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Milwaukee Bucks: The Implications Of Tony Snell’s Awakening

By Jordan Treske

Mar 6, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Tony Snell (21) dunks against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 6, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Tony Snell (21) dunks against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Milwaukee Bucks have struck gold with the addition of Tony Snell this season, but his looming free agency adds more complications to what’s already becoming a complex summer.

After Khris Middleton went down with a torn harmstring in late September of last year, the Milwaukee Bucks were already between a rock and a hard place well before the regular season began.

At the time, the Bucks didn’t have an encouraging answer on their roster for who could take on a bigger workload in place of Middleton. Rashad Vaughn had floundered in his rookie season and newcomer Jason Terry wasn’t suited for playing starting level minutes at 39 years old.

It was clear that any solution would have to come from either free agency or via trade. There were rumblings not long after Middleton’s injury that the Bucks were being proactive in looking for a placeholder, with wings like Jeremy Lamb and Ben McLemore standing as reported targets, respectively.

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In the end, the Bucks settled on Tony Snell, trading the much maligned guard Michael Carter-Williams in return to the Chicago Bulls. It’s a decision that couldn’t have gone better for both the Bucks or Snell himself, with everything considered.

Alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Snell has been a bedrock in the team’s starting lineup throughout the year, appearing in every game of the season but one, the team’s regular season opener (Snell was dealing with an ankle injury).

Whereas he may have been viewed as a placeholder earlier in the year, Snell has now certainly earned his place within the starting lineup, based on the noticeable growth we’ve seen in almost all areas of his game as the year has worn on.

By far, the biggest point of improvement for Snell has been his efficiency beyond the three-point line, which currently stands at a career-high 40.6 percent.

Considering nearly two-thirds of his shots come from beyond the arc, Snell has become an incredible threat from downtown next to the team’s foundation of Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker and Khris Middleton.

Beyond his three-point shooting, Snell has shown some flashes of some capable ball handling at times throughout the year, sporting a 13.6 assist ratio and a lowly 7.2 turnover ratio, per NBA.com/stats.

Rounding that out with his impressive length and his athleticism, Snell’s career year has come to the surprise of every Bucks fan. Simply put, it’s not every day where you stumble on to a “3-and-D” wing who is averaging a 60.6 percent true shooting percentage and doesn’t require the ball in order to be effective.

However, as great as his addition has benefited the Bucks this year, Snell’s looming free agency poses more of an obstacle than a solution for the Bucks at this point in his ongoing turnaround.

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ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported in the lead up to the trade deadline that the Minnesota Timberwolves had a “tepid” interest in Snell, no surprise considering his connection to former Bulls and now Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau.

A few more suitors may come Snell’s way this summer, depending on how much of his development has caught the eye of other teams around the league.

With a long list of players expected to hit the free agent market for the Bucks, they’re already put in an incredibly tough spot well before the offseason begins. It’ll be months until we see how much of a priority bringing Snell back will be for the Bucks, but it’s safe to say that it’s a decision that portions of Bucks fans already feel apprehensive about, no matter the outcome.

For now, the priority is finishing out the season with a playoff berth hopefully in hand. How Snell rounds out his year on an individual basis will certainly be tied to how well the Bucks finish the year.

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As it stands, the price the Bucks paid in order to acquire Snell has already proven to be a heist, but it remains to be seen whether that will ring true if they do end up retaining him this summer.

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