Milwaukee Bucks: A Tale Of Two Futures

Both Michael Carter-Williams and Greg Monroe have struggled since joining the Milwaukee Bucks, yet only one of them is seemingly getting a chance to regain their place within the team.

Despite being only two weeks into free agency, much of the excitement and intrigue of the offseason has disappeared.

With practically all of the big name free agents off the market at this point, teams have moved on to filling out their roster with players who remain available in free agency or have decided to take a chance on some of the more unproven players who are looking to find their place in the NBA.

As of right now, the Milwaukee Bucks are a somewhat slight exception to this as they have gone radio silent after acting very quickly by signing forward Mirza Teletovic and guard Matthew Dellavedova (ultimately acquired via a sign-and-trade) once free agency began.

More from Bucks News

Of course, questions remain over the three remaining roster spots (although there’s a strong possibility we know who they will turn to for one of those openings) as well as what they decide to do regarding restricted free agent big man Miles Plumlee.

However, by far the biggest question that hangs over the Bucks regards their more questionable fits with Greg Monroe and Michael Carter-Williams.

Although they were both added through different avenues and contexts, Carter-Williams and Monroe have struggled to ensure a long-term future in Milwaukee. Each player clearly carries different flaws, but the results have been disappointingly similar for both Carter-WIlliams and Monroe.

For Carter-Williams, he’s shown flashes of the player the Bucks envisioned when they acquired him at the trade deadline in the 2014-15 season, but he has struggled to overcome his lack of shooting and consistently played up to the defensive potential that many saw in him when he entered the league.

What lies in potential with Carter-Williams is the opposite when it comes to Monroe. Monroe has developed into a bruising low post presence who’s capable of putting up double-doubles on a consistent basis, but he lacks the defensive qualities that many, if not all teams are looking for out of starting caliber big men in the NBA.

While other major factors such as injuries and lack of depth certainly played a part in the Bucks performance last season, both Carter-Williams and Monroe’s struggles have forced the Bucks to look at other options to help solve what ails them on both ends of the floor.

However, for as much as they equally struggled, only Carter-Williams is seemingly getting the chance to redeem himself with the team.

Whether it’s been the very vocal comments from both head coach Jason Kidd and general manager John Hammond or his support of the team’s Summer League squad, it’s clear that the Bucks are still very committed to Carter-Williams. He’s owned his struggles and he’s looking to put them past him, in the hope he can grow into the player the Bucks have been waiting to see over the last year and a half.

Now with Dellavedova in the mix, there’s no guarantee that Carter-Williams will be heading into training camp being viewed as the team’s starting point guard, but there’s no doubt that he will get a chance to compete for said spot if he shows the improvement the team is looking for.

On the flip side, the same can not be said for Monroe. Since the end of the regular season, Monroe has been absent from the team and has once again been mentioned in multiple trade rumors from those in the know, such as Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

Only a year after becoming the team’s biggest free agent get in their history, Monroe has turned into persona non grata and whether key Bucks officials will admit it or not, the not-so-secret fact that the Bucks have made Monroe very available in trade talks has led to plenty of speculation regarding his place with the team (cue to 4:00).

It’s easy to overanalyze the awkward skating around the mere mention of Monroe, but it’s still crazy to see how fast the situation has soured and how much of an elephant in the room (or Moose, in this case) Monroe has become.

The same might have been said for Carter-Williams, especially given the rise of Giannis Antetokounmpo as the team’s primary facilitator, but the unwavering support from Kidd and Hammond has quashed that speculation.

Only less than a year ago, we were talking about both Carter-Williams and Monroe as rounding out the team’s “ideal” starting five before last season and now, it’s tough to see either one lasting with the team beyond next season.

Yet whereas Carter-Williams gets the backing of those in charge and an opportunity to prove himself, Monroe’s opportunity to prove himself seems very likely to happen elsewhere.

Next: Tim Duncan’s Five Best Games Against The Milwaukee Bucks

Whether he even gets dealt this offseason remains to be seen, but the uncertainty and silence surrounding Monroe should be a sign that the Bucks have seen all they can see with him at this point.

Home/Bucks News