Milwaukee Bucks: How does each 2021-22 new addition look thus far?
By Dalton Sell
Following their title-winning season, the Milwaukee Bucks spent the offseason retooling their roster to prepare for another championship run.
Former Executive of the Year Jon Horst had his hands full with free agency, the draft, and trades, but in the end, it seemed like the Bucks did improve compared to the previous season. Of course, the team has been hit with injuries to start the year, so we have scarcely seen this roster play at anything close to full strength. That makes it hard to evaluate how the team has played early on this season, but it has been interesting to watch the newcomers as they try and mesh into their new environment. With that being said, let us take a look at how the newest Bucks look.
How have Sandro Mamukelashvili and Georgios Kalaitzakis looked for the Milwaukee Bucks?
The Bucks selected both Sandro Mamukelashvili and Georgios Kalaitzakis in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft, with neither being expected to play a significant role from the jump.
Due to injuries to both Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis this season, Mamukelashvili did see some early action for the Bucks to bolster the center position. Understandably, the big man looked like an inexperienced rookie at times, which no one could fault him for. Playing 61 minutes in seven of Milwaukee’s nine games, Mamukelashvili has seen more time than some would have anticipated due to these injuries. As for Kalaitzakis, he has appeared mostly during mop-up duty this season for 28 total minutes. That small sample size has left little room for the rookie to showcase his talents, so not much has stood out from the 22-year-old.
Both players are expected to see more playing time with the Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks’ G-League affiliate, once they begin their new season, which will be good for their development. Given that the Bucks are a team competing at the forefront of a championship, it will be tough for either of these two to genuinely carve out a role for themselves this season, so getting those extra reps is the best thing for them. Keep an eye on these two when the Herd finally return to action with a highly talented roster this coming season.