The oldest player on the Milwaukee Bucks' roster was signed a few days ago. Chris Copeland, the 31-year-old journeyman who broke into the NBA three years ago, joined the roster and now Milwaukee's 15 players on opening day should be set.
The Bucks can win now and dominate later
Milwaukee is both young, good and ready to win, but its offseason makes it clear that developing young players is the key next year.
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
That nobody besides Copeland is older than 28 says a lot about the Bucks. Last year’s squad finished 41-41 with the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, which no one expected following a 15-win season the year before. With the major free agent addition of Greg Monroe in the front court, the Bucks are showing they can be competitive in the East now while still having one of the brightest long-term futures in the NBA.
For the Bucks, this season may still be more about process than results. It's the same logic behind the trade deadline deal that brought in Michael Carter-Williams in exchange for Brandon Knight. Carter-Williams won't put up the same stats right away -- maybe not ever -- but he's the preferred fit as a long, physical backcourt defender who models himself after Bucks head coach Jason Kidd.
This year is less about winning big and more about answering a few looming questions to adequately prepare the Bucks for the future. With this level of talent and youth, there’s no reason Milwaukee can’t become a perennial division winner and a true Eastern Conference powerhouse. They’ve got this year to figure out exactly how that will happen.
How will Greg Monroe fit in?
The Bucks made two free agent signings and the first was an obvious one: re-signing Khris Middleton to man one of the forward positions. The second was a three-year, $50 million contract with Monroe, landing Milwaukee the center it had planned to chase headed into the offseason.
Monroe has to already be breathing easier than the claustrophobic Detroit situation he found himself in. Neither he nor Andre Drummond were power forwards, yet they were both too good to share the center position evenly. Over the past couple of years, the Pistons clearly saw Drummond as a franchise piece going forward (as he should), resulting in Monroe sometimes being looked over or not fully appreciated.
Milwaukee will change that. Only six players made more field goals within five feet of the basket than Monroe, despite Monroe and Drummond constantly sharing the same space. Monroe even made two more of those shots than LeBron James, if you need a barometer. With the Bucks, Monroe is the clear focus as a post presence, with the more flexible Jabari Parker returning next to him.
If there's a concern about Monroe, it's his fit on the defensive end. Fortunately, those concerns can be somewhat alleviated with John Henson coming off the bench behind him. Miles Plumlee is also an option there.
How big of a step does Giannis Antetokounmpo take?
Casual reminder: Antetokounmpo can’t legally drink until December. The 6’11 forward is only 20 but has already made huge strides in his two NBA seasons thus far. Will this be a breakout year for him or just a small step towards his potential? (And either way, isn’t that terrifying?)
His scoring and rebounding both improved last year and not just because he earned seven more minutes per game. He became a lot more efficient, too, raising his two-point percentage from 44 to 51 percent between the two seasons. If there’s a concern, it’s that his three-point shooting fell off completely, making just seven after a rookie season with 51 triples.
Some of that is how Antetokounmpo was asked to play and what the Bucks had him focus on. He clearly made steps in the right direction and keeping him on the same trajectory is one of the most important things Milwaukee can do this year. If you need a reminder at just how special this kid is, just watch him humble fellow 2013 draftee Trey Burke on his way to 22 points.
Where will the three-point shooting come from?
That’s the concern: while Carter-Williams, Antetokounmpo, Middleton, Parker and Monroe is a lineup with plenty of offensive potential and defensive promise, they don’t have much shooting. While Middleton hit 41 percent on four three-point attempts last season and Antetokounmpo flashed the shot his rookie year, the other three provide next to nothing. For those five to be a viable lineup for the future, you’d think Carter-Williams or Parker would have to develop a 35-percent shot, at the very least.
In the meantime, Milwaukee has to make it work next season. Three of last year's top five shooters on an already weak shooting team -- Knight, Jared Dudley and Ersan Ilyasova -- are gone. O.J. Mayo remains as a streaky sixth man who can fill it up and the team's first-round pick, Rashad Vaughn, also projects to be a flamethrower if he reaches his peak potential. Copeland, now the "old veteran" of the team, can make three-pointers as well. Whether those guys off the bench will be enough for the Bucks to get by is one question that will be answered this season.
* * *
Milwaukee developing its young nucleus is the key this season and it certainly doesn't have the firepower to battle the Cleveland Cavaliers, but if the Bucks' concerns are answered and the cards fall right they could push for 50 wins. After five straight years without a winning record, that goal is firmly in their grasp for 2016.
* * *
SB Nation presents: The most important NBA free agent signings
See More:
