Milwaukee Bucks: 5 guards to target in free agency
By Adam McGee
Cory Joseph
Originally drafted by the San Antonio Spurs, the first two years of Cory Joseph’s NBA career overlapped with the final two as an assistant under Gregg Popovich for current Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer.
In other words, if the Bucks have any interest in Joseph, they won’t have to look very far to get an informed opinion on how the 27-year-old might fit in, both as a player and a person.
In spite of showing flashes of being more with bursts of impressive play over the years, Joseph has essentially rounded out as something close to a replacement level combo guard. Whether he falls slightly above or below replacement value on that spectrum depends on when you ask the question.
Joseph’s failure to develop as a truly consistent and efficient three-point-shooter has undoubtedly held him back, but he does possess some real feel for the game, which allows him to drive a second unit forward offensively.
A high-energy and reliably engaged defender, Joseph’s offense is undoubtedly the swing factor in his production. At a base, he can be a steady backup guard who will keep the offense functional. The question is often whether you get the version of Joseph who gets to the rim and successfully finishes, or the version that over-dribbles and takes too many contested floaters from no man’s land.
There’s an undoubtedly useful player in there, and perhaps the right coach and environment could yet make Joseph into something more than that.