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[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Reacts Survey: Who should start at the two and three?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Bucks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

It’s been a good month since we last surveyed you about the upcoming iteration of the Milwaukee Bucks; in previous editions, we focused a bit more on the starting point guard role with the returns of Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins, plus the addition of Cole Anthony. But that’s not the area of the roster with the most intrigue, which would be on the wing, particularly when it comes to who gets starting nods. So that’s what we’re asking fans about today.

For the first time in over a decade, the Bucks will enter the year without a bona fide stud on the wing, now that franchise legend Khris Middleton is plying his trade in the nation’s capital. Kyle Kuzma assumed the starting role at the three last year with… less than ideal results. Gary Trent Jr. began the year starting at the two, but was soon moved to the bench for nearly the entire season. Don’t get it twisted, though: after those first several games among the starting five past, GTJ was sensational last year. That’s part of why he made the starting lineup for the Bucks’ elimination game in Indianapolis several months ago, where he was joined by AJ Green. They not only replaced Kuz, but also Taurean Prince, who started at the three and then somewhat inexplicably the two all of last year. Both him and Kuzma struggled mightily in their first playoff run with the Bucks.

Now both of them are back, and the younger two guards are breathing down their necks for playing time. Green and Trent combined with Porter to form an interesting, if undersized group in the backcourt/on the wing next to Giannis and Bobby Portis. Presumably, that lineup can work with newcomer Myles Turner up front, but either way, the data from late last season was super encouraging, despite the small sample size. That’s led Marques Johnson to start calling them the “Triumverate.”

Now we turn it over to you. Are you encouraged enough by that two-three combo of Green and Trent to start them? Or do you want one of the regular-season guys to remain in the unit that will take the floor against Washington in October? Vote below:

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/nba-reacts...aj-green-gary-trent-kyle-kuzma-taurean-prince

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Reacts Survey Results: Trent & Green is the ticket

Our most recent iteration of our Reacts fan surveys ties a bow on the starting lineup question for next year’s Bucks. Earlier in the offseason, we learned that a slight majority of respondents prefer Kevin Porter Jr. as the starting point guard over Ryan Rollins and newcomer Cole Anthony. I think it’s safe to assume that Giannis and high-profile free agent signing Myles Turner will make up the starting frontcourt. So it’s no wonder that the discussion revolves around the two and three, after both positions had revolving doors last year. But the same cast of characters is back, who do fans want to take the floor on Opening Night alongside the aforementioned trio?

For Game 5 of Milwaukee’s first-round series against Indiana last spring, Doc Rivers mercifully changed his starting quintet to feature Gary Trent Jr., AJ Green, KPJ, and Bobby Portis alongside Giannis. In Porter’s case, this was brought about by Damian Lillard’s torn Achilles. The other three? Because Brook Lopez, Kyle Kuzma, and Taurean Prince each had rough series in their own ways. Lopez is now out of the picture, but images of Prince struggling to defend young Pacers wings while going from one of the NBA’s best three-point shooters in the regular season to just 2/9 are still fresh in fans’ heads. And Kuzma, well… the images are either of him doing nothing in his 0/0/0/0/0 (plus two personals) Game 1 or blowing layups (5/15 inside the restricted area during the series).

Prince and Kuzma each started for the Bucks down the stretch, both out of position as they slid down one notch on the positional spectrum from their natural spots at small and power forward, respectively. Somehow, that big four-man grouping with Giannis and Lopez had a +5.9 net rating, so it made sense to give it a go in Game 1. It became clear very quickly that it wouldn’t work, so by Game 2, fans were clamoring for a change, which came too late. At the end of the regular season, while Dame sat out with a blood clot, the Bucks closed games with KPJ, Giannis, Portis, GTJ, and AJG to great success: a ridiculous +51.2 net—the Bucks’ best lineup with over 20 minutes played (they only had 42, though). While that group’s net rating wasn’t as good against Indy (still +6.3!), it’s pretty clear that something works here.

