Milwaukee Bucks: One bold prediction for every player

Ersan Ilyasova

Prediction: Will be the center in closing lineups by year’s end

Why it will happen: This prediction is a little hard to quantify but basically it will come to a point during the season that when the final minutes of the fourth quarter come around, Ilyasova will be the one manning the middle down low as the center.

Ilyasova got a lot of practice as a small-ball center last season with the Philadelphia 76ers and I expect Budenholzer to execute a similar gameplan late in games.

Ilyasova’s ability to stretch the defense is paramount, but it’s also his ability to play solid defense and rebound well that will make him the go-to center in crunch time.

Lopez, after all, can shoot it from deep too, but Ilyasova can shoot it slightly better and has produced more as a rebounder in the past couple of seasons as well.

It may be tempting to put Giannis at the center spot, and that may be what we see in more crucial games late in the season or in the playoffs themselves, but during the regular season, Ilyasova will be the one guarding the opposing big in the paint.

Putting Ilyasova down low allows him to bang with the big boys, preserving Giannis’ body and allowing him to be the outlet pass off of a defensive rebound.

Why it won’t happen: In many ways, Lopez brings the same skills to the table as Ilyasova, but with a bigger frame, which would make him a better option against teams with more dominating bigs.

Also, improvements from Maker could also see him getting called on more in the fourth quarter. If he were able to consistently shoot it at the same efficiency as Lopez or Ilyasova, his athleticism could make him a more appealing option.

John Henson is a very good defensive center and has said he’s expanding his game to include a three-point shot for this year. So, maybe that. (I’ll believe it when I see it.)