3 Milwaukee Bucks exceeding early expectations in 2021-22 NBA season

Dec 4, 2021; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2021; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /
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Milwaukee Bucks: Grayson Allen
Oct 23, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports /

Grayson Allen has exceeded early expectations with the Milwaukee Bucks

When it was announced that the Bucks traded for Grayson Allen this past offseason, it looked like a solid move from the beginning. They only had to give up Sam Merrill and two second round picks to acquire a player that would become their starting shooting guard with Donte DiVincenzo on the sidelines due to ankle surgery. What initially looked like a decent trade has quickly turned into one of the most underrated moves made league-wide this past offseason as Allen has blossomed into a key contributor as a full-time starter for Milwaukee.

After 23 games, Allen is now averaging 13.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 29 minutes per contest. The 26-year-old has been downright fantastic for the Bucks, largely due to his prolific shooting from 3-point territory. According to NBA.com/stats, Allen has the fourth-most 3-point makes in the entire NBA this year with 72, letting it fly from deep on a nightly basis. A massive reason for this success from behind the arc has been how many “wide open” looks Allen is seeing nightly, as he currently leads the league in wide-open 3-point attempts with 113. He is a perfect fit under head coach Mike Budenholzer as Allen’s transition to Milwaukee has been seamless.

The Bucks clearly believed Allen could be poised for a breakout in Milwaukee as they handed him a two-year extension worth $18 million just before the season began. If the sharpshooter continues playing this well, that deal will be viewed as a steal for the defending champs for a long time. Allen is having a sensational season, and hopefully this is just the beginning of something special as he has certainly locked up that starting shooting guard spot for the foreseeable future.