Milwaukee Bucks: Considering standout lineup options

The Milwaukee Bucks have gotten much deeper over the offseason, but what impact will that have on their lineups? Will the Bucks focus on floor spacing or defensive versatility?

Following a summer of interesting moves, the Milwaukee Bucks face a wide variety of questions about their rotations and lineups heading into the new season.

Among those, the coaching staff will have to settle on a starting lineup, find significant minutes for key bench players and strike a minutes balance that wasn’t present under the previous regime, but they’ll also be tasked with identifying a go-to group for when the game is on the line.

More than anything, when Mike Budenholzer and his staff come to make that decision, they’ll have a lot of options. Saying that, what might the Bucks’ most effective or deadly lineup look like? Which players could make for the perfect fit for moments when the game is on the line?

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It goes without saying that Giannis Antetokounmpo is a lock for the Bucks’ best lineup. He is far and away their best player, impacting defense and offense positively. Antetokounmpo should continue to thrive on both sides of the ball under a new head coach. His ability to impact the game in multiple ways assures him of his spot in this Bucks lineup, whatever shape it takes.

Khris Middleton is another player who must be included in any best Bucks lineup combination. He is a great player to have alongside Giannis, providing floor spacing that is essential to unlocking the best of the Bucks’ star man. Not only can Middleton provide spacing and scoring but defensively he can more than hold his own. While his defensive impact may have been slightly down last year, bringing in a new coach should re-energize Middleton to lock in again on that side of the ball.

Albeit to a lesser extent, Eric Bledsoe is also a must have in this Bucks lineup. While his offensive game may not match perfectly with Antetokounmpo, his defensive prowess in grabbing steals and creating easy buckets in transition certainly do. Getting Giannis and the team in space should be a goal for the Bucks as they were top-10 in the league in fast break points per game with room to grow.

With two spots left up for grabs, the question is what combination of players can make for the deadliest of Milwaukee’s lineups? Ideally, the Bucks should be looking to add both defense and floor spacing with both remaining spots. They have multiple options to fill these holes and have a little flexibility in terms of whether they want to emphasize defense over shooting or vice versa.

The battle for the last guard spot would likely come down to Tony Snell and Malcolm Brogdon, and both offer intriguing skill sets in terms of of spacing the floor and playing good defense. While Snell may have a higher shooting percentage from three (40.3 percent to 38.5 percent) the difference there is not enough for him to win the job.

Malcolm Brogdon will ultimately get the nod if the Bucks are looking to construct their most deadly lineup due to his ability to provide another scoring option, both via catch-and shoot and off the dribble looks. Last year, Brogdon also tallied more assists than Snell, and his playmaking chops and ability to play as a lead guard in bursts should prove to be very valuable in the new ball-movement driven scheme likely to be implemented by Mike Budenholzer.

Snell may hold a slight edge defensively, but Brogdon is no slouch on that end and can more than hold his own, particularly when matched up with wings. Allowing the Bucks to switch on defense gives them the opportunity, under the right system, to have an elite defense.

The last spot that needs to be filled for the Bucks is a big man who can space the floor while still being effective on defense. Ersan Ilyasova and Brook Lopez both could give valid arguments as to why they should round out the Bucks’ best lineup, but ultimately Ersan Ilyasova should win that battle.

While Brook Lopez may be able to protect the rim better in terms of blocks (1.3 per game to 0.4 per game), Ilyasova’s ability to step in and take a charge also helps protect the paint. Another aspect of Ilyasova’s game that will help the Bucks defensively is his ability to switch in some match-ups and his generally intelligent defensive positioning. Lopez would struggle to switch onto a modern NBA four where Ilyasova will be able to hold his own at either frontcourt spot in many matchups.

Offensively, Lopez may score more points but Ilyasova’s ability to shoot the ball from three at a higher percentage (36 percent to 34.5 percent) is what the Bucks would need out of this final spot in a lineup designed to be ultra effective in short spurts. With four other players who can take the ball and score, having a capable shooter and a defender capable of switching would provide excellent balance to this lineup.

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This Milwaukee Bucks version of a death lineup should be on the floor in crunch time of any close or meaningful game. Having as much floor spacing and defensive switch-ability on the floor as possible should be what Coach Budenholzer is looking to do when the game is on the line. Having Ilyasova and Brogdon on the floor with Bledsoe, Middleton, and Giannis should put the Bucks in the best position to do that.

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