Milwaukee Bucks: Ranking every player on the 2021-22 roster
By Dalton Sell
Ranking the 2021-22 Milwaukee Bucks — No. 9: George Hill
The Bucks upgraded their backup point guard position this offseason by signing George Hill in free agency, who will return for his second stint with the team. On paper, this is a big win for the team as they will be bringing back a familiar face that already has accumulated experience with several members of the team and coaching staff and understands what it is like to play with this group. In addition to his familiarity, Hill’s shooting, scoring, playmaking, and underrated defense should help make his transition back to the Bucks quick and easy.
The biggest question is whether or not Hill will be able to bounce back after a down year last year. After suffering a thumb injury, Hill had a lackluster showing with the Philadelphia 76ers. If the vet is back up to par, being back in a familiar environment should help him regain his touch. The guard is poised for a big role with the Bucks next season, and he will be one of their most prominent role players to take the floor due to his established trust with head coach Mike Budenholzer.
Ranking the 2021-22 Milwaukee Bucks — No. 8: Pat Connaughton
Speaking of Budenholzer’s trust, no role player has seemingly earned more of it with the Bucks than Pat Connaughton has. The guard has been a favorite of Budenholzer’s since he came aboard three years ago, and he is coming off a stellar playoff run that proved the coach right. No reserve averaged more minutes than Connaughton throughout the playoffs, and he earned the right as he served as the team’s swiss army knife by shooting, scoring, rebounding, and playing defense. Among his notable contributions, he hit the third-most 3-pointers in the 2021 NBA Finals, trailing only Khris Middleton and Jae Crowder.
With Connaughton back with the Bucks next season, he will certainly continue to play a significant role in the rotation, likely serving as the first man off the bench. Connaughton has gotten a bad rap from Bucks fans in the past, oftentimes understandably so, but after this title run, he has silenced those doubters and should be seen as one of the team’s top role players. If he can put together an encore in 2021-22, Connaughton could perhaps inch his way up the list.