Milwaukee Bucks Roundtable: Digging into their busy offseason

The Milwaukee Bucks’ roster has significantly changed in the last couple of weeks. But do you feel they have changed for the better or potentially for the worse?

Sell: It has certainly been a roller coaster ride to get to this point, but I do feel like the Bucks improved on paper this offseason. The aftermath of the Bogdan Bogdanovic debacle has clouded Milwaukee’s other additions, and understandably so. Still, this team landed one of the best two-way guards in the NBA with Jrue Holiday to address their backcourt needs and brought aboard several role players to fill vacancies on their roster. Time will tell how it all fits together as the team tries to piece together a title run, but I remain optimistic.

Treske: Like Dalton said, it’s hard not to factor in how the Bucks *could* have looked going into next season, given their failed bid for Bogdanovic. Still, the Bucks landed one of the best two-way players in the league with Jrue Holiday to form an exceptional foundation between the veteran guard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton.

From there, though, is where the intrigue and mystery exits as far as how the pieces fit under their roster makeover. The biggest question that all Bucks fans may be asking throughout the season is who is that fifth piece that can close out and complete their crunch time unit in a playoff-like scenario. Even after all of the additions the Bucks made this offseason, I’d lean towards Donte DiVincenzo being the most significant in that regard. As much as I liked what I saw from Donte last season, there is still some concern about relying on him in such an important role.

But overall, the Bucks certainly got better at the top of their roster. Adding Holiday in place of Bledsoe could have a wondrous effect and lift the Bucks to reach the NBA Finals next season. It’s after their first four players where the questions start to come in and highlights whether their depth is any better than it proved to be by the end of their run last season.

Wood: They will be better, not only because of the remodeled bench, but also because of the one trade that did not happen. I am one of the rare observers that feels okay with the failure of the Bogdanovic sign-and-trade. Do not get me wrong that landing Bogdanovic would have given the Bucks an elite starting five and I, like most Bucks fans, are not sure how everything broke down. But under this scenario, would the Bucks have been able to have a competent bench? Would there have been any money left to do so?

The reason I am okay is I still have faith in Donte DiVincenzo. I know it took him awhile in the postseason, and the stage may have been too big (too small? It was the bubble!) for him. In reality, though, last season was essentially his rookie year. He’s shown his ability to perform on big stages like he did at Villanova on their way to winning an NCAA title a couple of years ago and that mettle could translate in a normal playoff setting. I am glad we will see what he will become this year and beyond as a Buck.

The Bucks have changed for the better, but will it be enough? It is not about convincing Bucks’ fans. It is about convincing Giannis Antetokounmpo. That is who the trade and free agent signings and roster overhaul was for. If he signs, 2020 offseason looks excellent. If he does not sign…..boom.

Schickert: I think the Bucks have absolutely gotten better. And dare I say they’ve gotten deeper too, with the additions of Torrey Craig, Bryn Forbes, Bobby Portis, as well as their draft picks in Jordan Nwora and Sam Merrill.

I think they’ve done a great job of getting younger and tougher, without giving up much in any specific department. The Bucks now have their own playoff experience, so they don’t necessarily need that type of leadership to come from guys like George Hill. So I really believe they’re ready to make their run. I think Giannis Antetokounmpo will sign his supermax extension soon and the Bucks’ championship window will remain open for at least the next five years.

Rauman: The Bucks’ roster clearly improved at the top with the addition of Jrue Holiday to the core of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez, while the depth obviously suffered.

However, if the Bucks have learned anything from the past few seasons, it’s that depth doesn’t matter in the playoffs. The Lakers had very little behind their two superstars, but it didn’t stop them from winning an NBA title. The Bucks don’t have many options after their top seven, but maybe that will make Coach Bud realize he needs to play his best players more minutes when the games matter. So did the Bucks get better for the playoffs? Yes. Will it prove to be enough to push them over the edge? We shall see!

Jeremy Hansen (@jeremydavid111): I also believe that they have improved. Other than Jrue Holiday, they brought in key role players in Torrey Craig, Bryn Forbes, and Bobby Portis. As mentioned before, having quality is better over quantity for a coach like Mike Budenholzer that has often chosen the latter in the postseason. Gone are rotation players like Ersan Ilyasova and Robin Lopez, who had been phased out of the team’s rotation when it mattered most.

Now did they improve enough to win an NBA championship? It’s yet to be determined. The competition in the East is going to be tougher with the Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat getting even better. The Western Conference remains stacked and the reigning NBA champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, looked to have gotten even better with their own set of moves this offseason. Are Milwaukee’s improvements better than all 29 other teams? We will see.

A huge thank you to all those participated in our roundtable and we’ll gear up in previewing the Bucks’ 2020-21 season as training camp opens Tuesday in Milwaukee.