Milwaukee Bucks: Jon Horst talks embracing versatility this season
By Dalton Sell
General manager Jon Horst discussed how the Milwaukee Bucks embracing versatility this season will be crucial given their retooled roster.
It was a wildly successful offseason for general manager Jon Horst and the Milwaukee Bucks.
The team pulled off a blockbuster trade for Jrue Holiday, reshaped the roster through free agency with several talented pieces, and, most substantially, re-signed Giannis Antetokounmpo to the largest deal in NBA history. However, when the dust settled on their busy offseason full of dealings, one position remained vacant: backup center.
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This was a role filled last season by Robin Lopez, who gave the Bucks some much-needed insurance behind his twin brother, Brook, at the position.
After Robin played just 21 minutes during Milwaukee’s 10 game postseason run, the big man surprisingly opted out of his $5 million player option and signed a deal with the Washington Wizards.
With Robin out of the equation, Milwaukee’s general manager, Jon Horst, recently discussed the lack of a traditional center with The Athletic’s Eric Nehm ($$).
Although the Milwaukee Bucks have just one traditional center on the roster, they have other requisite pieces that will force them to get creative.
Horst outlined how Brook Lopez being the team’s only center opens the door for more versatility, especially for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, and D.J. Wilson. These three have seen plenty of run together through a combination of sizeable lineups, but the sample size is too small to make any real assessment just yet.
Although he has struggled to find a groove early, Antetokounmpo will find his rhythm soon enough, that is a given. Portis has quickly become a fan favorite for the Bucks due to his tenacious energy and scoring punch off the bench. Meanwhile, Wilson has shown flashes of potential to start his fourth year with the Bucks as he enters the season with the team having not extended him by the deadline.
A combination of these three, along with Lopez, will undoubtedly see a bulk of the minutes in the frontcourt, but Horst also detailed his confidence in Mamadi Diakite.
The 23-year-old signed a two-way contract with the Bucks after a four-year stint at the University of Virginia, and the potential is there for him. With the Wisconsin Herd having opted-out of the G-League’s proposed plan to return this season, Diakite could surely get some run with the Bucks to jumpstart his development.
From the very start of training camp, Mike Budenholzer, Jon Horst, and the rest of the Bucks wanted to implement a more versatile style of play. D.J. Augustin, one of the new signees this offseason, discussed this change soon after joining the team:
"“The way were playing this year, the way coach wants to play this year, it’s like nobody really has a position. It’s positionless…That’s just the way we’re playing it this year and it’s definitely harder for guys. You have to know every position…you just got to be able to know every spot on the floor and that’s part of being a professional and knowing your role.”"
Next. Bucks displaying confidence in Donte DiVincenzo. dark
Four games into the season, the Bucks have certainly embraced this versatility in the frontcourt, and time will tell how well the team manages without a true backup center.