The Buck Stops Here Roundtable #4: Summer League Wrap-Up

In the fourth edition of our staff roundtable series, we share our opinions on how the Milwaukee Bucks Summer League went.

In the fourth edition of our staff roundtable series, we share our thoughts on the performances by the key Milwaukee Bucks during the Las Vegas Summer League.

In last week’s roundtable, we discussed the moves the Bucks made in free agency to add depth to the rotation. Milwaukee did a good job adding players who are strong shooters and at least better defenders than they had last season.

The Bucks were pretty active right off the bat in free agency, so we had quite a bit to talk about!

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This week we’ll share our general thoughts on how Summer League shaped up for the Bucks. We’ll focus especially on the rostered Bucks: Thon Maker, Rashad Vaughn and Malcolm Brogdon.

To do so, I was joined by site editor-in-chief Adam McGee and staff writer Jordan Treske for the fourth installment of our new weekly ‘The Buck Stops Here’ roundtable.

To conclude, the conversation will take a broader focus on Summer League as we look towards the biggest surprises and disappointment from all the teams involved in the annual sloppy basketball tournament.

Read on to hear all of our answers!

As always, lets us hear your thoughts and feedback. Comment below or send us a tweet at @BehindTheBucks.

Next: Thoughts On Thon Maker

Coming into Summer League, Thon Maker had very little experience against players of NBA and D-League calibre, so it was difficult to gauge any reasonable expectations for him. Just over a week later, Thon leaves Las Vegas having been selected in the All-NBA Summer League Second Team with his high energy play generating a lot of excitement among Bucks fans. Based on what you’ve seen, which aspects of Thon Maker’s game have impressed you the most? Where does he need to develop/improve and how do you think Milwaukee will use him during the regular season?

Adam McGee (@AdamMcGee11): Some of his stats were nice but I’m not willing to invest too much stock in the thankless black hole that is Summer League numbers. Instead, I’m going to give what’s probably a pretty boring answer to this one.

Since the draft, we’ve heard the Bucks do so much talking about Maker’s work ethic and we’ve heard him offer up so many nice soundbites about effort and desire. That was all great and a nice way to win many fans over on the pick, but I still really wanted to see if he could live up to those measures when he got on a court. The best part of Summer League for the Bucks was the fact that he proved that talk of his work ethic and commitment were very real.

He wants to win and he wants to be involved. Really badly. That’s great, and it’s the kind of detail which means I can now start to envision a role towards the back of the rotation for him. This year won’t be about Thon Maker showing everything that he may one day be able to do, but if he can provide energy, effort and a reliable contribution, he’ll get the minutes needed to start to feel comfortable and work on his flaws.

Ti Windisch (@TiWindisch): Definitely the most impressive thing about Thon thus far has been his awareness and quickness for me. As much as we make fun of it for being lesser basketball, Summer League is the highest level of competition Thon has ever faced. There were quiet concerns that due to his young age and lack of experience that Thon wouldn’t be able to keep up with the competition.

Well, he did more than keep up. Thon finished tied for sixth among 2016 first round picks in Summer League in points per possession, ahead of players like Dragan Bender, Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram. He’s still raw in NBA terms, but Thon Maker will find minutes next year.

Jordan Treske (@JordanTreske): By far, what impressed me most about Maker’s game is his motor and energy.  Obviously that’s been long associated with his game for awhile now, but it didn’t have an effect on me until I saw him play an actual game (yes, I know I’m counting Summer League games as actual gameplay) and while it’s more of an expectation than a skill, it’s not hard to see Maker making a positive impact with second effort plays right away next season.

Looking elsewhere, Maker showed some positive signs as a shooter and a defender, but it’ll be interesting to see how those hold up over the course of an 82-game season.  There’s no doubt Maker will play in a limited role next year, but I think that’s the best thing for him at this point as he adjusts to the NBA game and lifestyle.

Next: Thoughts On Malcolm Brogdon

Malcolm Brogdon displayed veteran-like composure during Summer League, throwing just three turnovers in five games as the primary ball-handler. However, he did show some growing pains adjusting his three-point shot to the NBA arc, with a number of attempts noticeably short and flat. How would you evaluate his performance in Las Vegas and has his play confirmed the view that he is ready to contribute immediately to the Bucks rotation on both sides of the ball?

AM: Brogdon had a lot asked of him in Summer League and for all of the jokes about him being like a veteran, that’s definitely what he was asked to be in Vegas. My opinion hasn’t really changed. He did very well overall.