Naturally, fans prefer running this group back next year. 93% of our voters want Trent to start, which he didn’t do for almost the entire year last year—probably a mistake not moving him back into the starting five at some point after he returned from a few early-season games missed with back spasms. Green didn’t start much at all, but was effective enough on defense and has good size to play the two. Trent does as well, but starting either at the wing leaves a big gap between Giannis and either guy, even with their 6’7” (Green) and 6’9” (Trent) wingspans making up for their 6’4”–6’5” listed heights.

The other question is how this will work now that Turner is involved. We’ve seen the results with Portis, and that option remains, but (small sample size warning) Trent, Green, Porter, Lopez, and Giannis were +75.8 in 17 minutes. Even in 20 minutes with Prince replacing Green, they were +6.3. So whatever limited data we have to extrapolate from, a Turner/Giannis/Trent/Green/Porter lineup could be their best option, especially in winning time.

Whether or not we see that from jump street is a different question. Prince started 73 contests last year—second most on the team—but there’s not a whole lot of desire for him in our survey to reprise that role. Kuzma also isn’t a popular choice, even alongside Trent, though if I had to bet money, I’d put it on Doc starting Kuz at the three in October. I don’t like it any more than you do, but maybe he’ll surprise us.

Brought to you by FanDuel.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-poll...survey-aj-green-gary-trent-jr-starting-lineup

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

EuroBasket Recap: Greece 94, Georgia 53

In a lopsided contest, Greece came away with a big 94-53 win over Georgia. Giannis dominated for the Greeks with 27 points (on 9/11 shooting), four assists, eight rebounds, and two steals in 25 minutes of action. Georgia was led by former Buck Sandro Mamukelashvili (or just “Mamu”), who had 14 points. Unfortunately for Georgia, Goga Bitadze (who would have guarded Giannis) did not play.

Game Recap​

Greece had a tremendous first quarter, with Giannis posting a ridiculous eight points, three assists, two rebounds, and two steals on 4/4 shooting. In fact, Antetokounmpo and Konstantinos Mitoglou scored Greece’s first 14 points. Greece’s defence was excellent in the early going, racking up five (!) steals in the opening frame; that defence allowed them to get easy baskets in transition. At the end of one, Greece led 22-13.

Georgia made some good strides to open the second, with George Korsantia, Kakhaber Jintcharadze, and Kamar Baldwin scoring seven of the first nine points. However, the Greek defence (and Giannis) got going after that; Antetokounmpo was subbed in at about the six-minute mark of the quarter and scored eight more points to end the half. Even though Hellas was dominating, there was an impressive play from Mamu, who drove down the right side of the court and jammed it over the Greek defender. Still, Greece had a significant 46-29 lead going into the locker room.

Giannis began the third with a corner three, followed by a triple from Kostas Papanikolaou. Antetokounmpo continued to score around the basket as Georgia’s defence could do nothing without Bitadze there to offer some resistance. Greek sharpshooter Giannoulis Larentzakis got in on the act with a three of his own as Hellas extended its lead, up 69-41 after three.

Georgia’s Giorgi Shermadini did all he could to make the final score respectable, dropping six points to open the fourth. However, Greece was just too good, with Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Tyler Dorsey getting those points right back. Giannis was subbed out late in the third quarter as the game was essentially over; observers assumed he would sit for the rest of the contest, but he did come back in with 4:52 left in the game. Giannis would play another few minutes (scoring a few points at the charity stripe), but then was subbed out for good. Greece wins big.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-feat...eorgia-final-score-recap-giannis-goga-bitadze

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Thanasis Antetokounmpo returns to Bucks

A move that felt inevitable has finally happened: Thanasis Antetokounmpo will be back with the Milwaukee Bucks. The announcement originally came from Thanasis’ social media in the form of a picture of him and Giannis with the caption “I’m back”, leaving fans in a fluster trying to interpret exactly what it meant. Within half an hour, though, ESPN’s Shams Charania confirmed a one-year, $2.9m veteran’s minimum signing (his cap hit will be $2.3m—the rest is reimbursed by the league) for the fan favorite. Thanasis was last on the Bucks in 2023–24, and has been playing for Greece’s national team in the EuroCup after returning from his injury.

