Milwaukee Bucks: Assessing what needs midseason additions cover
While the Milwaukee Bucks continue to go through the ebbs and flows of the 2020-21 season, more help appears to be on the way.
The Bucks made waves earlier this month by acquiring P.J. Tucker from the Houston Rockets a week before this year’s trade deadline. Since turning their attention to the buyout market, the Bucks have looked to strengthen their guard depth with the reported additions of Jeff Teague and potentially Austin Rivers after both were recently waived by the Orlando Magic and Olahoma City Thunder, respectively.
More from Bucks News
- Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
- Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
- Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
- Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
- New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited
While it wasn’t one fell swoop, Milwaukee has tended to their biggest needs after shaking up their roster over the last couple of weeks. However, can the reinforcements the Bucks have and are in line to bring in fulfill the roles that will be needed to succeed in Milwaukee the rest of the way this season?
So without further ado, let’s dive into how the Bucks’ recent additions, some of which remain reported at this stage, and how they will affect the Bucks moving forward.
P.J. Tucker gives the Milwaukee Bucks a defensive edge, but durability will be key
As the Bucks have grown more experimental defensively, they’ve needed the proper pieces to fortify their defensive evolution. Bringing aboard one of the best defensive specialists and switchable defenders in the game, that being P.J. Tucker, was a necessary move for the Bucks to make, especially at the price point they acquired him at.
However, the key to Tucker’s growing stint has been his availability, or lack thereof to this point. Tucker has just played 44 total minutes since joining Milwaukee and has missed the last three games as a result of suffering a calf strain.
This is certainly where the concerns and skepticism in regards to Tucker’s play and the Bucks’ move to acquire him exists and maintain his health and durability is of the utmost importance for the Bucks if they want to realize their full defensive potential, especially in closing lineups.
Seeing Tucker on the sidelines for the Bucks’ 129-105 loss to the L.A. Clippers Monday night may bode well for his return over the course of their six-game road swing out west. And while Tucker needs the reps to get back up to speed and get acclimated with his new teammates, getting back to full health is key for such a pivotal addition such as himself.