The Milwaukee Bucks are finished at Summer League for another year, but what did we learn from the experience?
Although the results may not have played out quite as they’d have hoped for, the Milwaukee Bucks will have picked up some interesting lessons from the five games they played at Las Vegas Summer League.
Always a cause of great excitement among fans as the first real opportunity to see the league’s top draft picks on the floor, the quality isn’t always ideal for viewers but Summer League has it’s own unique and quirky appeal.
With all three of Milwaukee’s picks from the past two NBA drafts in action this year, there were certainly plenty of reasons for Bucks fans to hang in and watch closely.
More from Bucks News
- Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
- Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
- Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
- Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
- New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited
The performances of Thon Maker included large doses of both reality and fantasy, as it was clear what attracted Milwaukee and also why so many teams expected him to be picked later.
Malcolm Brogdon continued to play in the same vein he did in college, and Rashad Vaughn continued to offer little in terms of reassurance over his potential in the NBA.
What should you be taking a closer look at and what should be overlooked from Milwaukee’s five games in the desert though?
Let’s narrow it down with five key takeaways from Summer League 2016.
Next: Thon Maker
Thon Maker’s Desire
Much of what had been advertized about Thon Maker in the run up to the draft was proven to be true in Las Vegas.
He’s a long and fluid athlete who gets up and down the court with remarkable ease. Maker is capable of knocking down jump shots but he’s still searching for any real consistency in that department. Although there are certainly ways in which he could make better use of his long frame, the 19-year-old has good shot-blocking instincts. In terms of strength, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done for Maker to hold his own inside.
There was no guarantee that Maker would perform as well as he did in some of his Summer League performances but many of the ways in which he managed to impress weren’t overly surprising.
Aside from those skills, the Sudanese native’s work ethic had become almost infamous since his pre-draft workouts. As important as that trait is in an NBA player, it doesn’t always necessarily translate in games. In fact, even when a player gets commended for their work rate in-game, it’s likely more a result of desire than anything else.
What Maker managed to show in Vegas is just how much he wants to be great. That hunger could lead him to have a bigger role in Milwaukee’s rotation than most would have anticipated this year but it will also set up some of his bigger rookie mistakes.
Maker is going to gamble. He’s going to press so hard for wins that it will occasionally cloud his judgement and be to the detriment of his team.
The positives of that come in blocks from the weak side and high energy offensive rebounds, something which he left plenty of examples of from the five games he played in Vegas.
Away from those highlights, there’ll be plays where he looks horribly exposed though, particularly on defense. Maker isn’t as bad defensively as a lot of people seemed to be quick to decry over the past week, but his decision-making can be highly questionable.
That presents an interesting challenge for the Bucks. Maker’s drive is what got him to this point and what gives him to potential to be something special. Finding a way for him to balance his risks will be a learning process. If Maker can become more disciplined in terms of his choices, he’ll contribute sooner rather than later.
Next: Malcolm Brogdon
Malcolm Brogdon’s Level-Headed Playmaking
Brogdon was another young Buck who delivered a lot of what was expected of him in Vegas.
Although he really struggled with his shooting (34.4 percent from the field, 16.7 percent from three) and is perhaps struggling to adjust to NBA range having left a lot of his three-point attempts a little short, Brogdon’s stroke appeared smooth.
His defense was as good as you’d expect from the NABC Defensive Player of the Year, with his matchup with Memphis Grizzlies’ first round pick Wade Baldwin IV particularly intriguing. Brogdon looked composed throughout his time on the court and was quick to offer encouragement to teammates.
Considering Milwaukee’s style of play and Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s future as the team’s primary ball-handler, Malcolm Brogdon’s time as a lead guard at Summer League certainly raised some eyebrows.
As had been gauged from his time at Virginia, Brogdon isn’t a go-to facilitator but he’s definitely serviceable. That was a sentiment that was only further enhanced by the first glimpses of the 23-year-old in a Bucks jersey.
Brogdon’s 4.4 assists per game might not leap off the page in their own right, but when compared to only 0.6 turnovers they look pretty special. An assist to turnover rate of 7.3 is remarkable and when accompanied with vision like this it could lead to an important role for him in Milwaukee’s future.