This move creates some interesting roster implications. Assuming his contract is guaranteed (seems like a given), Thanasis will make the final 15-man squad, which means Milwaukee must make a cut to open up a spot for him. Andre Jackson Jr. is by far the likeliest candidate, as his contract is only partially guaranteed for $800k. His full 2025–26 salary won’t become fully guaranteed until Opening Night, so if the Bucks waived him and he goes unclaimed, they’d only incur $800k in dead salary on their books the rest of the year. Chris Livingston is also an option, though his deal is fully guaranteed and was just signed in July.

Amir Coffey, who is currently on an Exhibit 9 training camp deal, now has a slighter chance of earning a standard agreement, but perhaps Jackson Jr. and Livingston will both be gone, opening up another spot. A trade to move off of one of those youngsters to free up a spot may be in the works, but the recent saga of former first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Propser suggests Jackson Jr. and Livingston wouldn’t have much value on the open market.

In the offseason, NBA teams can carry up to 21 players on their roster, three of which can be two way contracts. Milwaukee currently has those three spots filled, plus 15 guaranteed contracts, one partially guaranteed contract (Ajax), and one non-guaranteed training camp contract (Coffey). That’s 20, so they presently have only one roster vacancy. By Opening Night, they’ll need to whittle their standard roster down to 15 players, plus the three two-ways.

Hilariously, this is the move that convinced Shams to believe what we knew months ago: Giannis will be staying on the Bucks for the upcoming season. Sometimes, all you can do is laugh at the B.S.

Welcome back, Thanasty.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-free...antetokounmpo-milwaukee-bucks-signing-giannis

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks Ranking The Roster 2025 – Introduction

Bucks media day is four weeks from yesterday and preseason basketball five weeks from yesterday, so that means our annual and much-beloved exercise is back for its twelfth incarnation. If you’re unfamiliar, each year since 2014, we’ve polled Brew Hoop readers about which player is more important to Milwaukee’s success as opposed to his teammates, ultimately putting together a list that has grown from 15 to 18 names as NBA rosters expanded with two-way contracts. Teams usually are pretty solid by this point in the offseason, and while there are some exceptions this year due to ongoing restricted free agency standoffs, the Bucks aren’t one of them. Granted, they have surprised us in late September before and thrown our ratings off, but we press on.

How do we rank the roster? Well, we haven’t always had the same criteria as the Bucks’ title aspirations rose in the last seven years or so. As we’ve done since then, we’ll rate each Buck in terms of how we think they’ll impact postseason success, rather than their future importance, as we might have done in 2016 or so. Managing editor emeritus Adam Paris wrote this once we shifted to that line of thinking, and since it still rings true, here is our main recommendation on how to vote:

Postseason success should be paramount in your mind when considering your rankings. Regular season competency is a bonus, especially if they can help the team get to a higher seed that yields dividends in the Playoffs, but think about how you envision each individual player factoring in when postseason games arrive.

One constant among our rankings is Giannis, who has predictably taken the top spot each season since we began ranking the roster. There usually wasn’t any drama for second and third place either, with franchise stalwart Khris Middleton finishing second often, joined by trade splashes Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard every year since 2020. Brook Lopez also found himself fourth very often too. Of course, none of those guys are Bucks any longer, and for the first time, Middleton won’t be on our list. So I’m particularly excited to see how voters decide spots two through five. I imagine newcomer Myles Turner will take second, but how high will 2025 deadline acquisitions Kevin Porter Jr. and Kyle Kuzma place? Will Bobby Portis—fifth every year since coming to Milwaukee—move up? Only one way to find out. But before we begin, let’s look at historical rankings among the current roster:

Current Player	2024 Rank	2023 Rank	2022 Rank	2021 Rank	2020 Rank	2019 Rank	2018 Rank	2017 Rank	2016 Rank	2015 Rank	2014 Rank
Giannis Antetokoummpo	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Myles Turner	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Kyle Kuzma	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Kevin Porter Jr.	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Gary Trent Jr.	5	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Bobby Portis	6	5	5	5	5	–	–	–	–	–
Ryan Rollins	17	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Taurean Prince	8	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
AJ Green	9	11	17	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Jericho Sims	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Andre Jackson Jr.	11	13	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Chris Livingston	12	14	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Gary Harris	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Cole Anthony	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Tyler Smith	15	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Thanasis Antetokounmpo	–	15	15	12	15	15	–	–	–	–	–
Jamaree Bouyea	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Mark Sears	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Pete Nance	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Amir Coffey	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

As of Sunday, we welcome Thanasis back to our rankings and perhaps we already have his customary 15th spot warm for him. Now there are three members of the 2021 title team still on the roster! Besides Middleton, Lopez, and Lillard, two other longer-tenured guys we won’t see this year are Pat Connaughton (finished sixth or seventh most years dating back to 2019 before falling to 10th last year) and MarJon Beauchamp (fell from ninth to 14th). There are still plenty of holdovers from last year, though, and I see two names that should both rise significantly in AJ Green and Ryan Rollins. Taurean Prince seems likely to fall, but the others might stay in similar spots.

Of course, it seems very likely there will be some movement at the end of the roster between now and Opening Night, when the standard roster must be reduced to 15 players max (plus three two-ways). With Thanasis’ signing, the standard roster is currently at 17, and 15 of those guys are fully guaranteed; Andre Jackson Jr.‘s contract is only partially guaranteed, and Amir Coffey is on a training camp deal. To accommodate one of these guys (probably Thanasis), most speculate that Ajax is gone, but perhaps Tyler Smith is in danger too. With all this in mind, we’ll rank everyone who’s currently on the roster, since a decision may not be made until mid or late October.

The other element in our polls is the Gut Check, which is where you rate your confidence in a given player that they’ll be in the playoff rotation on a 1–5 scale (1 means riding the bench and 5 means logging heavy minutes). How did our holdovers from last year fare in this regard?

1. Gary Trent Jr. – 4.72
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 4.58
3. Bobby Portis – 4.30
4. Taurean Prince – 3.72
5. AJ Green – 3.23
6. Andre Jackson Jr. – 2.67
7. Chris Livingston – 1.86
8. Tyler Smith – 1.55
9. Ryan Rollins – 1.25

And with all that preamble out of the way, I send you to the voting booth to determine the least important/20th most important Buck (editor’s note: this is our new poll feature, which will have more sophisticated options for future polling, like selecting multiple answers). Tomorrow we’ll unveil those results and preview the lucky (or unlucky, in this case) player for the season ahead, and you’ll get to vote on 19th. Right now we’ll keep the options pretty open, shaving them down as we go along.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...anking-roster-2025-introduction-nba-preseason

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Ranking The Roster: Mark Sears debuts at 20th

The first cab off the rank in this year’s Ranking The Roster series is Mark Sears, who arrives in the Cream City with a laundry list of accolades from the college level. In a sport heavily favoured to tall people, it’s going to be an uphill climb for the 5’11” Sears to make headway as an NBA player. That said, of all the short guards to reach the fringes of the league, I think he has as good a shot as anyone.

So, what qualities does Mark have that would make him of use to the Bucks? Well, the Bucks have a dearth of true playmakers on the team; you’re looking mainly at Giannis (obviously), Kevin Porter Jr., and Cole Anthony. If Sears plays meaningful minutes this season, it would likely be if one of Porter or Anthony gets hurt, and he’d assume some semblance of the role he played in college as a high-usage playmaker. Of course, he’d also have to beat out fellow two-way Jamaree Bouyea. I should note that Mark was closer to a scoring guard than a facilitator at Alabama, but the Bucks need scoring as much as they need passing, so that could work out OK.

