Behind the Bucks Pass
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Milwaukee Bucks Can Take Solace In Their Young Core

By Dan Larsen

Apr 3, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the game against the Chicago Bulls at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Chicago won 102-98. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 3, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the game against the Chicago Bulls at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Chicago won 102-98. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /
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In an off-season laced with uncertainty, the Milwaukee Bucks can take solace in having their core players secured for the foreseeable future.

The 2015-16 NBA season is very nearly at its conclusion.

While Golden State and Cleveland fans watch the Finals reach its end, most NBA fans are ready to turn the page and move on to a new season.

With the NBA Draft and Free Agency just a few short weeks away, most teams are in the process of finalizing how they want to approach this off-season.

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Many teams enter this off-season in an uncertain state. Many of the league’s top teams either face the prospect of losing key players through free agency (Memphis, Atlanta, Toronto, Oklahoma City) or have consistently failed to reach expectations and may need to significantly reshape their rosters in order to seriously contend for a title (Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago, New York Knicks).

Even the Cleveland Cavaliers, after making consecutive finals, may upend the core of their roster if they fail to beat Golden State and get the title which has alluded them for so many years.

These factors may create the most uncertain and unpredictable off-season in recent memory. Nearly every contending team outside of the eventual champions could end up changing the complexion of their team in a major way.

Keeping the status quo, like the Bulls and the Clippers have done, has only kept those teams mired in mediocrity rather than being the serious contenders they hoped they’d be. Therefore, a radical overhaul may be the only option for these teams to try and give themselves a legitimate shot at a title.

Unlike many teams, the Milwaukee Bucks actually enter the off-season with a great deal of certainty surrounding their core three.

All three guys who are part of their long-terms plans (Khris Middleton, Jabari Parker, and Giannis Antetokounmpo), are under contract through at least next season. The Bucks control Antetokounmpo and Parker’s free agency when the time comes, and both Antetokounmpo and Parker have expressed serious interest in remaining in Milwaukee long-term.

In addition to this, the Bucks core trio flashed serious potential over the final 30 games of the regular season, despite two of those guys being 21 or younger (Antetokounmpo and Parker).

Thus, despite all the uncertainty that surrounds the  remaining 11 spots on the roster this coming season, the Bucks can take solace in the fact that they actually have a core of very talented players whom they can confidently move forward with for many years to come.

Much has been made about the potential ceiling this Bucks roster has, and for good reason. Despite how the pieces may fit, the Bucks have three players who can be at least All-Star caliber players on a yearly basis.

All three are unique offensive talents which complement each other.

Middleton provides the floor spacing and can hit difficult shots while operating as a secondary ball-handler on offense.

Parker can score in a variety of ways, both with and without the ball in his hands for long periods of time, and has shown the potential of developing into a Carmelo Anthony type player.

And last, but not least, Antetokounmpo has shown that he can run an offense and get the basket at will, making him nearly impossible to defend.

Two of them, in Antetokounmpo and Middleton, have also shown signs of being impact players on the defensive end.

This gives the Bucks a trio of legitimate impact players, something few other teams in the league can claim. Not even the Minnesota Timberwolves (for now), who have two potential stars in Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony Towns, can claim to have a third player as good as Middleton or Parker.

For the first time in decades, Bucks fans actually have a core of players to actually get excited about.

Next: Milwaukee Bucks Need To Be Wary Of Falling Head Over Heels At Pre-Draft Workouts

Thus, despite the uncertainty that surrounds the rest of the roster, we should all be grateful that the Bucks don’t face the difficult decisions that many other teams face this off-season. We’re thankful we finally have a future we can believe in.

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