Eric Bledsoe does a good job of setting up the offense, but he also assesses the defense and will kick it into high gear and look to attack and get to the basket if he sees a mismatch. # Covering the impact of coronavirus on the sports world. Founded in 1968, the Bucks in its history, had won 1 title out of 2 NBA Finals appearances. Explore the NBA Milwaukee Bucks player roster for the current basketball season. Middleton seems to have taken several positive steps forward, and he has had to really step up in Giannis’ absence, and the signs point to him being able to perform in big games. © 2004-2020 CBS Interactive. Last year, it was Middleton against the Raptors. If they can fill out their roster with some solid role players, it would take some major bad luck to keep them from being favorites to make another deep run into the playoffs and possibly the NBA Finals. When he was hired by the Bucks, some of the reasons why he was selected were that he could teach and he could build a winning culture. Trending news, game recaps, highlights, player information, rumors, videos and more from FOX Sports. The team's only title was won 49 years ago when it defeated the Baltimore Bullets led by Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) back in 1971. He averaged 9.4 points per game, but he was on quite a tear before play was suspended. Mike Budenholzer is yet another NBA coach who is part of Gregg Popovich’s coaching tree. Khris Middleton may not get the respect he deserves, but he was locking players down on defense well before he became an All-Star. Perhaps the best thing about the way Milwaukee’s roster was built was that they have a number of solid two-way players and they do not feature too many one-trick ponies. A lot depends on their market value entering free agency. Milwaukee has done a good job of surrounding that trio with solid role players who offer complementary skills. The Lakers are heavily favored by sportsbooks to win the NBA Finals, but Eastern Conference foe Miami has gotten early support from bettors. Full Milwaukee Bucks roster for the 2019-20 season including position, height, weight, birthdate, years of experience, and college. I also have to think Lopez would take the option to continue to play for a contender and alongside his brother. The Bucks like the versatility he provides. Off the bench, the Bucks have a capable scoring duo of George Hill and Donte DiVincenzo. Here's how our experts size up next season's NBA championship chase. Recent Game Results Height of bar is margin of victory • Mouseover bar for details • Click for box score • Grouped by Month Can Bledsoe and Middleton stay consistent through a playoff run to have a realistic shot at a title or will Giannis have to carry the team again? If both players are playing solid basketball alongside Giannis. He’ll muscle players as soon as they cross the timeline and try to get them to pass or force them into bad shots. Copyright: © 2020 ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. The Bucks have to be looked at as a favorite to get to the NBA Finals. That was proven to be true almost instantly. 28. View player positions, age, height, and weight on FOXSports.com! Ersan Ilyasova has been another player that has been asked to step into the starting lineup and play a bigger role at times. He may be a bit undersized at 6-1, but he has the muscle to make up for that, which allows him to bully other point guards as he’s able to get into the paint. The official site of the Milwaukee Bucks. 6' 11" 242 lbs--$25,842,697. He’s also still very inconsistent. Brook Lopez is a rim protector down in the paint, and having Robin Lopez come off the bench able to play in the same defensive role is a luxury for the Bucks. To round it all out, Pat Connaughton adds a dynamic scorer and the Bucks are still unsure what they’ll be getting with their signing of Marvin Williams. Will Bucks bring back Pat Connaughton and Kyle Korver or will they look to replace them with lower-cost options ? When Giannis does get doubled, the Bucks have several other options. 25. