Milwaukee Bucks Fans Sound Off: Bench Contributors – Week 2
This week, Milwaukee Bucks fans continued parsing over the departure of Malcolm Brogdon, analyzing his past and future fits with the Bucks and Pacers respectively.
On this week’s edition of Bench Contributors, the commentary across Milwaukee Bucks fandom continued to surround the biggest hot button personnel decision the team made this summer — the dismissal by default of Malcolm Brogdon.
At this point, it’s safe to say he fanbase has moved through all the stages of grief and now is squarely in ‘acceptance’ mode.
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A good example of exactly that can be found in this exchange I came across on my home turf of reddit.com/r/mkebucks:
"“Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like having Brogdon out there was a bad thing. I actually really love the guy, and I’m bummed he didn’t want to be a Buck. But this thread asked if people are overrating his departure, though, and I think they are, so of course my answer is gonna be a bit negative. In my mind what made the Bucks “The Bucks” this year was the combo of Giannis, Brook, and Eric. Those three individual skill sets are what made the system click on both sides of the ball. Brogdon theoretically could’ve fit here as a complementary glue guy next to them, but Khris Middleton already exists and is really solid at everything, too, while being a better pure scorer than Malcolm. Brogdon also is really solid at most things, but there were hitches in the system if you looked closely (3PAr, contested 3s, PnR defense, cutting to the rim immediately on possessions and blocking Giannis’ initial drive). I don’t believe he always made things easier, as much as his stats suggest he did. I think we made his life easier. The better example of him basically being a luxury last year instead of a core component of what we do is that we didn’t miss a beat when he went down.”"
That’s /u/lundej16, cogently softening the blow of Brogdon’s loss. A valid counterpoint, however, was added by /u/chessgod1 who focused on what Brogdon undoubtedly brings in the playoffs:
"“So you gave a lot of evidence but honestly I can’t give much value to it because most or all of what you said referenced only the regular season. Brogdon was incredibly successful in the playoffs as a Buck. Until some other guys besides Giannis step up I’m really not willing to accept that Brogdon was just a role player for us and not one of the 3 (at least) most important guys. Next season will be very telling I think, both in seeing how the Bucks perform with this slightly different roster and also seeing what Brogdon does with a larger role. I think it’s still possible that he was just a very glorified system player here but I have a feeling that if he stays healthy he’ll show the NBA that he wasn’t just that. But we’ll see… I just feel like there’s a lot of selective fact retention/belief perseverance about Malcolm in this sub now that he isn’t a Buck.”"
There is importance in taking a step back and asking ourselves to what degree our opinions of Brogdon are influenced by the innate biases and emotions that come with being a fan. It’s certainly not fair to ignore the valuable contributions Brogdon provides, as realGM’s Ruzious points out in this thread:
"“Brogdon’s an excellent shooting guard – and one of the most efficient scorers in the NBA. He’s also a quality defender with excellent length, strength, reactions – and average quickness. As others have said, he can help at the PG and has some PG skills, but he’s primarily a shooting guard. I think Indiana’s thoughts long-term are that Brogdon and Dipo play together with Dipo running the offense most of the time.”"
In the same thread, old skool agrees, with a corollary regarding Brogdon’s fit with the Pacers:
"“I think we need to be careful not to understate Brogdon’s abilities. He is slow of foot, but strong, steady and smart. I think he brings a lot to the Pacers and the Bucks will miss him. I think Brogdon’s greatest limitation is the modest number of minutes he plays. If the Pacers want Brogdon to replace Bogdanovic, I think they will be disappointed in some respects. Last year Bogdanovic played 2,573 minutes, while Brogdon only played 1832 minutes. Brogdon’s offensive efficiency does not offset his lack of durability.”"
That fit is best outlined by /u/Joe_Betz_, a user of reddit.com/r/Pacers, in a comment thread regarding Caitlin Cooper’s piece for SBNation’s Indy Cornrows blog –
"“I like the designation “ball handler” most for the modern NBA. Some guards cannot really handle the ball (run effective pick and rolls, make the right read in traffic, get downhill and attack the basket, etc.). When I think of “point guard,” I think of someone who does not turn the ball over and can make the right pass, but they do not offer a very big personal offensive threat–D.C. is a prime example. Brogdon and Oladipo are interchangeable ball handlers with the size to guard wings and who each offer an offensive threat. Having them on the court together is going to make IND’s offense so much more interesting and difficult to defend.”"
As you can see, losing Malcolm Brogdon does hurt, and it will surely hurt more to see him perform in Indianapolis. This is a Bucks blog, though, so I want to end on a note which pertains to the 2019-20 Milwaukee Bucks. Writing in response to Eric Nehm’s recent piece for The Athletic ($) on the Bucks potentially employing a moneyball approach to replace Brogdon, Patrick S. brings us back to the playoffs again with some optimism about Brogdon’s replacements and how their skills can help make up for the loss of Brogdon during the second season:
"“The ability for Korver and Matthews to take 3s with only a little space is why I think this team could end up functioning better by the end of the season. Brogdon is clearly a better player than either Matthews or Korver at this point, but his 3Pr and his inability to shoot anything but wide open 3s means that the person who would be defending him in the playoffs could cheat, which made it easier to do things like build a wall on defense or double Giannis. This not only hurt Giannis as seen in the ECF but really hurt Bledsoe, who also could be left open on the perimeter yet cannot make a wide open shot. I think with 3 willing floor spacers available on the floor at any time (Brook/Middleton/Korver/ Matthews), it’ll be harder to build those walls which stymied both Giannis and Bledsoe.”"
At the end of the day, it’s not at all surprising that Malcolm Brogdon would be the sticking point for the fandom this summer, between the role ownership played in his departure, the strategy employed by Jon Horst and the Bucks front office in replacing him, and how much his personality will be missed.
As someone who enjoys interacting with fellow fans, I couldn’t be happier, as this has brought out some of the best in all of you. I look forward to reading the continuing discourse, because it sure isn’t going away as Malcolm Brogdon sets about leading the Pacers to the playoffs.
dark. Next. Milwaukee Bucks: Selecting an All-Decade roster
Keep the conversation going on all things Bucks, as the Bench Contributors will be back with more very soon!