Assessing the state of the Milwaukee Bucks wing rotation

After a week or so of tinkering with the roster, it’s safe to assume that the version we see of the Milwaukee Bucks right now (as in, the roster as it stands), is what we’ll see for at least a few months, barring any significant injury.

I said before the season that this is the deepest Bucks roster in over a decade at least, and the additions of DeMarcus Cousins, Wes Matthews, and even Javonte Smart have added to that. They let go of Georgios Kalaitzakis, who was easily the least NBA-ready player on the team and have replaced him with guys who can impact winning right away.

The signing of Matthews, in particular, was an interesting one as it did not fill an injury void like Cousins. It was to add more depth to the roster and get another player in their wing room to create more competition for minutes.

What does the Milwaukee Bucks wing rotation look like going forward?

Speaking to the Bucks’ overall depth, at full health they could run at least a nine-man rotation of guys you’d be fully comfortable with playing in the playoffs. However, the depth on the wing is slowly becoming a quiet area of concern.

It would be an understatement to say that the Bucks’ wing depth has been a bit disappointing so far this season. Jordan Nwora was coming off a fantastic preseason and looked as if he would take the reins as one of the lead wings off the bench, surpassing veteran Rodney Hood.

That has not been the case and Nwora appears to be in head coach Mike Budenholzer’s doghouse. That doesn’t mean it’s permanent though. We’ve still seen flashes of what makes Nwora such an intriguing player for the Bucks as a prospect with his shot-making and developing rim protection for a wing player.

He was recently sent down to the Wisconsin Herd and that will likely be for more practice time and to get his confidence back a little bit. He had a great showing earlier this season with the Herd where he exploded in the fourth quarter to help lead them to a win.

It’s clear he’s too good for the G League but isn’t quite ready to contribute at the NBA level just yet. I also think it’s silly to suggest Budenholzer simply doesn’t like Nwora. His true shooting is around 51 percent, below league average and for a player who is known as a scorer, that’s not ideal.

That opened a chance for Hood to swoop in, earn some minutes, and steal a rotation spot. That hasn’t happened either, with the 29-year-old shooting just over 28 percent from 3-point range. He has seen around 16 minutes per game in his last eight games but has shot 11.8 percent from 3 on around two attempts a night. That’s not going to cut it either!

The performance of those two, in particular, is what likely led to the signing of Matthews, who played in his first game back with the Bucks and looked fine. But how viable of a solution is that for the rest of the season? Can the Bucks rely on a 35-year-old to give them consistent minutes?

Matthews lacks the same self-creation scoring at this point in his career that Nwora can bring or even Hood in moments. But he is a better defender than the two and can defend bigger wings a little bit as well, something they lack without Semi Ojeleye.

Ojeleye’s injury also complicates things as he was supposed to be the guy who would guard bigger wing players and help unlock some small-ball lineups. Although his defense was solid as expected, he also struggled to make his 3s, shooting 21.4 percent. Part of that could be attributed to the nagging calf injury that held him out of the preseason and is what has sidelined him now.

If he can hit shots, he has an easy path to playing time on the wing, but that’s no guarantee.

This has also shifted Pat Connaughton into more of a smaller wing role, with over 50 percent of his minutes coming at small forward this season (he was at 60 percent last year). He has shown a knack for being able to defend players bigger than him, but it’s not always ideal. He’s locked into a rotation spot, but it would be nice if there was someone who could ease the burden on him defensively behind him in the rotation like Matthews or Ojeleye.

The impending return of Donte DiVincenzo will also push Connaughton to more small forward minutes as DiVincenzo will slide into a role at shooting guard alongside Grayson Allen and, at times, George Hill.

Right now the Bucks wing rotation is in flux, with the guys who everyone thought would take control of the opportunity either hurt or underperforming. It’s still a long season and there’s a chance that one of these guys can take the ball and run with it when given another chance.

For now, though, it’s Matthews’ spot to lose in the revolving door of Bucks rotation wings this season.