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nba | pageType: rosters | His size gives him the versatility to defend multiple positions, which can also be said of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who can defend out on the perimeter and be a presence near the basket. Will the Bucks also be forced to look for replacements for Wesley Matthews and Robin Lopez prior to the start of the season? Two years ago, it was Bledsoe, who tried to engage in a personal battle with Terry Rozier and let Rozier get the better of him on a few occasions. Milwaukee locked up some of their top talent with Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Eric Bledsoe, Brook Lopez, and George Hill all signed for the next few years. His combination of speed and strength make him a rarity at his position, so stopping him from penetrating into the lane for fast-break buckets and dunks is usually something that takes two players and you pretty much have to make that a priority once he gets on the perimeter. The Milwaukee Bucks is in the Tier 1 group. Stephen A. Smith is adamant that LeBron James will never close the gap between him and Michael Jordan -- even if he wins this year with the Lakers. Windhorst: No way Giannis signs extension to stay in Milwaukee Brian Windhorst explains why he does not see Giannis Antetokounmpo signing a long-term contract extension with the Bucks this fall. Where they are now, with the confidence to think they can beat anyone, is a far cry from the pre-Budenholzer days. While passing up the supermax in exchange for possibly a deal in a bigger market with superstar teammates may be hard to do, Kawhi Leonard showed that money isn’t everything. While there is no doubt this is Giannis’ team, they become that more dangerous with Middleton. Latest stories including team news, game recaps, and writer features. Senator Herb Kohl was the long-time owner of the team, but on April 16, 2014, a … He’s a good distributor, but he sometimes makes bad decisions. Losing Malcolm Brogdon was tough, but Budenholzer countered by leaning on Donte DiVincenzo, who seemed to believe in himself with the confidence shown him and has stepped up in situations where the team needs him. View the latest in Milwaukee Bucks, NBA team news here. Bledsoe is a bulldog of a defender at point guard, and despite the height disparity with many other point guards, he loves the challenge. The Milwaukee Bucks’ second straight disappointing postseason exit has left the franchise with more questions than answers heading into a … Below is the team's NBA 2K21 full team roster. Connaughton will likely be the priority this offseason. Off the bench, he’s capable of knocking down three-pointers, as is Kyle Korver, and Robin Lopez gives the Bucks a rim runner who can clean up on the boards and put shots back up. section: | slug: | sport: basketball | route: team_page_roster | When Eric Bledsoe heads to the paint, George Hill is also a more than capable defender. Even if Wesley Matthews returns, I think DiVincenzo becomes the starter at the two. He took a big step forward in his sophomore campaign. It’s clear Budenholzer values him, so I expect him to stick around. Includes news, scores, schedules, statistics, photos and video. He’s also been able to adapt well. I have a hard time seeing him getting value above what his player option is worth. Sterling Brown’s time in Milwaukee can also be nearing an end. Find out the latest on your favorite NBA players on CBSSports.com. NBA Future Power Rankings: Top 10 title contenders for next season. But committing so much of the cap to two players would mean Milwaukee would have to operate over the cap and the tax apron. He was just locked up to a long-term contract, and it’s clear why. Aside from that, Budenholzer seems to have the ability to instill confidence in his players. While he has some holes in his offensive game, specifically pulling up from mid-range or deep, he’s tough to stop as it is, especially in transition when he’s headed straight to the basket like a high-speed locomotive. DiVincenzo had a nice sophomore campaign, and he was asked to play a bigger role when other players were injured. PF. 2020 Milwaukee Bucks Roster Top Questions. Giannis has remained loyal to the team that drafted him, but he’ll be looking for a large contract extension, especially after the Bucks committed about $35 million a year to Khris Middleton. Bledsoe has still had his bouts with inconsistency last season. The two biggest issues for Bledsoe and Middleton lately have been their tendency to fade in important playoffs series. All Rights Reserved. However, if the asking price is too high, they’ve shown the ability to adapt and add players that fit the team. He is best penetrating and working around the rim. Thanasis Antetokounmpo 43. Will the Bucks also be forced to look for replacements for those players prior to the start of the season. Middleton, often mentioned as a 3&D player, is so much more than that. Matthews was signed in hopes of replacing some of what Brogdon provided, but he was hardly a Brogdon replacement. This surprising postseason has brought new contenders into play. Luckily for the Bucks, his backup, George Hill, is a playoff-tested veteran who can bring it on both sides of the floor. One of the unsung heroes on the Bucks’ roster is Khris Middleton. Will Bucks be able to bring back players like Pat Connaughton