Milwaukee Bucks: Torrey Craig needs genuine minutes in Bucks’ rotation

Following their defeat to the Brooklyn Nets Monday night, it is evident that the Milwaukee Bucks need to give Torrey Craig legitimate playing time.

The Milwaukee Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets were considered the top two heavyweights in the Eastern Conference, and that sentiment lived up to the hype Monday night.

It was a thrilling matchup that came down to the closing seconds, but unfortunately, Khris Middleton’s game-winning 3-pointer was off the mark. The Bucks suffered their fifth loss of the season in heartbreaking fashion with the 125-123 defeat. While there were several takeaways from the players that battled it out for 48 minutes, one of the biggest storylines revolves around a player that did not see a second of action Monday night.

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That would be Torrey Craig, the veteran swingman whom the team signed for next to nothing this past offseason. Craig seemed like an ideal fit with the Bucks, given his defensive prowess, and he would be needed to slow down opponents in matchups against high-powered offenses, such as the Nets.

The Nets have two of the most dynamic scorers in league history in James Harden and Kevin Durant, and it showed in this game. Harden paved the way for Brooklyn with 34 points, and Durant followed close behind with 30 of his own. Even Joe Harris had himself a game, logging 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting for the game.

The Bucks threw multiple defenders at these three, including Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, and Donte DiVincenzo, three of the team’s better defenders, aside from Giannis Antetokounmpo.

While opponents will have their work cut out when paired opposite against any of these players, natural-born scorers like Harden and Durant are going to feast when defended by Pat Connaughton or Bryn Forbes, as seen time and time again Monday night in several grueling stretches.

Meanwhile, Torrey Craig sat on the sidelines for 48 minutes in a game that he was built to play in with a reputation as one of the better wing defenders in the league, particularly from the perimeter. Standing at 6’7″ and weighing in at 221 lbs., Craig’s versatility on the defensive end is immeasurable, able to guard multiple positions one through four. While he likely would not have shut either Harden or Durant down entirely, he would have undoubtedly had a better shot than the looks the Bucks were giving them on the defensive end.

Following their loss to the top-heavy Brooklyn Nets, the Milwaukee Bucks need to implement Torrey Craig into the rotation.

Craig is not a perfect player by any means, particularly offensively. Arguably his most prominent flaw is his lackluster 3-point shot as he’s a career 32 percent 3-point shooter, which makes him a concerning fit for the Bucks that needs all the floor spacing they need around Antetokounmpo. That inability to hit from behind the arc likely kept him sidelined in such a close contest against Brooklyn, but the defensive strength he possesses was sorely missed in a handful of key moments.

Craig has been sidelined for several weeks after suffering the third broken nose of his career in the team’s loss to the New York Knicks earlier this season. The forward underwent surgery and was cleared to return last Friday, another game that he did not get any action in.

Craig was controversially absent from head coach Mike Budenholzer’s rotation for the first several games of the season even before the injury. The 30-year-old has made just two appearances this year and has logged just 13 total minutes, all of which came in the closing minutes of blowouts. Whatever the reasoning behind why Craig’s minutes have been virtually non-existent, it has grown frustrating to see a premier defender spectate from the sidelines as two electrifying scorers run up the scoreboard.

Hopefully, Torrey Craig gets the opportunity to carve out a role for himself with the Milwaukee Bucks moving forward because he is undoubtedly someone that they could use defensively.