3 Milwaukee Bucks exceeding early expectations in 2021-22 NBA season
By Dalton Sell
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.