Another aspect that could work in Sears’ favour is that, with Dame off the team, it becomes easier to insulate a smaller guard like him than it would have been with Lillard still on the team. Guys like KPJ, AJ Green, Gary Trent, and Ryan Rollins could surround Mark at the SG and SF spots to cover for his weaknesses. If they can work out how to keep him on the court defensively, he’s going to create good stuff on the other end with his shooting (career 37.5% three-point shooter in college) and scoring ability.

Finally, I want to address the “undersized, high-usage college players can’t scale down their roles in the NBA” argument. I think there is always value in being “the guy.” Players learn a lot by playing a role in which they are relied on heavily to create offence for their team. This experience is valuable because when these players reach the NBA, they should understand what “the guy” on the NBA team needs and be able to mould their game to fit that. Furthermore, Mark’s game lends itself to scaling down; he’s a good shooter and thus can play off the ball. He also has decent passing instincts (averaged 3.9 APG across five college seasons) and knows how to make the next play. For example, if Giannis were to post up and get double-teamed, Sears would know what the correct read is when the ball is swung to him (in a way that Taurean Prince, for example, probably would not).

Overall, I’m a fan of Mark Sears and love his story of rising from obscurity to become a two-time All-American. But what about you, the readers? Do you think Sears has any shot to see the floor this season, or in the playoffs? Let us know in the gut check and in the comments, but most importantly, vote below for who you believe Milwaukee’s next-best player is!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...-roster-mark-sears-alabama-college-basketball

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

EuroBasket Recap: Greece 90, Spain 86

In an initially comfortable but ultimately tight battle, Greece defeated Spain 90-86 to clinch the top seed from Group C in the EuroBasket knockout stage. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the charge for the boys in blue and white to finish 4-1, scoring 25 necessary points that sent the defending champs and a recent thorn in Greece’s side packing.

Tyler Dorsey stood out for Hellas, scoring 22 points on a scorching 6/9 performance behind the arc. Kostas Sloukas and Kostas Papanikolaou added 12 and 11, respectively. Combined, the three contributed 12 assists. It was a balanced effort for Spain, with Jaime Pradilla, Mario Saint-Supery, Xabi Lopez-Arostegui, and Santi Aldama ranging from 14 to 12 points. Sergio De Larrea helmed the squad with six assists.

Giannis’ 25 points featured 60% shooting from the floor, but only 58% shooting from the line, a number he’ll be looking to improve. Still, he shot better than Spain’s 57%, including a frightful 0-3 trip from Juancho Hernangomez as Spain trailed Greece by four with 13 seconds remaining. But Giannis led his side with 14 boards and nine assists, just shy of a triple-double. Not too shabby from the Greek Freak (perhaps just “Freak” given the context), especially after missing two games (rest and knee).

Kostas and Thanasis also played a few minutes. The newly signed Antetokounbro scored a free throw and recorded a rebound alongside missing three shots and picking up a foul in under five minutes.

Greece will play Israel on Sunday at 1:45 local time in Riga. They face a favorable draw with France, Serbia, and Germany on the other side of the bracket. Giannis and co will be looking to advance to the finals at minimum.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-feat...ecap-greece-90-spain-86-giannis-antetokounmpo

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Ranking The Roster: Jamaree Bouyea enters the chat at 19th

As longtime fringe NBA player at this point, my read on Bouyea is that he is basically a finished product as a third point guard in an NBA rotation. He has a high floor in that he knows how to play and won’t negatively impact the team; however, he has a low ceiling because of his limited physical attributes. Clearly, he sits between the level of the NBA and the G League, where he has career averages of 17.7 PPG, 5.9 APG, and 5.0 RPG.

As far as Jamaree’s chances of getting playing time go, my thoughts are similar to what I wrote about Mark Sears: there would have to be injuries. That said, one part of Bouyea’s game that, if it becomes elite, could give him a leg up is his three-ball. In the G League, he’s a career 36.2% shooter on decent volume, but shot a blistering 42.1% after coming over to the Wisconsin Herd midway through last season. If he can always stay above 40% from deep, that would make him much harder to ignore.