and Kyle Korver or will they look to replace them with lower-cost options like they did in passing on re-signing Brogdon and Nikola Mirotic? The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee.The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division.The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and play at the Fiserv Forum.Former U.S. Brian Windhorst explains why the Bucks might pursue Chris Paul in order to convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to stay in Milwaukee. He can still shoot from long range, but he’s also able to take his defender off the dribble, and has the size at 6-7 to have his way inside. When he tried to be a jump shooter, that doesn’t work well with his skill set. 6-keys: media/spln/nba/reg/free/rosters, Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo: Wins second consecutive MVP, Bucks' Eric Bledsoe: Playoff woes continue, Bucks' Donte DiVincenzo: Steps up in start, Bucks' Khris Middleton: Can't guide Milwaukee to victory, Bucks' Marvin Williams: Retires after Game 5. He took a step back last season and is likely not progressing like the team would hope. Los Angeles Lakers heavy favorites to win NBA Finals, but Miami Heat drawing early action. He can drive, as has always been part of his skill set, but he was deadly from beyond the arch last season for the Bucks. Milwaukee Bucks Roster Team Roster. Is Donte DiVincenzo the future starter at shooting guard? Bledsoe does have his faults, though. Hill is a playoff-tested veteran, who not only makes the smart decisions offensively, but he can also create offense. They were the league’s best offense this past season, with a ton of that credit due to Middleton, who had to step up as the number one option when Giannis was injured, and he was also a facilitator when George Hill was out for some time. Giannis is obviously their go-to offensive threat. 2020 Milwaukee Bucks Roster Top Questions Offense There were some concerns that the Bucks were losing some offensive talent when they basically let Malcolm Brogdon walk in the 2019 offseason, but they’ve built some good depth at several positions. If he drives not knowing what he’s going to do, he sometimes forces passes that are turned into turnovers, although he’s shown improvement in this area. Brook Lopez has an inside-out game, and while inconsistent, Wesley Matthews is capable of providing an offensive spark. That said, Giannis apparently wants to win rings so if Milwaukee shows they can do that with this roster, which would go a long way to keeping him in Wisconsin. Can the Bucks keep Giannis in Milwaukee by extending him to the supermax? Wesley Matthews and Robin Lopez have player options for 2020-2021. They’ve been built well, have the right coach in place, and they have extended the players that are very important to their success. Gut feeling here is that he stays in Milwaukee. Given a minutes bump as a starter, he can easily be a double-digit nightly performer, and his career progression in Milwaukee has to be exciting for Bucks fans. He is so much more versatile offensively than he was years ago. SF. He’ll be eligible for the supermax, but that’s only if he stays with the Bucks, and that’s a significant difference compared to what he would make anywhere else. Before the NBA suspended play, the Bucks seemed on a possible collision course with the Los Angeles Lakers for a possible NBA Finals matchup and they had the league’s best record. It would mean a five-year salary averaging around $50 million. Stephen A. refuses to elevate LeBron above MJ no matter what. They are tough to stop. Their biggest priority will be re-signing Giannis, who is set to become a free agent after the 2020-21 season. Name POS Age HT WT College Salary; Giannis Antetokounmpo 34. Milwaukee Bucks 1970-71 Roster and Stats. While it’s nice to have a sharpshooter like Korver, he’ll be a low-priority player, and as an aging specialist, they’d probably bring him back on a minimum contract. The Milwaukee Bucks have two pairs of brothers, a Greek Freak and several players that GM Jon Horst has built around his franchise cornerstone in hopes of competing for a championship. Bucks roster, schedule for NBA restart: Three things to know as Milwaukee plays at Disney World The Bucks are in first place in the East heading into the restart He’s far more consistent, and he offers a different skill set. There were some concerns that the Bucks were losing some offensive talent when they basically let Malcolm Brogdon walk in the 2019 offseason, but they’ve built some good depth at several positions. Budenholzer had the luxury of working with Popovich in a system that was known for competing for championships and has had a winning culture for decades.