He showed the type of defense we were all hoping that he’d bring to the table and he was one of the first to give a teammate an encouraging pat on the back or a kind word of direction. Shooting will be worth monitoring as the season goes on as there can be guys who struggle to make shots with the added distance of the three-point line, but there’s no need to panic on that front just yet.

Leadership has been one of the buzz words around Brogdon, but I feel we should switch that to poise. That’s exactly what he showed with his efficient if not high volume playmaking. His composure reminds me of Khris Middleton in many ways. Longer term, I expect him to be understated but reliable, shorter term he can probably be plugged in for some minutes too.

TWindisch: Brogdon showed that although he’s a composed rookie, he’s still a rookie. There will be an adjustment period for him getting used to things like the longer NBA schedule and the longer three-point line–that’s normal. Even still, he did display the composure and basketball IQ Bucks fans hoped for when he was drafted.

With more time to adjust to the different aspect of the NBA, Malcolm Brogdon looks like he’ll be a fine pro. By the time the regular season rolls around Brogdon’s game should be more polished. His assist-turnover ratio was especially telling of how good his decision-making is on the floor.

JT: With everything considered, I thought Brogdon was very solid in Vegas, just not in the way I expected.  Brogdon’s playmaking, how poised he was the ball and how comfortable he was playing at different paces throughout the game impressed me.  With that said, I’m not entirely sure if we’ll see Brogdon play that role in major minutes during the regular season, considering the makeup of the team at this point.

Brogdon’s shooting was definitely disappointing, but I wonder if his role leading the offense had an effect on his shooting numbers.  Between his potential as a secondary ball handler, as a tough defender and hopefully as solid range shooter, I definitely see Brogdon getting rotation minutes right away next season.

Next: Thoughts On Rashad Vaughn

Rashad Vaughn’s rollercoaster ride with his shot continued in Las Vegas, peaking with a 24 point performance against the D-League Select team. With a year of NBA experience under his belt, did you expect more from him in Summer League? Does he need to spend more time in the D-League next season?

AM: It’s been very rough with Vaughn. I’m reaching a point at which I might just pretend he’s not even on the roster so that I can only be pleasantly surprised if he offers something positive. (The bad news being that’s what I did with Damien “The People’s Champ” Inglis.)

Forget all the talk when Maker was selected though, let’s not forget that the consensus was that Vaughn was a reach with the 17th pick in 2015. Although the stakes are higher reaching for a talent in the top 10, there are greater options left on the board meaning there’s a higher likelihood of finding a gem that some teams may have missed. By the time you get to 17, what are you reaching for that 16 other teams didn’t pick up on? It’s the ultimate swing for the fences. It’s akin to throwing a dart with your eyes closed in the hope of hitting a bullseye rather than the side of someone’s head.

Vaughn was one of the youngest players in his draft class, and he’s still only 19. He was and is a project. Saying that, I’m starting to believe that he’s being judged and measured up by the wrong criteria. He may not turn into the type of high percentage, dead-eye shooter that it seems like the Bucks wanted him to be. If he could become a more efficient volume shooter who’s also capable of putting the ball on the floor, at least then we’d be able to spot a clear role for him in the bench rotation both now and in the future.

TWindisch: Rashad Vaughn needs to stop having any expectations around him. He’s not a shooter, he’s not a sixth man, he’s not even a legitimate NBA role player at this point. Vaughn is a prospect, and a very young one at just 19 years old after his first NBA season.

Vaughn showed that he’s still as raw as last season. That’s disappointing, but not entirely surprising. He’ll have more chances to develop his game, but with the Bucks hopefully improving and Malcolm Brogdon coming for his minutes I’m not sure just how many chances he’ll be getting with Milwaukee if he doesn’t start to show improvement.

JT: You obviously don’t want to have lofty expectations for anyone in Summer League, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed with Vaughn’s performance throughout this year’s Summer League.  Yes, his role with the Summer League Bucks won’t be the same during the regular season, but Vaughn’s shooting, the area where many thought he could make a difference coming out of college, has been very poor over the last year-plus and it was very discouraging to see him struggle shooting once again while in Vegas, albeit in a very small sample size.

Vaughn’s still only 19 years old (he’ll be 20 by the time the season starts), but I’m getting to the point where I think Vaughn would be best used in the D-League until he proves otherwise.

Next: Looking At The Other Guys

Evidently from their 1-4 record, the Summer Bucks were one of the weaker teams in Las Vegas, struggling to close out games after leading a number of times at the half and into the 3rd quarter. Despite the team’s poor record, did any of the non-rostered players impress you? With the front office going quiet on the free agency front, do you expect Milwaukee to invite any of these players to training camp?

