Flying under the radar, the veteran play off bench for the Milwaukee Bucks has stepped up in recent games with some sensational performances.
As the Milwaukee Bucks’ second unit veterans continue to perform well, it’s fair to wonder whether the most underrated element of this team could be the quality of their bench depth.
The first name to look at is George Hill, who has been having a strong season after signing an extension with the Milwaukee Bucks in the offseason. The 33-year-old has been living up to his three-year, $29 million deal, averaging 10.2 points on 55.8 percent from the field, and a league-best 51.9 percent from behind the arc on the season.
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Having been a starter for most of his career, it is a luxury to have an experienced veteran such as Hill lead the second unit. His scoring and playmaking abilities have undoubtedly made this Milwaukee team better this season.
Having a point guard tandem consisting of Eric Bledsoe and George Hill has been working out sensationally for the Bucks thus far. It allows the team to always have an unselfish floor general on the court who is looking to get teammates involved. In his past 10 games, the backup point guard has been averaging 11.9 points on 58.2 percent from the field and 48.6 percent from deep, to go along with 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists.
Kyle Korver also deserves discussion, a veteran sharpshooter who has been knocking down shots from deep consistently his entire career. Adding Korver in the offseason was a sensational move as his phenomenal shooting from deep fits right in with the mold of this team.
The three-point specialist started the season off rather slow but has stepped it up in the past 10 games offensively, providing a huge spark for the Bucks. The 38-year-old has been proving he is still a threat with the ball in his hands, averaging 8.5 points on an astounding 51.2 percent from three and 49.1 percent from the field in that span.
After a streaky stretch to start the season, Turkish forward Ersan Ilyasova had found himself a solid groove and has been playing his best ball this season. In his last 10 outings, the forward has averaged 10 points on 51.9 percent shooting from the field and an impressive 48.1 percent from downtown.
The best showcase of Ilyasova’s recent success came in a pair of games that saw the 32-year-old slide into the starting lineup for an injured Giannis Antetokounmpo. In the first game, Ilyasova scored 18 points to go along with 17 rebounds, and in the second, it was 17 points with 14 rebounds. Seeing Ersan play consistently well is a huge positive for this team, as his contributions were very hit or miss until this point.
Finally, Robin Lopez has been another very underrated piece of the puzzle for the Bucks. Coming off the bench behind his brother, Lopez provides a significant defensive presence with a nice offensive touch. Like George Hill, Lopez has been a solid starter for the long run of his career but has been assigned a different position on this team.
Filling in the backup center position, Robin has also adapted exceptionally well to his new role off the bench as he performs at the highest level on a nightly basis. In his last 10 appearances, the big has averaged 7.7 points on 61.8 percent shooting from the field while also providing wonderful defense.
There are plenty of bright spots to examine when discussing the dominance of the Bucks, but the contributions of these four veterans are undoubtedly near the top on the list. Overshadowed by the greatness of Antetokounmpo, you will not hear the names of these veterans in the headlines too often.
However, their stellar play off the bench or occasionally in the starting lineup is one of the team’s most critical aspects of success. Not many organizations have a bench constructed with experienced veterans as the Milwaukee Bucks do, which is one of the many reasons they posses the best record in the league.