The Milwaukee Bucks added several new pieces this offseason, and fans are anxiously waiting to see them all in action next season.
Among the fresh faces that will be in the fold, Semi Ojeleye is one newcomer that has already caught some attention. While fans were not overly enthusiastic when the Bucks inked Ojeleye to a one-year deal shortly into free agency — largely due to the fact that they were still stomaching the news that they had just lost a key player to an Eastern Conference Rival — many have started to come around to the move.
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Although Ojeleye is not the flashiest or most decorated player that the team could have added this offseason, he is someone who could fit in with them seamlessly if all goes according to plan.
He seems to be a ready-made contributor to the team, and he could have a big year ahead with the reigning champs. With all that being said, here are three goals for Ojeleye to target in 2021-22 with the Bucks.
Goal No. 1 – Semi Ojeleye should average a career-high in points with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021-22
The Bucks certainly did not sign Ojeleye to be a second-unit scorer, as that will fall onto the broad shoulders of Bobby Portis and the newly re-signed George Hill. However, they would embrace the forward adding another scoring presence off the bench if he could improve that area of his game.
Throughout the first four seasons of his career with the Boston Celtics, Ojeleye has only averaged 3.5 points per game. He truly has never been a scoring threat to any extent, but he took a step in the right direction this past season by posting a career-high 4.6 points per contest. While that is nothing to rave about, there were flashes of potential throughout the year that showcased his scoring ability. This was apparent in a matchup with the Toronto Raptors last year where Ojeleye scored a career-high 24 points while knocking down an impressive six triples.
To be clear, Ojeley will not score 20 or more points on a nightly basis, and he might not even crack double-figures most nights. However, the potential for him to shatter his previous career-best in points per game at 4.6 is certainly achievable. He will not be the man scoring option off the bench like Portis, Hill, or even fellow newcomer Rodney Hood, but tallying somewhere around five points per game is doable, particularly if he can hit on this next goal.
Goal No. 2 – Semi Ojeleye should shoot above 38 percent from 3-point territory with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021-22
While it has already been established that Ojeleye is not a threat offensively, his outside shot could be useful for the Bucks.
After shooting a sluggish percentage from deep throughout his first two seasons, it appears that the forward has worked on his shot. Over the last two years, he has knocked down 37.2 percent of his triples, undeniably an eye-catching number for a player like Ojeleye. Although he did it while only attempting 2.3 attempts per game, it is still a solid statistic from the 26-year-old.
If he can continue shooting the ball with similar efficiency, he should fit in rather well with his new team. Everyone knows that the Bucks will always embrace outside shooters, and that will be the case with Ojeleye as well. His attempts have steadily increased over the past three seasons, and that should be no different as head coach Mike Budenholzer and the rest of his teammates will be clamoring for him to let it fly.
Shooting above 38 percent from distance seems like a feasible goal for Ojeleye, particularly if it is somewhere around three attempts per game. Both of those marks would be career-highs for the fourth-year man, but it is a reasonable goal for him to target. Playing in this system bodes well for his chances, and time will tell if he can reach the mark.
Goal No. 3 – Semi Ojeleye must fill the void left behind by P.J. Tucker with Milwaukee Bucks in 2021-22
Immediately after the Bucks signed Ojeleye in free agency, the comparisons to P.J. Tucker started flooding in, and understandably so.
Tucker was a key piece in Milwaukee’s title run due to his defensive stature and found himself in the starting lineup after Donte DiVincenzo suffered a season-ending injury. It was a luxury for the Bucks to be able to throw Tucker at the likes of Kevin Durant, and they likely do not win this title without him in the fold. With Tucker’s abrupt exit in free agency that saw him sign a deal with the Miami Heat, the team needs a replacement, and Ojeleye is the top candidate.
While Ojeleye is not anywhere near the reputable defender that Tucker is, the comparisons are feasible. Both are sturdy, strong forwards that can take on defenders much bigger than them. At 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, Ojeleye is a player very similar in physical stature as well. When the team needs a brawny defender to match up with someone like LeBron James, Ojeleye will likely get the call off the bench at various points.
Once again, he is not Tucker, but the team is baking on the notion that he could try and replicate that defensive prowess. Ojeleye is known for his defense, and if he can turn some heads with his efforts on that side of the ball, he will carve out a role for himself fairly quickly on his new team.
Ojeleye is one of the more intriguing new additions for the Bucks, and he is someone that seems like he could play a big role for the reigning champs.