The other element that Jamaree would need to succeed as a small guard is learning how to guard 94 feet and being a bulldog at all times on defence. To be fair, I don’t feel as if I’ve watched him enough throughout his career to know if this is even a weakness of his, but I just wanted to mention that. Small guards who cannot impact the defensive side of the floor are basically unplayable unless they are offensive dynamos, the way Dame, for example, has been throughout his career.

What do you make of Bouyea? How does he compare to a guy like Mark Sears or even some of the guards on standard contracts? Let us know in the comments and the gut check. Also, vote for the 18th most-important player below!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-analysis/50899/milwaukee-bucks-nba-ranking-roster-jamaree-bouyea

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Ranking The Roster: Pete Nance carries on the family legacy in 18th

With the spirit of this exercise being to determine playoff impact, it makes sense that Pete Nance has fallen this low in the rankings. After all, two-way players are flat-out ineligible for postseason participation— he’d need to earn a contract conversion to play in the games that matter the most. However, with the regular season in mind, Nance is in a better position than most of his end-of-bench companions, including Chris Livingston and Tyler Smith, to make some sort of real contribution. As a 25-year-old with two NBA seasons under his belt, he’s a veteran by two-way contract standards, and he has the polish to match his experience. Nance came into Summer League this past July as the steadiest hand on the court, looking like a man amongst boys next to his younger teammates. That, and the flashes he showed at the end of the 2024–25 season, warrant intrigue for how the big man can fit into this Milwaukee Bucks team in the upcoming year.

For Nance, success starts with his three-point shot. He’s hit 40.0% of his triples in the NBA so far (albeit on low volume), and he notched a 38.1% success rate in the G League last season. That type of reliability from beyond the arc gives Nance a defined role as a stretch four/five, and clarity when it comes to on-court capabilities goes a long way for fringe players getting a crack at rotation minutes, especially on competitive teams. Other players buried on Milwaukee’s depth chart also have solidified NBA skills (Andre Jackson Jr.’s defense and Mark Sears’ ball handling, for example), but where Nance separates himself is with the ancillary stuff. The Akron, Ohio native does a little bit of everything well enough to prevent him from being a liability in any area. He rebounds, defends the paint, makes good decisions with the ball, and screens willingly.

Now, there is definitely a ceiling for the type of playing time Nance is viable for, as he’s a tweener big who couldn’t be the primary rim-protecting five for long stretches off the bench. However, for 10–15 minutes a night on a random Tuesday in January, he’s a guy Doc Rivers should feel pretty confident about. A consistent rotation role won’t be in the cards for Nance (unless he’s the next AJ Green or Ryan Rollins), as he’ll be stuck behind Giannis, Myles Turner, Bobby Portis, and Jericho Sims in the front court. But if injuries arise, Nance should be effective insurance. Overall, signing him was a smart move from Jon Horst and company, as he’s exactly what a team trying to win should be looking for on a two-way deal.

What do you think? Does Nance have any chance at earning a contract conversion this season? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote on the next spot in the rankings! Polls close at 10 a.m. (Central) tomorrow!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-analysis/50892/milwaukee-bucks-nba-ranking-roster-pete-nance

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

EuroBasket Round of 16 Recap: Greece 84, Israel 76

In Riga, Latvia today, Greece fought off a few comeback attempts but never surrendered the lead during their round of 16 matchup against Israel and Blazers forward Deni Avdija, reaching the EuroBasket quarterfinals for the fourth time in as many tournaments. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had perhaps his most dominant outing in a tournament that’s been full of them, pouring in 37 points and gathering 10 boards. Remarkably, Giannis was one of merely two Greeks in double figures; the other—Kostas Sloukas—had only 11.

