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No. 7: Milwaukee Bucks
Last Season: 41-41
6th place in East; Lost 4-2 to Chicago in Round 1
You would be hard-pressed to name an NBA franchise that has made itself over faster and more successfully over the past couple of seasons than the Milwaukee Bucks. Think back two seasons. The Bucks were mired in the same quagmire of mediocrity in which they had wallowed for decades. There wasn't a bankable star on the roster, no one the fans in Wisconsin could pin their hopes on. The arena was so decrepit that the league publicly declared that it must be replaced or the team would likely be relocated. There was no personality and, seemingly, no long-term future. This was the franchise destined to become the next Seattle SuperSonics.
Since then, the positive developments have poured forth faster than an over-aerated keg of Miller beer. New owners, out-of-towners, have expanded the team's operation behind the scenes, hired a big-name coach in Jason Kidd, and led the fight to secure a new playing facility. The talent base has been revitalized, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and John Henson developing in-house while Jabari Parker provides hope the Bucks will soon feature a brand-name star. Ground-breaking on the new arena is now imminent, securing the Bucks' future in Milwaukee. And on the court, the Bucks roared to a 26-game improvement and earned a playoff spot in the process.
Just as the new arena and the accompanying practice facility will slowly rise from the parking lots a couple of blocks up from the Milwaukee River, construction continues on the Bucks' roster. After a splashy summer marked by the successful pursuit of free-agent center Greg Monroe, that part of the Milwaukee makeover is already in high gear. The key question entering the new season is whether the young Bucks will enter a season of consolidation after making such a large gain or, if like a triple-jumper, Milwaukee is poised for that so-difficult second leap into the NBA's elite.
The good vibes surrounding the Bucks began a few months before the season, when Milwaukee landed the second pick of the 2014 draft. Jabari Parker was the easy pick there, and not only did Parker give the Bucks the upside of a possible franchise player, he was a quasi-local personality out of Chicago thrilled to ply his trade a little further north. The fans took to Parker and he to them. Parker was having a perfectly fine rookie season until he was felled by a torn ACL in December.
While Parker rehabbed, the Bucks cemented their status as a team on the rise behind a smothering defense designed by new coach Kidd and his staff. Milwaukee finished second in defensive rating and forced turnovers at a higher rate than any team in the league. The Bucks' perimeter defense was a sight to behold with long-armed athletes like Antetokounmpo, Middleton, Henson and Carter-Williams pinching the floor in Milwaukee's hyperaggressive scheme.
The development of the offense lagged well behind that of the defense. Antetokounmpo was one of the league's most improved players but struggled with his outside shooting. Brandon Knight was having an All-Star-caliber season but was traded at the deadline in advance of a big payday in restricted free agency. Carter-Williams fit the team's defensive scheme but, like his new pal Antetokounmpo, has a poor jump shot. Yet the team played unselfishly and Middleton developed his catch-and-shoot game into a real weapon. The Bucks turned the ball over too much, but with the defense playing so well, the offense's No. 25 finish was enough to get Milwaukee to .500 and into the postseason.
In those playoffs, the Bucks gave the heavily favored Bulls all they could handle before Chicago hammered Milwaukee on its home floor to end the first-round series in six games. The Bucks simply could not score enough to seriously challenge the Bulls and Milwaukee's defense wasn't quite as sharp in the playoff format, where teams have extra time to prepare and adjust. Nevertheless, as Milwaukee entered the summer, all trend lines were pointed upward.
The Bucks had some cap flexibility entering the summer, but with such a young core, it seemed likely Milwaukee would not be making a major splash. Sure, the Bucks would kick the tires on a few of the difference-makers in the free-agent market, but in the end, you figured Milwaukee would add another talent in the draft and a couple of complementary pieces. As it turns out, the perception of forward momentum has a certain cachet in today's marketplace and Monroe picked the Bucks over market behemoths like the Knicks and Lakers.
The Bucks' other major development over the summer was the five-year deal, $70 million investment they made to keep restricted free agent Middleton. If there were concerns whether the team was willing to spend big in lieu of the Knight trade, the major outlays for Monroe and Middleton quelled those. Middleton, a friend and former teammate of Monroe's in Detroit, was instrumental in convincing the big man to join the club.
Beyond the headlining deals, the Bucks' summer was marked by a decision to go all-in with the youth movement. Longtime Buck Ersan Ilyasova was traded to Detroit, while veterans Jared Dudley and Zaza Pachulia also wound up on new teams. The three were not just solid players, but provided the majority of last season's veteran leadership and served as go-to targets for the media. The Bucks' thinking is that it's time for leaders to emerge from the group that promises to be around for the long haul, and while it's touchy-feely to suggest this might manifest in on-court issues, it's a situation that bears watching.
