3 Milwaukee Bucks currently taking a backseat in the healthy rotation

Health has been a massive concern for the Milwaukee Bucks this season. Due to the countless number of players constantly going in and out of the rotation due to injuries, illnesses, and bouts with the health and safety protocols, head coach Mike Budenholzer has had his hands full when piecing together his nightly rotations. Though the defending champions have yet to play a game with their roster fully intact this season, their current injury report is cleaner than it has been at any point thus far. Brook Lopez remains the only player listed as he recovers from back surgery.

With the Bucks finally getting healthy, Budenholzer has had to make some adjustments to the nightly rotation. After initially being too short on personnel throughout the early portion of the new season, he now has a handful of talent to pick and choose from. This has led to several key players seemingly being booted from the rotation in favor of other players. Let us take a look at three players that are seemingly in the doghouse now that the Bucks are getting healthy.

Looking at three players taking a backseat in the Milwaukee Bucks’ current rotation

Over the last two games, Jordan Nwora, Semi Ojeleye, and Rodney Hood have all logged DNPs due to Budenholzer’s decision. Part of that simply stems from how many players have returned to the lineup for the Bucks, including Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis. Both have missed time due to protocols recently, and their return to the equation forced Budenholzer to adjust the Bucks’ rotation accordingly. Still, these three were previously staples in Milwaukee’s rotation and now it looks like they will be looking for any minutes whatsoever.

Nwora is certainly the most interesting of the three. There were high expectations for the forward entering his second NBA season, and he has been hit or miss to this point. After starting the year in the rotation, Nwora lost his spot for a few games, only to regain it once again due to absences, and he took advantage of the opportunity by putting up some great numbers. However, despite his recent string of strong showings, Nwora is back to the bench. The 23-year-old has potential to be a great player, but his overall inexperience and inconsistencies have made Budenholzer rely on more well-established veteran pieces.

Hood and Ojeleye were both new signings in free agency that had potential to be great from the beginning, but neither has panned out. Both players are putting up the worst statistical numbers of their careers this season, and Budenholzer is opting to go in another direction. Both players will be ready if they do get their name called off the bench at any point, but right now, it looks like they have fallen out of favor due to their underwhelming starts. Given that Ojeleye had been playing a career-high 18.7 minutes per contest and Hood at 16 on average, this is no small change.

A massive reason why these three have fallen outside of the rotation has been the return of some other crucial pieces. Wesley Matthews, who was brought aboard on a non-guaranteed deal, made his return from the protocols recently. He has been phenomenal since signing with the Bucks, rightfully getting time and leaping Hood and Ojeleye in the rotation due to his strong play on both sides of the basketball. Donte DiVincenzo made his season debut recently, and Budenholzer was obviously going to make time for him when he came back. Integrating these two into the rotation has cut back on playing time for Nwora, Ojeleye, and Hood as the team continues to get healthier.

Nothing is final for these three, but right now, they are on the outskirts of the rotation. All they can do right now is stay ready and wait for an opportunity to present itself.