As you might gather from that factoid, Giannis was the Greek offense. Shooting 18/23, he took a plurality of the Hellas’ shots, got to the line only twice, and accrued just one assist. Due in part to his teammates’ shooting woes (the rest of the team shot a less-than-ideal 36.5% from the floor), the Greeks couldn’t build much of a lead. Avdija led Israel with 22, with contributions from former Oregon Duck Roman Sorkin and Tomer Ginat, each with 15 points. Greece’s advantage waned to two late in the third quarter, but a largely sans-Giannis lineup improbably built the lead back to eight before the horn sounded. A Giannis fastbreak dunk soon after he re-entered made it a 14-point game, and it wasn’t until the final minute that Israel got within six, though by then the game was out of reach.

Giannis’ day is one of the most prolific single-game outputs of the tournament so far, four points more than Nikola Jokic scored yesterday in a loss. Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Simone Fontecchio, of all people, have each scored 39 this year, only behind Lauri Markkanen’s 43. However, all of those totals came during group play.

If you were wondering, Thanasis saw only seven minutes, did not attempt a shot from the field, dropped a single dime… and committed three personals. I certainly forgot how quickly Thanasis could accumulate whistles in the year he was away from NBA basketball. Kostas had four points in 10 minutes.

With the defeats of Serbia and France yesterday and today, respectively, the Greeks are shaping up as one of the few remaining favorites in the field. They’ll take on Lithuania on Tuesday in Riga, looking to clinch their first semifinal appearance since 2009. Also facing off on Tuesday to face the winner of Greece and Lithuania are undefeated Turkey and Poland, home of Brew Hoop’s Dawid Księżarczyk. The three other significant threats are on the other side of the bracket: Germany, Slovenia (who match up in the quarters on Wednesday), and Finland. Only one of those teams will make the finals, of course. Given the way the field has unfolded, anything short of a spot in the finals would be quite disappointing for the Greeks.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-feat...greece-israel-giannis-antetokounmpo-37-points

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Ranking the Roster: Thanasis Antetokounmpo sets the culture at 17

As you all know, Thanasis Antetokounmpo is back with the Milwaukee Bucks after missing the entire 2024–25 season due to a torn Achilles tendon. The move has garnered a lot of attention—mostly of the negative variety (see nepotism, talent, age, injury, etc.)—and, to be honest, this is all valid. After all, Thanasis is 33 years old, coming off one of the worst injuries in sports, and has never averaged more than 10 minutes per game or played more than 57 games in a season. He also doesn’t have the resume or apparent basketball IQ to offer the “veteran presence” that kept guys like Udonis Haslem and Nick Collison on rosters for longer than their playing days warranted.

Yes, it’s totally understandable to view Thanasis’ re-signing as a grenade. And as Hazel attests in John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars (sorry, it’s the English teacher in me coming out), a grenade doesn’t come without “casualties.” In this case, there certainly will be collateral damage: someone, arguably with more playability, has to be cut. Andre Jackson Jr. seems a likely victim due to his contract not being fully guaranteed, as does Amir Coffey due to his training camp deal. But Tyler Smith and recently re-signed Chris Livingston could also prematurely get caught by the shrapnel too. In any of these cases, the optics aren’t ideal: the Bucks lose wing depth—an area of need—and/or youth (not to mention what such a move would say about the team’s management of draft picks and roster spots).

Yet, as The Fault in Our Stars’ Isaac shows, optics aren’t everything. Hear me out (pun intended).

Thanasis Antetokounmpo, for all his flaws, is the “Literal Heart” (okay, I’ll stop) and soul of the Bucks. Allusions aside, I’m an avid believer—across all sports—in having veteran players (as distinct from coaches) for leadership purposes. There’s just something to having a teammate lead through all the battles—the practices, the recovery sessions, the ups and downs—that a coach can’t replicate (birds of a feather, and all that). Theo Pinson had this reputation with the Dallas Mavericks, so this role isn’t limited to the Haslems and Collisons of the world.

