The Milwaukee Bucks came into this season with a deep roster. A roster with enough depth that went all the way and won the NBA Championship last season.
However through trades and free agents, that roster has changed as this season has progressed. If you ask me, the roster has improved somewhat. Head Coach Mike Budenholzer now has a decision to make – who he will include in his playoff rotation against The Chicago Bulls. Given the quality of the roster, it won’t be an easy task. Let’s have a look at the roster and what we can expect.
Starters
I think we can all agree on one thing – our big three will make up the core of the team and will only miss meaningful minutes due to injuries (touch wood that doesn’t happen). We have the best big three in the NBA in my opinion. But who else will join them on the court to start games?
Brook Lopez missed nearly the entire season due to a back injury and resulting surgery however with the 7 foot Centre returning in the latter stages of the Regular Season, he has taken back his starting role from Bobby Portis. Brook’s defence was integral to our championship run last season and it looks like he will keep that starting role for the first round matchup with Bobby coming from the bench to give him a break.
Rounding out the starting 5 will likely be Wesley Matthews. Yes, Grayson Allen started the majority of games as Shooting Guard however Matthews is better suited for the series thanks to his defence. He will likely have the task of slowing down DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan has been the rock for the Bull this season and at points singlehandedly carried the Bulls. If Matthews can slow down, or stop, DeRozan this could be a relatively quick series for the Bucks.
Role Players
Looking at our bench, I think we can safely assume the there are three payers guaranteed to get some good minutes – Pat Connaughton, Bobby Portis and Grayson Allen. Pat Connaughton will likely be used as the Bucks’ sixth man due to his versatility. He literally can play anywhere on the court and has been in great form this season gaining praise from fans and pundits alike.
As mentioned earlier, Bobby Portis started the majority of games this season and he stepped up massively when he was needed. He had a career high in minutes and points per game this year and is regarded as a hero throughout the Milwaukee Bucks fanbase. He will be an integral part of the rotation and likely play a solid amount of minutes.
Rounding out the top 8 for me would be Grayson Allen. Yes, we all know how Bulls fans feel about Grayson but he should get some meaningful minutes throughout this series. His 3 point shooting throughout the season was solid, shooting a career high 41% from beyond there arc.
Best of the Rest
With all that said, that leaves three players out in the cold that could argue they deserve playoff minutes. They are George Hill, Serge Ibaka and Jevon Carter.
There is a strong possibility that George Hill sees the court regularly, injury dependent of course as he has been dealing with some injuries lately. The inclusion of Hill might draw some controversy due to his struggles this season, but Budenholzer has not let that deter him from giving the guard considerable minutes when he is healthy.
Mid-season additions, Carter and Ibaka have both proven that they can help this team in various ways. Both fell out of favour down the stretch and seems likely that this will carry over into the NBA Playoffs. Ibaka could well be used when Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis need a rest and it’s a fair argument to say that Carter has performed better than George Hill and deserves some of those minutes destined for Hill.
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