Milwaukee Bucks: 3 potential secret weapons to unleash in the playoffs
By Dalton Sell
While it was far from a smooth sail this 2020-21 season, the Milwaukee Bucks are officially headed to the NBA Playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.
It seems in all likelihood that they will do so as the Eastern Conference’s third seed, which is a marginal step backward after owning the top spot in consecutive years. Nevertheless, this team undoubtedly feels good with where they are at as they prepare to redeem themselves after two straight playoff collapses.
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Milwaukee’s title hopes hinge the most on whether their newly revamped roster is good enough to compete with the best in the business. The organization has spent the past several months relentlessly reshaping this roster from top to bottom to craft a team that is built to win a championship now.
While fans know what they must get from their stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday, this roster is filled with other highly talented pieces.
With that being said, here are three players that could potentially be secret weapons for the Bucks to utilize in the postseason.
Bryn Forbes can be a secret weapon for the Milwaukee Bucks in playoffs
Shooting guard Bryn Forbes has done nothing but contribute since signing with the Bucks as a free agent last offseason.
In 68 games with the team this season, Forbes quickly carved out a role for himself by averaging 10 points while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 45 percent from deep. The latter percentage is a career-high for the fifth-year guard as he has been a seamless fit in a system that encourages 3-point shooting to the highest degree.
This red-hot shooting will be pivotal for the Bucks in the postseason, as evidenced by their last two series that resulted in losses. In the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals against the Toronto Raptors, the Bucks lacked a pulse from behind the arc as they shot just 31 percent across six games. This dreadful cold spell from distance doomed Milwaukee the following season as they connected on just 32.7 percent of their 3-pointers in their five-game second round matchup with the Miami Heat.
The Bucks desperately lacked outside shooters in both of those series and now they have one of the best in the business in Forbes. While the guard does not wipe away Milwaukee’s shooting concerns entirely, having him at their disposal certainly provides some assurance. Although his defense in a playoff setting might cause some issues, that floor spacing he provides will earn Forbes a hefty share of minutes in the playoff rotation.
If Forbes can take advantage of the opportunity and translate this red-hot shooting over into the postseason, he will undoubtedly be a secret weapon for them.