Milwaukee Bucks: Is the roster better or worse than last season?

The Milwaukee Bucks have plenty of reasons to feel good about their offseason, but will they start the season better or worse off than last season?

One question has been on the lips of Milwaukee Bucks fans more than any other over the course of the past six weeks or so and, if the truth be told, it’s an issue that has also been at least in the background of the majority of articles we’ve posted on this website during that time. If any further evidence of this was needed, the latest edition of Bench Contributors certainly provided it.

That question is, after a summer of key decisions, have Jon Horst and his team of front office personnel built a roster that’s better or worse than the one that enjoyed so much success last season?

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Of course, central to any attempt to evaluate that process is the departure of Malcolm Brogdon for the Indiana Pacers. Opting not to re-sign Brogdon at the price range he commanded from the opening moments of free agency, the Bucks quickly parted ways with the former Rookie of the Year by way of a sign-and-trade deal with their Central Division rival.

From there, Milwaukee worked toward plugging the gap left by Brogdon, as well as otherwise strengthening their roster, by adding Wesley Matthews, Robin Lopez, Kyle Korver, and most recently taking a flyer on former fourth overall pick Dragan Bender.

Those incomings can undoubtedly be viewed as a positive collection of transactions, and certainly the kind of moves that should allow the Bucks to retain their spot as one of the league’s most formidable teams and one of the clear frontrunners in the Eastern Conference. Still, the fact remains that those things were true of the Bucks last season and they still came up short at the Conference Finals stage.

It’s possible that changes elsewhere in the NBA could mean maintaining the status quo will be enough for Milwaukee to at least advance to the Finals, but when the bar is that high in terms of goals and expectations, the aim really should be to improve in the first place.

In that context, I’d argue the loss of Brogdon has reduced the Bucks’ top-end potential notably. Perhaps the added depth will prove worth its weight in gold over the course of the season, but it’s tough to dispute the team’s ceiling will now be lowered due to a starting five that won’t be as dynamic as it was last season.

There’s been a notable change in the discourse surrounding Brogdon among many Bucks fans since his departure, which in many ways is both an understandable and natural element of fandom.

For as much as Bucks fans may now want to undersell Brogdon’s importance to the team, though, the truth is the team was undoubtedly at its strongest with him on the floor, and as he showed in the playoffs, he possessed an ability to step up his game and support Giannis Antetokounmpo that can’t be said of all of his teammates.

Those looking to soften the blow of Brogdon’s exit may well now point to his low usage play style as something that afforded room for an upgrade, but the truth is a player of that mold was really the dream fit given how many shots and touches there are to actually go around. Considering the caliber of players Brogdon was tasked with sharing the floor with, a lower usage role was essentially what the Bucks had to offer in that regard. Ultimately, a desire to do a little more may have been what made Brogdon so open to moving on, too.

It’s not unreasonable for Brogdon to think that way either as, after all, the Bucks benefited greatly from his ability as a dynamic driver, a sharpshooter, and a capable playmaker. Some sections of Bucks Twitter may sneer at the notion of Brogdon taking up point guard duties with the Pacers, but they may end up feeling differently if Eric Bledsoe has another playoff no-show next season and they’re left to rue the alternatives that could have been.

There is another consideration that should factor into this conversation, though, as was brought to our attention via an email from a reader (h/t: Chris Greenlee). Considering how the Bucks managed to improve via trades over the course of the year last season, perhaps a more apt comparison should be to frame the current roster with the group that started last season.

In that regard, the Bucks’ quality of depth at present is significantly better than it was 12 months ago, but the fact remains that the starting lineup is not quite as talented.

In many ways, the true answer to whether the Bucks are better or worse will only be answered in time, but more significantly will be shaped by what kind of adversity this season throws at them. If injuries stretch the Bucks’ resources, they’re likely better equipped to deal with that strain in 2019-20 than they were last season.

The flip side of that is Milwaukee enjoyed relative good fortune with injuries last year, and if that was to occur again, there’s a strong possibility that the best version of their rotation may not be as formidable this year as it was previously.

At this point, it’s worth noting that none of this accounts for the possibility of internal growth, and if the Bucks can make notable strides in that regard it may prove to be more significant than anything else for their championship hopes.

For the moment, though, there’s certainly enough uncertainty in regard to just how well the Bucks will follow up their 60-win season to ensure that the debate and conversation will continue to roll on through to opening night and beyond.