Milwaukee Bucks 2018-19 Season Review: Donte DiVincenzo

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CHICAGO, IL – NOVEMBER 28: (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) /

An injury riddled campaign derailed Donte DiVincenzo‘s rookie season with the Milwaukee Bucks, but glimpses of his potential were still on display throughout the limited time he saw the floor this year, as were typical first-year struggles.

Following his sterling run during the 2018 NCAA Tournament, which was capped off by a title that he helped capture for Villanova, Donte DiVincenzo knew what he was walking into last summer when he was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks.

The 17th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, DiVincenzo was the first of a long line of personnel additions that made up the Bucks’ reshuffling that was overseen by general manager Jon Horst following the team’s inconsistent 44-win season in 2017-18.

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Of course, the hiring of Mike Budenholzer reigned supreme over the Bucks’ entire offseason, but DiVincenzo’s pick was a glimpse into the mandate the Bucks sought to execute last summer, that being finding complementary role players to maximize superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The 22-year-old spoke directly to how he approached needing to supplement Antetokounmpo’s skill-set and fit alongside the team’s core back when he was introduced at the team’s practice facility last June:

"“Just being able to knock down shots around him. With him having the ball in his hands so much and him making plays, I just need to give the confidence to him that I’ll knock down shots. And then defensively, when he looks to his left and right and sees me out there with him on the court, that he’s confident that I’m out there defending and rebounding with him.”"

While he initially had the chance to make his mark and be a nightly contributor within the Bucks’ rotation as they got off to a glorious start to the season, DiVincenzo’s rookie year quickly went off the rails due to a slew of injuries. Eventually, a case of bilateral heel bursitis ended up fully derailing DiVincenzo’s first year in Milwaukee.

Now having only scratched the surface of his burgeoning NBA career, DiVincenzo is heading into his first full offseason as a professional with plenty of motivation to move on from what was essentially a redshirt rookie season.

So without further ado, let’s dive into the good, the bad and everything else from Donte DiVincenzo’s 2018-19 season.

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