For the Bucks, this is undeniably Thanasis—for whatever reason, he simply has it. He’s a non-stop worker and communicator, setting the tone for the Bucks in every facet. In other words, he’s the culture setter and, as the saying goes, “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” The fact that he’s remained a Buck under the regimes of both Bud and Doc is a testament to this notion.

Critics of Thanasis will likely attest to the intangibility of these attributes, positing that trying hard and constant communication are easy to do and that anyone can do them. But it’s these very things that are perennially underrated; hard work isn’t called what it is for no reason. Through his actions and dialogue, Thanasis is a legitimate motivator, something people outside of basketball make entire careers out of. So why is it so hard to believe there’s inherent value in this within the basketball world? And for those who do point to the collateral damage of Thanasis’ re-signing, I retort: is it worth hanging onto guys who’ve not made any impression and are just as unlikely to contribute on the court because of their draft status or—trigger word alert—“potential?”

Thanasis may be the 15th best player on the Milwaukee Bucks’ final roster, but that’s actually what makes him even more valuable—most 15th men won’t play anyway, let alone sniff at the cultural impact he has. Moreover, when the 15th best player is the hardest worker—knowing full well he likely won’t play—it flips the hierarchy on its head (thanks, Mitchell), sending the message to everyone in front of him: you have to bring it every day, and I’ll be right here to help you through each one. That’s power.

So, I beg of you: focus not on what Thanasis can’t do and instead focus on what he does: make the biggest and baddest dude in the league—and by nature the Bucks—even better. You want playoff impact? You’ve got your answer right there.

Onto number 16, who we’ll discuss tomorrow:

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...cks-nba-ranking-roster-thanasis-antetokounmpo

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Ranking the Roster: Tyler Smith uncertainty at 16

There is a slim chance that by the time you are reading this, Tyler Smith might not be on the roster. With recent additions of Amir Coffey on a training camp deal and Thanasis Antetokounmpo being announced, the Bucks will have to cut/trade players to make space on the roster. One of those could be 2024 second-round pick Tyler Smith, who didn’t do much of anything with the senior squad last season and ends up 16th in our ranking this year, one spot lower than 2024’s 15th. In his rookie season, Smith played in 23 games, seeing only 122 minutes with the Bucks. With the Wisconsin Herd, Smith played in 15 games, averaging 24.2 MPG, 9.4 PPG, 6.3 RPH, shooting 42.9% from the floor and 38% from three. His scoring dropped from the 2023–24 season with the G-League Ignite, but he shot better from three, increased his rebounds, and cut down on his fouling.

There are two ways to look at Tyler Smith. The first is that he is still a young player, only 20 years old, and entering his second season in the league with a smooth-looking shot and athleticism. That is a type of skill set that could still make him a factor in the future. The second is that he is not good enough defensively, and after an underwhelming summer league, he doesn’t seem like a player who will ever contribute to winning basketball. I see both viewpoints, and truly, we don’t have an answer on what it will be.

Since Milwaukee drafted him, I have always viewed Smith as a potential successor to Bobby Portis. Smith shows potential as a stretch four that could help Milwaukee’s offense in a bind, but could be a liability on defense. Unlike Portis, Smith doesn’t have the post offense ability, but is more athletic and can be molded to fit a team’s needs in the future. I honestly can see how Tyler Smith can work: a year to get acclimated to the league and a potential NBA skill set, then more time to figure out what he is and can become.

Will that time come with Milwaukee, though? Chris Livingston and Andre Jackson Jr. seem closer to finished products at this stage of their lackluster careers, while Coffey and Gary Harris don’t seem to raise the Bucks’ floor or ceiling. The Bucks also need to consider whether they are willing to cut ties with both of their 2024 draft picks in a calendar year after using their only draft pick in 2025 to stash away in Europe. I don’t think that is best for the present and future of the franchise compared to the other options Milwaukee could cut bait with. This could all also not matter by the trade deadline if Smith toils away in Oshkosh without flashing anything.

15th is next. Check back tomorrow for a preview of him.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-analysis/51111/milwaukee-bucks-nba-ranking-roster-tyler-smith