If Brogdon can put his shooting struggles from this week behind him when the NBA season proper rolls around, the big question will be if his defense can hold up against speedy and athletic NBA point guards.
Brogdon is a more natural shooting guard, but he might just have the right ingredients to play at point guard in Milwaukee’s system.
Next: Rashad Vaughn
Rashad Vaughn’s Role Remains Uncertain
With a season of watching the former UNLV man to draw upon, and two Summer League campaigns in the bag, are we really any closer to knowing what Rashad Vaughn could be if he ever figures his game out for the NBA?
Vaughn was drafted to be Milwaukee’s shooter but has yet to really show any proof that he can knock down shots consistently at the pro level. A rookie season where he only made 30.5 percent from the field and 29.3 percent from deep didn’t do much to build confidence.
That’s what Summer League was supposed to do for Vaughn at the start of this off season. Mechanically, the 19-year-old’s stroke is very smooth and would seem to be to something he should be able to repeat.
When he makes shots, it looks so easy that it makes you question why it doesn’t happen more often.
As shown by his Summer League percentages of 33.8 percent from the field and 24.2 from three-point range, that’s still not happening for the former UNLV combo guard just yet though.
At this point we have to consider the possibility that being labeled as a shooter isn’t doing Vaughn any favors. Perhaps being afforded some greater freedom could benefit Vaughn next season and there might even be some new skills he has yet to show us.
This dunk against the Rockets was something we haven’t seen much of from Vaughn in the past, maybe free of the pressure of a defined role he could do it more often too.
Next: Small Forward Options
Improving Small Forward Depth
With Miles Plumlee‘s return still uncertain, the Bucks may yet have to fill up to three more roster spots in the coming days and weeks.
A couple of weeks ago that might have seemed like an exciting proposition but now the cupboard looks increasingly bare in terms of proven and affordable options. With the assumption of many being that Plumlee will return and Steve Novak will join him, that leaves one spot left.
There’s a pressing need that the Bucks would likely look to address with that opening too. With the decision not to retain Damien Inglis, Milwaukee have no real depth at the small forward spot.
Of course, each of the core three of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jabari Parker would be capable of playing some minutes at that position in bursts, but it’s also important to have an auxiliary option considering that trio will spend a lot of time on the court together.
If nobody catches Milwaukee’s eye in the more traditional free agent pool, they’ve already seen someone on their Las Vegas roster who should be considered as a strong option.
Terran Petteway went undrafted out of Nebraska but almost made the Atlanta Hawks roster last summer after impressing in both Summer League and pre-season, and he has followed that up with an impressive spell with the Bucks too.
Petteway was one of the steadiest and most consistent contributors on the Milwaukee squad over the past week, showing a comfort on the ball, nice shooting range and high intensity on-ball defense that would all indicate he’d be capable at the next level.
Averages of 11.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals on 33.3 percent three-point shooting should be enough for Milwaukee to at least consider extending a training camp invite to Petteway. From there, who knows what’s possible?
Le’Bryan Nash was another small forward who impressed for the Bucks in Las Vegas, albeit in considerably more limited minutes. At the very least, the Bucks can’t afford to dismiss the abilities of those two out of hand as they look to complete their roster for next season.
Next: The Summer League Effect
Factoring In For The Summer League Effect
As much as it would be unwise to dismiss any performances seen at Summer League, it’s important not to place too much weight on them either.
There’s always something to be learned from seeing young players get court time but the quality of competition, shortened game time and rule differences of Summer League are just some of the reasons why the play from this tournament needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.
What Summer League can be used for is confirming a lot of what we already know. This week built upon a lot of what the Bucks and their fans likely already believed to be true.
Thon Maker has a lot of potential but it’s going to take hard work on both his physicality and his mentality in order to reap the rewards.
Malcolm Brogdon is already polished and experienced, it’s just going to be a matter of how he adjusts to NBA competition.
Rashad Vaughn still hasn’t figured things out with his game, and it’s good that he’s young as his development is going to require patience for another while yet.
Next: Milwaukee Bucks: A Tale Of Two Futures
It was great to see these young players in action rather than talking purely about their hypotheticals but now the real summer work begins. For the key young Bucks it’s now the time to focus and ready themselves for a season in the world’s best league.