Continue integrating Marvin Williams
Most certainly the biggest short-term goal at the moment, the Bucks will look to bring along their post-trade deadline addition, Marvin Williams, within their rotation.
While it came under a rare loss as the Bucks fell short against the Indiana Pacers when we last saw them in action, Williams’ Bucks debut was one of the biggest bright spots on the night. The 33-year-old vet finished with nine points on four shots (1-for-2 from deep), four rebounds and was a +20 over his 20 minutes of run.
The fact that he was able to do that two days after officially arriving to Milwaukee, had no practice time, and had to rely on film sessions to familiarize himself with the Bucks’ system speaks volumes to the potential role he could play when the team is at full strength.
And just as he detailed to Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel following the loss, Williams has appropriated the attitude that the team believes they’re capable of winning the ultimate accolade this season:
"“Just kind of watching these guys from afar all season and being a part of it for the first time, there’s just no quit in them,” Williams said. “I think there’s a true belief in this locker room. We believe that we can be a great team and they play like it and work like it every single day in practice. “From what I’ve seen in the last 72 hours, man, I think we’ll get better and better and we should be ready when it’s time.”"
From that standpoint, it will be fascinating to watch how Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer will divvy up minutes between Williams and Ersan Ilyasova for reserve minutes behind superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. And while the move to bring in Williams means the Bucks won’t look to overtax the MVP ahead of the playoffs if their grandest dreams are realized, there could still be periods of adjustment for the newcomer.
With his complementary and versatile skill set, we’ll also get a peek into whether the ceiling for this Bucks team raises just a little but more with Williams now in the fold.