Milwaukee Bucks: Grading Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s new two-year deal

How does Thanasis Antetokounmpo fit with the Milwaukee Bucks?

For the past two seasons in Milwaukee, Thanasis has played his role as a sparkplug to perfection for the Bucks.

While others may have roles that surround their scoring, facilitating, or defense, Thanasis does his part for the Bucks by giving them an energizer off the bench. Whenever he steps onto the floor, it is always easy to spot him because he can be seen flying all around the court, whether it be diving on a loose ball, skying high for rebounds on both ends, or playing some aggressive defense. Effort is never in question when the 29-year-old takes the court as he seemingly plays every game like it will be his last, and having someone like that on the team is always a plus.

As to where he will fit in the rotation this coming season, it will likely not be towards the top. The Bucks have replenished their wing depth by adding Rodney Hood and Grayson Allen during the offseason, giving the team two players that are ready to contribute from the jump. While he will compete for minutes with them, he will also face an uphill battle trying to get time over the likes of Khris Middleton, Donte DiVincenzo, and possibly even Jordan Nwora. Playing time might be hard to come by for Thanasis in this logjam on the win, but he will see minutes here and there.

After all, the swingman played a career-high 551 minutes with the team during the regular season in 2020-21, which was more than he played in his first two NBA seasons combined. His energetic presence allowed him to play meaningful minutes on multiple occasions as the team needed a spark, and head coach Mike Budenholzer will look to deploy him at times this season once again because of it. He can be utilized in many lineups, and time will tell what Budenholzer has in store, but expect Thanasis to get more time in the rotation next year.