The Milwaukee Bucks got off to an incredibly slow start this season, losing six games in a row after defeating the Philadelphia 76ers in their first game. The 1-6 start was a dream scenario for the national media, who have long desired for two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to leave Milwaukee for a bigger market. Indeed, the six-game losing streak had the Giannis trade rumor mill pumping out hypothetical trades to teams such as the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and New York Knicks.
But the Bucks have now won four games in a row and seven of their last nine. At 8-9, they currently sit in fifth place in a mediocre Eastern Conference and can get back to .500 if they defeat the Miami Heat on Tuesday night.
Milwaukee’s turnaround from a bottom dweller to one of the hottest teams in the NBA has Bucks fans excited, but has done nothing to stop the amount of criticism the national media has been throwing their way.
NBA Analysts Give Milwaukee Bucks Rookies an F Grade
NBA analysts at Bleacher Report recently posted their grades for each team’s class of rookie players. While some groups deservedly received high marks, the Bucks rookie trio of Tyler Smith, AJ Johnson, and Liam Robbins were given an F:
“The Milwaukee Bucks have gotten next to nothing from No. 23 pick AJ Johnson, a project combo guard whose tools tantalized but whose obvious need for seasoning made him an oft-criticized choice by a team that needed cheap rotation help in the short term.
“Johnson, 19, averaged just 2.8 points in 7.9 minutes for the NBL’s Illawarra Hawks in the NBL prior to being drafted and has seen just eight minutes of playing time for the Bucks so far.
“At least Smith, picked 33rd, offered a glimpse of what he could do with the G League Ignite last year. The 6’9” forward averaged 14.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 22.5 minutes per game in 2023-24 but has seen little action with the Bucks and none with the Wisconsin Herd this year.
“Milwaukee, hamstrung by the second apron and in dire need of rotation help, is getting none from its rookie class. That doesn’t mean Johnson, in particular, has no future upside. But in the Bucks’ specific circumstances, these rookie performances represent a significant failure.”
While it is true that Smith, Johnson, and Robbins have not contributed much this season, it is also worth noting that Milwaukee did not draft/sign any of them to play right away. Smith and Johnson are just 19 years old; any team that would have selected them would have done so with the intention of developing them, just as the Bucks are doing.
When Exactly Are the Milwaukee Bucks Rookies Supposed to Play?
Considering the fact that the Bucks are contenders for an NBA Championship (despite being 8-9, currently), one has to wonder when these NBA analysts expect the rookies to play. The fact of the matter is that the rookies who contribute the most and see the most success in their first seasons are the ones drafted by bad teams.
And the Bucks are not a bad team.
Smith and Johnson are stuck behind the likes of established NBA players like Delon Wright, Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince, and Bobby Portis. Andre Jackson Jr. and AJ Green, too, have proven themselves to be valuable members of the rotation.
These last two players, Jackson and Green, also throw a wrench into the statement that the Bucks have not drafted well lately. It is true that MarJon Beauchamp has not worked out and that every first round pick they have made since Giannis has been disappointing.
But Milwaukee has not had to draft for need in quite a while. Instead, they have supplemented their roster with key veterans via free agency and trade. Meanwhile, they have done their best to develop the rookies they do select.
And while they have missed on a lot, Jackson and Green prove that they have been better than people give them credit for.
Analysts should wait a year or two before rushing judgment on this current trio of Bucks rookies.
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