blocking 9.3 percent of opponents shots, while shooters shot 6.5 percent worse against him from six feet or less. This all came in just 18.3 minutes per game - a number which should be on the rise, even with Monroe on board.
(Henson's 2014-15 Per-36 Statistics)
| PPG | FG% | RPG | BPG | DefRtg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13.8 | 56.6 | 9.1 | 4 | 97.6 |
Season Expectations
While the Bucks may be one of the sexier picks in the Eastern Conference with their young core full of breakout potential, the team isn't without its share of shortcomings.
Consistency from behind the arc will be hard to come by, despite Milwaukee finishing seventh in the NBA in 3-point percentage (36.3) in 2014-15. Four of their top five long-range shooters on last year's roster (Brandon Knight, Kendall Marshall, Ersan Ilyasova, and Jared Dudley) are no longer with the franchise, putting more pressure on the likes of "The Greek Freak" Antetokounmpo (15.9) and guard Carter-Williams (14.3) to improve upon their atrocious percentages. Rookie Vaughn (38.3 percent at UNLV) and backup Vasquez (37.9) should provide some relief, though.
There are also concerns about the team's inexperience, and whether that will hurt their chances in the playoffs. Not having a true go-to scorer in the clutch is also worrisome, although Middleton has proven he can knock down crucial shots in the dying moments.
A top-four finish in the East isn't out of the realm of possibility. It may take another season or two before anyone knows just how formidable a unit the Bucks can be with their current group of guys, but for now, 45-48 wins and a potential first-round series victory are realistic goals as Milwaukee continues in the right direction.