The longest-tenured pros left on the Bucks' roster are now seven-year vets O.J. Mayo and Jerryd Bayless. More important than the leadership those two might provide is a measure of continuity for Milwaukee's reserve unit. Mayo, Bayless and Henson will be joined on the bench by rookie sharpshooter Rashad Vaughn, combo guard Greivis Vasquez and forward Chris Copeland.
While all eyes will remain fixed on the Bucks' talented, under-26 starting five of Carter-Williams, Middleton, Antetokounmpo, Parker and Monroe, it's important to remember that Kidd relied on his bench to carry the Bucks when his kids suffered from "teaching moments" and he may be forced to do so again this season at times.
Finally, the evolution of the Bucks' front office continued. General manager John Hammond was given an extension, but assistant GM David Morway did not have his contract renewed. As of late October, Morway had not been replaced. Was this a nod to Kidd's increased influence upstairs? Hard to say, but Milwaukee did hire longtime NBA executive Rod Thorn as a consultant.
Back in late March, Jason Kidd sat in his office overseeing the Bucks' practice facility court and wondered why couldn't Milwaukee be an attractive destination for free agents.
Months later, Kidd and the Bucks contingent sat down with sought-after free-agent center Greg Monroe in a meeting that took place at 2 a.m., not long after free agency opened at midnight on July 1. Monroe would soon surprise many by signing a three-year, $50 million deal with the Bucks.
It was a very successful summer for the franchise. Besides Monroe signing on, up-and-coming guard Khris Middleton re-signed with the Bucks. Jabari Parker is working his way back from a knee injury and Milwaukee has a $500 million arena in the works.
With a young core now of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Middleton, Parker, Michael Carter-Williams and Monroe, Kidd might've been right. Perhaps Milwaukee is now a place to be in the NBA, especially if the Bucks take another step forward this season as expected.
"The old movie line, if you build it, they will come? That is who we are today," Bucks general manager John Hammond said. "When players see this team continue to improve -- which I think there is no doubt in my mind that it is going to -- and with an ability to play for a coach like Jason Kidd, and as they see they have an ability to walk into a new practice facility and walk into a new arena [in the future], and have a chance to meet our ownership group ... they will have a chance to see the whole thing and I definitely think it is going to be very attractive to free agents." -- Ohm Youngmisuk
Projected Real Plus-Minus for starters
Michael Carter-Williams, PG: -0.9
Khris Middleton, SG: +4.3
Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF: +2.5
Jabari Parker, PF: -3.1
Greg Monroe, C: +3.6
Scouting reports on every player on the Bucks
Using shot data from 2014-15 and projected starters, Grantland's Kirk Goldsberry ranks each team's offensive efficiency based on square footage.
Monroe's aptitude in the paint (54.7 percent on 8.7 shots a game) serves as a boost for an offense that ranked 22nd in shooting percentage inside 5 feet.
Antetokounmpo and Carter-Williams are young, long and ... can't shoot. The duo projects to a dreadful 30.5 percent from deep this season.
All About The Space: 26th (366 sq. ft. of above-average offense)
To identify players who stretch offenses the most, ESPN Stats & Information created the Kyle Korver effect -- a metric on a 1-100 scale, factoring in 3PT%, 3-point attempt rate (percentage of total shots that come from 3-point range) and influence on teammate FG%.
Korver effect: The Bucks' spacing isn't especially dynamic, but Mayo (81.4) crushes from the right corner (53.8 percent).
Most analytical projections for the Bucks entering the season land in a range from roughly 39 to 43 wins. For most fans, that will feel like a disappointment. After all, Milwaukee added 26 wins last season to reach .500 and then signed one of the premier free agents on the market. While that move will certainly pay long-term dividends, there are areas in which the Bucks might be expected to regress, as is the norm for clubs that take such an inordinate step forward in one season.
First, the No. 2 defensive rating is going to be difficult to retain if Milwaukee is at all focused on upgrading the offense. Monroe and a rehabbed Parker will certainly help on the latter front, but if either moves the needle on the defensive end, it may be in the wrong direction. Meanwhile, much of the Bucks' hopes for making a quick leap into the upper reaches of the East hinge on Carter-Williams and Antetokounmpo finding a least a couple of hot spots in which they can space the floor from the perimeter. Otherwise, it might be difficult for Kidd to balance his lineups between both ends of the floor.
Yet the bottom line is that the Bucks have a player with All-Star potential at every position of the floor and excellent depth. There will be further growing pains, but it's also possible this all will coalesce ahead of schedule. If it does, it would not be shocking to see Milwaukee surge as high as No. 2 in its conference. Another .500-ish finish wouldn't stop any hearts, either.
What is certain is that the Milwaukee Bucks, as a franchise, aren't going anywhere. By the time the new arena opens, they might be well established as one of the glamour franchises on the NBA. Who could have predicted that two years ago?
East No. 6 | East No. 8 | Full List
