The Milwaukee Bucks were largely an afterthought during the NBA’s 2020-21 regular season as they finished third place in the Eastern Conference.
They got off to a tremendously slow start as the team tried to integrate new pieces into the mix and try new schemes, which saw them fall out of the spotlight quickly. Due to their slow start and the likely factor of voter fatigue stemming from the previous two seasons, 2020-21 marked the first time in the Mike Budenholzer coaching era that the Bucks did not have a single player take home a regular season award.
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
Of course, their absence from the award voting ultimately did not matter as the team managed to achieve much greater glory by winning the championship and bringing home their first title in 50 years.
As the Bucks gear up to defend their title during the 2021-22 season, it is a safe bet that there will be a handful of players competing for awards at the conclusion of the regular season. With that being said, here are which ones might make the cut.
Giannis Antetokounmpo could win MVP with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021-22
Despite putting up dominant numbers with the Bucks last year, Giannis Antetokounmpo received hardly any consideration for league MVP honors.
In fact, he would not even finish as a finalist in the voting, which certainly rubbed some people the wrong way. However, it was always clear that the team’s previous two flameouts in the playoffs would hinder his case from the beginning. After winning MVP in each of the previous two years only for the Bucks to collapse in the postseason, the voters simply got fatigued and did not even bat an eye at the Greek Freak this time around.
After the fantastic playoff run that Antetokounmpo just had that ended with him hoisting his first Finals MVP, he will undeniably get the respect he deserves next season. If the forward can put up similarly dominant numbers as he does during the regular season and the Bucks can be near the top of the Eastern Conference – which they almost certainly will be – then this award seems like it will be Antetokounmpo’s for the taking.
At 26-years-old, Antetokounmpo will be gunning for his third league MVP next season, although he would certainly rather take home another Finals MVP instead. Nevertheless, this is strictly for regular season awards, and it should not be a surprise if Antetokounmpo makes a near unbeatable case to reclaim the MVP award next season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo or Jrue Holiday could win Defensive Player of the Year with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021-22
Given their reputable stature on the defensive end, the Bucks could realistically have a pair of Defensive Player of the Year candidates in 2021-22.
Sticking with Antetokounmpo, he has proven to be arguably the best defender in the league at this point in his career. He proved this throughout his latest postseason run with several iconic plays, none more notable than his block on Deandre Ayton in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The Greek Freak already has a DPOY award under his belt from his fantastic 2019-20 campaign, and if he plays his brand of reputable defense this coming season, he could very well win the award again.
Antetokounmpo is already just one of three players to win MVP and DPOY in the same season in NBA history, and it would be a historically great achievement if he could do it again next year. After the historically great run that he just had, fans should not underestimate Antetokounmpo to any extent when it comes to achieving something that seems out of reach.
The other Buck that could be mentioned in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year next season is Jrue Holiday. The guard has always been categorized as an elite defender, which he put on display throughout Milwaukee’s playoff run, particularly when he ripped the basketball away from Devin Booker in the closing moments of Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
He is arguably the best guard defender, if not the best all-around defender in the NBA, and he could make a run at the most prestigious defensive award next season. Holiday previously said in an interview with Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes that he believes he should be the winner of the award every year, but he hardly gets the proper recognition. The voters will certainly be giving him the necessary attention this coming season, and if he can keep his foot on the gas defensively, he could be a sleeper pick for the award.
Donte DiVincenzo or Grayson Allen could win Most Improved Player with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021-22
The Bucks have a pair of young wings currently on their roster that could be poised for breakout seasons in 2021-22.
The first is Donte DiVincenzo, who will be returning from a season-ending injury suffered in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. While there is no clear-cut timetable as to when the guard will return, he will be a key piece for this team whenever he does. After all, this was Milwaukee’s starting shooting guard up until the injury last season, and he took massive strides in his overall development in that bigger role. Averaging career-highs in points, rebounds, 3-point percentage, assists, and many more categories, the guard showed glimpses of potential.
DiVincenzo’s biggest issue remains to piece it all together consistently. It has been the guard’s fatal flaw during his time with the Bucks, with the team never knowing which version of him they would be getting on a nightly basis. DiVincenzo is still just 24-years-old, so he is developing, and if he can return to form after this injury and attempt to get a handle on his inconsistency, then there could be yet another career year in his future. Could it be enough to earn the Most Improved Player honor next season? It remains a long shot, but nothing is ever certain.
Another Buck that could be an under-the-radar candidate for the MIP award is Grayson Allen, who came over this offseason in a trade. Like DiVincenzo, Allen came into the league via the 2018 Draft and has steadily improved over his first three seasons. Allen seems destined for a big role with the Bucks from day one, and one of the most prominent debates this offseason has revolved around if he could receive a starting opportunity if DiVincenzo is still not ready to go by opening night. Allen would be a great fit for the Bucks in that role if that were the case, and the increased role could see him thrive with his new team.
Seeing DiVincenzo or Allen win Most Improved Player in 2021-22 seems far-fetched considering they are both the fifth option in the starting five, but crazier things have happened.
Bobby Portis and George Hill could compete for Sixth Man of the Year with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021-22
The Bucks made several moves to improve their second unit this offseason, and they could pay dividends down the road.
Their biggest move was retaining Bobby Portis, who took a pay cut to stay with the Bucks on a two-year deal worth $9 million. Fans were ecstatic with the move as Portis played a key role in the team’s success last year, immediately carving out a role for himself. His shooting, rebounding, and immense intensity helped the big man fit right in, and he averaged 11.4 points while shooting 52.3 percent from the floor and 47.1 percent from 3-point territory while hauling in 7.1 rebounds per contest. While it looked like a longshot for him to win the award, Portis did deservingly receive votes for Sixth Man of the Year honors during the 2020-21 season.
If Portis could have another similarly productive season in 2021-22, he could be mentioned in the sixth man conversation once again. It will be a tall task to replicate the career-best shooting that he displayed last year, but not impossible. With a year under his belt with the Bucks, he should be more accustomed to how they like to operate both offensively and defensively. Ultimately, it will hinge on his statistical production, although Bucks fans know his contributions go beyond that.
Another player that could sneak their way into the discussion is George Hill. The Bucks brought the veteran back for what will be his second stint with the franchise on a solid deal this offseason, and he fills a position of need in the backup point guard slot. Given that the guard already has previous experience playing under Budenholzer and with players like Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez, he could have an easy time getting reacquainted with the team. While it seems like a stretch that Hill could put up the numbers to win Sixth Man honors, it is possible to some extent.
The Bucks could have several award winners by the time the NBA’s 2021-22 season ends as these players will compete for various awards.