The Milwaukee Bucks have formally moved on from Damian Lillard and added Myles Turner within the hopes of profitable a championship, though they’ll want Giannis Antetokounmpo to proceed to increase a key a part of his recreation.
A brief-lived period of Milwaukee Bucks basketball has come to an finish, with the staff waiving famous person level guard Damian Lillard weeks after he suffered a torn Achilles within the playoffs, an damage that can possible hold him off the court docket for subsequent season.
The Bucks let Lillard go in an costly transfer to make room without spending a dime agent middle Myles Turner, who is anticipated to be the right Brook Lopez alternative subsequent to Giannis Antetokounmpo, as he can defend the rim and shoot from deep.
Very similar to Lopez, Turner is a restricted rebounder, though Giannis is greater than able to crashing the boards.
With Lillard gone, the Bucks will want their greatest participant to proceed to hone a key space of his offensive recreation if they’re to compete for a championship.
Earlier than he went down with a torn Achilles, Lillard missed the ultimate 14 video games of the common season with blood clots.
The sickness didn’t cease the Bucks from lacking the playoffs; in actual fact, they went 11-3 within the video games he missed, largely resulting from Giannis taking part in a extra full offensive function.
With Lillard out, the Greek Freak continued his ordinary scoring and defensive dominance, however he managed to submit 8.6 assists per recreation, up from a season common of 6.5 dimes, nonetheless very stable for an influence ahead.
With Lillard gone, Kevin Porter Jr. and Gary Trent are anticipated to spherical out the backcourt within the beginning unit. Whereas each are succesful facilitators, they’re each shooters and score-first guards primarily, and the offense will run by way of Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks discovered success with an identical offensive system throughout their 2021 title run, when Jrue Vacation was the “level guard” on paper, however most performs have been began–and completed– by Antetokounmpo.
Whereas Antetokounmpo is likely one of the greatest scorers and defenders within the league, and is an rising elite passing risk, he isn’t a shooter. Over his profession, he has made solely 28.4% of his photographs from deep, on solely 2.2 makes an attempt per recreation.
To ensure that him to appreciate his passing potential, the Bucks have to have viable taking pictures threats round him. Not solely did Turner, Trent Jr., and Porter Jr. all shoot round 40% from deep final season, however the Bucks added trigger-happy Kyle Kuzma through commerce final season, and have stable shooters Bobby Portis, Taurean Prince, and AJ Inexperienced coming off the bench.
Within the East, the Bucks have simply one of the best participant in Antetokounmpo, however they boast among the best taking pictures lineups. After shedding Lillard, it was anticipated that Milwaukee would take a transparent step again, but when something, they need to enter the postseason with their greatest odds since hiring Doc Rivers.
