Bucks G League: Contributions run deep for the league-leading Wisconsin Herd
The full breadth and depth of the Wisconsin Herd has recently been on display as they continue to separate themselves from the rest of the G League this year.
It’s hard to imagine the symmetry that exists between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Bucks G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, leading their respective leagues.
But that’s the case this season as the Herd have followed in the footsteps of the Bucks and continue to hold the best G League record at 23-5. Those 23 wins now stand as the most regular season wins in the Herd’s three-year history with two months of the season left to go.
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And just like the parent club, the Herd have been able to dig deep into their bench and keep rolling ahead in spite of injury absences or departures they’ve experienced at this point in the year.
Take this last week, for example, where the Herd went a perfect 3-0 and extended their ongoing winning streak to five games, doing so with neither of their two-way players, Frank Mason III and Cameron Reynolds, in the fold.
Despite the lack of their two-way players, the Herd had a steadying force with dynamic scoring guard Jaylen Adams up to the task of carrying the torch for the squad. And for his strong performances, the biggest being a 39-point showing in their 122-115 win over the Grand Rapids Drive, Adams was named G League Player of the Week Monday afternoon.
While Adams was the Herd’s go-to scorer, pulling the strings of their offense and leading them to victory, the deep supporting cast they’ve built up and down the roster has given head coach Chase Buford a whole host of options to turn to when they’re without any reinforcements.
There’s no better Herd player that represents that ‘next man up’ mentality than second-year forward Leon Gilmore III. After making the Herd’s final roster as their lone tryout player entering the season, Gilmore had to wait for his shot for consistent playing time for the the opening several weeks of the season.
As the year has moved along, Gilmore has cracked through into the team’s rotation and seized on the opportunity through the month of January where he’s averaged 8.8 points on .560/.333/.714 shooting splits, 3.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists across 16.3 minutes in eight appearances this month.
With the consistent run, Gilmore’s kinetic energy on the court has crackled, whether it’s on the defensive end or putting down a strong finish he’s made at the cup where he’s converted 75,8 percent of his finishes, per the G League’s stats database. He’s also capable of bringing the house down with an incredible reverse dunk like the one he threw down midway through the fourth quarter of the Herd’s 116-106 win over the Santa Cruz Warriors Friday night.
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While it’s still a smaller sample size, the Herd have outscored their opponents by 8.9 points per 100 possessions in the 280 minutes Gilmore has been on the floor so far this season.
Gilmore’s teammate going way back to his days playing for the Lumberjacks at Stephen F. Austin State University, Shannon Bogues, has given the Herd a viable scoring punch off the bench for the Herd throughout his rookie campaign.
The 22-year-old has relished in his sixth man role under Buford where he’s often relentlessly attacking the basket and can take defenders off the dribble on his way to the cup. There are areas of improvement needed for Bogues, such as his 22 3-point percentage, but the on-ball threat he is gives the Herd a reliable bucket getter in his current form.
On the defensive end, Bogues is as relentless as he is on the other end at the point of attack where he often harasses opposing ball handlers and pressures them into making errant decisions.
Through his 26 appearances, Bogues has averaged 9.9 points on a .467/.220/.682 slash line, 2.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists. And during the month of January, Bogues has a +12.1 net rating over his 190 minutes of the court.
Last but not least, Second-year forward D.J. Hogg has similarly seized his opportunity as a mainstay in the starting lineup since Rayjon Tucker received his call up to the Utah Jazz last month.
Hogg fits the bill of a toolsy, 3-and-D forward that, as he continues to season his game, could be worth a look from an NBA team, whether via call up or a two-way contract next season. He certainly has shown his complementary skill set all season long in Oshkosh where he’s averaging 10.1 points on .462/.367/.818 shooting splits, along with 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists over his 27 appearances for the season.
And it’s the 23-year-old’s shot blocking prowess that may be one of the most interesting facets in his talents as a player as he’s averaging 1.1 blocks per game. Hogg’s rim protection has played a small part in Wisconsin allowing the third-lowest opponent field goal percentage on shots attempted within the restricted area this season (58.7).
The contributions the Herd have gotten from their bench mob runs much deeper than those highlighted and have grown into the roles within the rotation. And for January, the Herd’s bench unit has the second-highest net rating at +5.3 points per 100 possessions, only trailing the Austin Spurs.
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As we’re seeing with the Bucks, being able to amass the depth the Herd have had this season and not lose a step doing so is a remarkable luxury to have. And it’s certainly another way in which the Herd have followed the blueprint toward success in the manner the Bucks have created over the last couple of seasons.