The loss of Brook Lopez has hurt the Bucks more than many would have thought. It makes sense, though. Lopez is a defensive leader and the one true center on the Bucks. Bobby Portis is listed as a center on the roster, but he played power forward for his entire career before coming to Milwaukee. Here are three centers that could fill in until Brook Lopez returns.
John Henson
John Henson started his career in Milwaukee with Giannis and Khris. There is already a connection between Henson and the Bucks’ two best players. A homecoming for Henson could prove to be very helpful in the long run. He’s only 30 years old, and with Brook Lopez’s return unknown, the Bucks need to target a center soon.
Henson was a good defensive big man for the Bucks for seven years. He averaged 1.5 blocks and a 105 Def Rtg while averaging 20.1 minutes in his time with the Bucks. His Per 36 in his time with Bucks would’ve had him averaging 2.6 blocks per game. He is a solid rebounder coming off the bench, and if he has to start he should fit Lopez’s role admirably.
In 2017-2018 (the year Henson was a full-time starter, 69 starts out of 76 games), Henson averaged 8.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and a 108 Def Rtg in 25.9 minutes played. For reference, Brook Lopez averaged 12.3 points, 5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and a 103 Def Rtg in 27.2 minutes for the Bucks last season.
The big knock on Henson is that he hasn’t played since the 2019-2020 season. He also won’t stretch the floor like Brook does. He won’t be an All-Defensive center like Brook Lopez is, but with question marks floating around Lopez’s return, Henson could be a decent replacement for cheap.
Demarcus Cousins
Demarcus Cousins is a former All-Star and is just sitting in free agency. He, of course, has not been the same since he tore his ACL, but he still has something left in the tank. Boogie would be a good situational center and can start when called upon. He started 11 games last season for the Rocket.
Cousins would only be asked to play at most 20 minutes while Brook is hurt. It helps Giannis go back to his most comfortable position, power forward. Boogie could still be a nice bench piece when Brook comes back, playing a few minutes a game.
Last season, Boogie played in 41 games and averaged 8.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 0.6 blocks, and a 107 Def Rtg in 17.4 minutes played. On the Rockets (25 games), Boogie played 20 minutes per game and averaged 9.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, and had a 108 Def Rtg. That’s all he would be tasked with in Milwaukee.
Cousins also offers some stretch ability, which Henson does not. At 31 years old, Boogie would only cost a minimum contract and provide much-needed center depth for the Bucks.
Micah Potter
Taking a shot on Micah Potter is a considerable risk for the Bucks but could pay dividends. Potter is an undrafted rookie out of Wisconsin, so the Wisconsin connection is already there. Potter was the 2nd leading scorer for the 17th ranked Badgers in the 2019-2020 season. He was also the 2nd leading scorer for the Badgers last season, as well.
In Potters last season with the Badgers, he averaged 22.2 minutes per game and posted 12.5 points, 5.9 rebounds (led the team), 0.7 blocks and posted a 96.2 Def Rtg (led the team *minimum 15 minutes played). Potter is also a good 3PT shooter as he shot 38.6% from 3PT range on 3.3 attempts last season and shot 45.1% from 3PT range on 2.4 attempts in the 2019-2020 season.
Potter would be a very cheap option that the Bucks would have to take a chance on. He has potential but never played a lot of minutes in college to live up to his potential. His career-high in minutes was 31, and he has only played over 30 minutes twice in his college career. The Bucks have been struggling as of late, so something has to change. Taking a risk could be the answer.
Final Thoughts
There aren’t many good free agent centers available as of now. Cousins and Henson are probably the two best options, so a short-term option may be the best choice for the Bucks. Find a replacement for Brook (Henson or Cousins, risk with Potter) and then make a trade on or after December 15th to add some center depth. Click here to look at potential center trades.
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1 Comment
It’s rather best if we can trade for a back up big than sign a “rusty” free agent… IMO, trading one of our deep roster assets that haven’t worked for us yet (preferably Hood, but even Ojeleye if necessary to do it), to the Pelicans for Willy Henangomez should interest N.Orlean’s F.O. and therefore should be feasible after Dec the 15th…