Milwaukee Bucks: Building an ideal rotation without Khris Middleton

The starters

Creating a rotation from scratch is no small task with a lot of factors at work. I tried my best to lay out my thought process and methodology, but in all honesty, there is plenty of room for argument and interpretation of the data I found.

And so after much deliberation and consideration, I ultimately formulated this rotation via Jeff Siegel’s EarlyBirdRights.com:

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Perhaps the most important and controversial decision involved determining who would fill the void Khris Middleton will leave in the starting lineup.

Even prior to the Middleton injury, there was debate among fans as to whether another player should usurp Wesley Matthews’ role in the starting unit.

Regardless of the Middleton injury, I see no reason for Wesley Matthews to lose his starting spot this early in the season. Despite his scoring struggles, the Bucks’ starting group featuring Matthews has a net rating of +22.5 in 115 minutes together propelled by a stellar defensive rating of 91.2.

With the team off to a 7-3 start, there is little incentive to change a starting unit that has outscored teams by 22.5 points per 100 possessions while sharing the court together. Matthews also owns the second-highest individual net rating of the starters with a +13.0, just shy of Brook Lopez‘s +14.0.

With that out of the way, my most notable addition to the starting lineup is Pat Connaughton. While many have campaigned for Donte DiVincenzo or Sterling Brown to join the starting group, there is no one with a better track record with the starters than Connaughton.

When Malcolm Brogdon went down last year, Connaughton was forced into a larger role. In 68 minutes together last year, the starting lineup with Pat Connaughton at shooting guard had a +9.6 net rating and was the third most-played five-man unit.

Additionally, Connaughton’s connection with Giannis Antetokounmpo cannot be overstated. In 553 minutes together last season, the two produced a net rating of +21.7. I have written more in depth about the chemistry between these two in a prior piece I wrote around this time last year about Connaughton’s impact with the team.

Finally, in a limited sample size this season, Pat Connaughton and Wesley Matthews are +27.9 in 23 minutes, a promising sign for chemistry in my proposed starting lineup.