AM: I actually don’t think the Bucks were one of the poorer teams overall, in spite of record. They were competitive, or maybe even more accurately they were leading, for large chunks in the majority of their games. Naivety was their problem. Other teams had NBA vets, as in second or third year players to turn to; the Bucks had Vaughn.

In terms of non roster guys, Petteway was really impressive and judging off of a larger body of work (D-League with the Mad Ants, Summer League and Preseason with the Hawks last year), he has what it takes to be a very solid role player in the second half of an NBA rotation. Considering the options likely open to Milwaukee to fill out the backup small forward spot, they could (and probably will) do a lot worse.

Prince Ibeh showed glimpses of his defensive potential. If they can dump Monroe I’d be all in favor of him getting a chance on a minimum deal. I liked Le’Bryan Nash too but considering how limited his opportunities were I’m not sure that the Bucks felt the same way. Expect might be a strong word, but I hope that the Bucks at least consider some of those guys as options heading to camp.

TWindisch: Let’s pour one out for Ronald Roberts‘ very short tenure on the Summer Bucks right about here. Roberts was a beast in the D-League last season and probably would’ve been the best player on the Summer League roster, and also the guy most likely to get a shot to make the real Bucks.

Instead he went to Turkey to play overseas and we were left with Terran Petteway and Le’Bryan Nash. Both Petteway and Nash had fairly solid Summer Leagues, but neither of them were impressive enough to tear Milwaukee’s eyes away from some of the remaining NBA free agents I’d think.

JT: I wouldn’t really say I was really impressed, but I thought Terran Petteway had the best showing of the non-rostered Bucks players.  He did a solid job shooting the ball (Petteway shot 43 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point range) and took advantage of mistakes made by the opposing teams on the defensive end (Petteway averaged 1.6 steals per game).

However, as much as I’d like to see the Bucks try to find a diamond in the rough with the players they brought in for Summer League, I really don’t expect them inviting any of the non-rostered players to training camp.

Next: Overall Summer League Outlook

Taking a broader look at the Orlando, Las Vegas and Utah Summer Leagues, whether they are rookies, sophomores or free agents, who has stood out to you the most? Conversely, have any players been particularly disappointing in the face of lofty expectations?

AM: I can’t even pretend here. I very much enjoyed the excitement that the Bucks provided in their opener in Las Vegas (which was also the first game of the tournament) but that enthusiasm for substandard play quickly waned.

Outside of Bucks games, I watched very little for the sake of my own sanity. Ben Simmons looks very good on Vine but that doesn’t tell the whole story. That’s probably the best way of summing up Summer League overall too.

The guys who really impress tend to be the ones who have experience under their belts, are playing without the pressure of fighting for their NBA future and ultimately are just way too good to be on the floor. If I was to pick one rookie from teams the Bucks faced up with who I liked the look of it’d be Wade Baldwin. He still has a lot of work to do, but his potential is real. I hope he doesn’t become the one who got away for Milwaukee.

TWindisch: This won’t be a surprise to anyone, but even despite his weak offensive efficiency I liked a lot of what I saw from Denzel Valentine. Pascal Siakam also had a really strong Summer League with the Raptors–he’s not a very well-known player, but he’s going to have a solid NBA career.

As far as disappointments, it’s hard not to target Georgios Papagiannis. He scored an atrocious 0.50 points per possession during his time with the Summer Kings–that translates to an offensive rating of 50. Brandon Ingram also didn’t show much to justify his status as a second overall pick, although it’s always been known he needs to grow into his body before realizing his potential.

JT: There were certainly many impressive performers throughout all of the Summer Leagues, but the first one that comes to mind is Norman Powell of the Toronto Raptors.  Over the course of his short career, Powell has already risen to become a solid NBA rotation player and based on his play in Las Vegas, Powell could be on his way to bigger and better things in the near future.  Of course, the mention of Powell will drive some Bucks fans into a tizzy, but overall, Powell showed through his play why he’s above Summer League at this point.

As far as disappointing players go, I think I have to go with Ben Simmons.  I have to be honest, I’m not a believer in Ben Simmons as a superstar talent and although he’s already a magnificent passer, I’m really lukewarm on the other aspects in his game right now.  Again, reacting to Summer League play, whether good or bad, doesn’t do you any favors, but I really am curious to how he fares in his rookie season with the Philadelphia 76ers this year.

Next: Milwaukee Bucks: Grading The Depth Chart

Check back next week when we’ll reconvene for another roundtable!