The end of the 2021 season was disappointing for the Milwaukee Bucks with Khris Middleton missing the entire series against the Boston Celtics, who knocked them out of the playoffs. Grayson Allen, who averaged 11.1 PPG on 40.9% shooting from behind the arc during the regular season, provided some solid shooting but disappeared in the Celtics series after being the star in the Bucks first round matchup with the Chicago Bulls. Wesley Mathews now 36, is a willing and physical defender but very limited offensively averaging 5.1 PPG on 33% shooting from three. If you combined both players you would have a very decent two guard who could fit perfectly next to Milwaukee’s big three.
The Milwaukee Bucks know what they’re getting from these two, however, if the Bucks want to keep their championship window open as long as possible, they’ll need to inject some youth.
Young Milwaukee Bucks who could play more than expected: MarJon Beauchamp
Enter Marjon Beauchamp, the 22 year old first round draft pick for the Milwaukee Bucks who played last season with the G league Ignite. Beauchamp showed flashes of being a tough defender on the perimeter largely due to his 7 foot wingspan and has some spice with the ball in his hands. There’s still lots of improvement to be made with his ability to shoot the ball on a more consistent clip, he’s already got a knack for finding the open man and is a dangerous option on the fast break. That said he’s still a rookie on a championship roster and will have to earn his spot in the rotation. I think early in the season he will have a great chance to do that. Here are some goals for his rookie campaign.
Firstly, establish himself on the defensive end of the court. He’s a lengthy and agile guy, he should be able to clog some passing lanes creating some steals and use those long arms to get some blocks.. He averaged 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks per game in the G league, during summer league with the Bucks he averaged 0.8 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. So he is already trying to show he can defend at a high level, and there is no better way to get some playing time like providing some good solid defense.
Secondly, for MarJon, always play with high energy, playing with high energy is something every contending team needs. Guys like Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton currently on roster, they consistently hustle on both ends of the court either creating a turnover or getting a fast break bucket or diving on a loose ball. Marjon’s athleticism is a big plus to fill a role like this. He could be a great second or third option on the fast break because if his teammates can, they will give the ball to Giannis Antetokounmpo 100 times out of 100. However, the opposing teams will aim to find a way to take that away, Marjon running the wing and finishing at the rim could be massive!
Lastly, Marjon is to continue to work on his jumper, it looked good during the summer league. He shot 4.8 3-point shots per game and made 2.2, a very efficient 45 percent. That’s a hefty percentage that I don’t expect him to meet over the course of a full season but with him not being afraid to shoot, hopefully it’s a sign of things to come. With Pat and Khris scheduled to miss time, Marjon will have his opportunity to showcase on the big stage starting on October 20th! I can’t wait to see what the young man brings to this roster that could surely use a jolt of some young energy to distract them from the grind of going for an NBA championship.
Young Milwaukee Bucks who could play more than expected: Sandro Mamukelashvili
Sandro Mamukelashvili, was an interesting draft pick last season for the bucks, spent most of the season sharpening his game with the G league Wisconsin Herd in Oshkosh, and spent the summer playing in the Eurobasket tournament for his home country, Georgia. Sandro still looks raw but had some moments of dominance. Here are three goals for Mamu to earn and keep consistent playing time.
My first goal for Mamu is to be tougher inside, there is no hiding that he struggled with the physicality of the NBA game during his rookie season but during the FIBA games this summer he averaged seven rebounds per contest which isn’t a huge number but alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo who grabs double digits by himself that’s a decent number. During Eurobasket Mamu averaged 15.2 points and 11.0 rebounds, a double double. That’s a good sign!
My second goal for Mamu is to continue to work on his three point shot. This is one of the same goals for MarJon, when you’re playing alongside superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo it will earn you playing time if you can knock down long distance shots. Giannis does not have a knock down jumper shot so the other guys around him have to be able to space the floor. Mamu had a decent jump shot coming out of Seton Hall, a 33 percent clip through four years at Seton Hall. During summer league Sandro knocked down 47.6 percent of his looks from deep.
My final goal for Mamukelashvili is to study everything Brook Lopez does. Watch how Brook looks at the game, how he watches film, and how he makes adjustments during the game. If I were coach Budenholzer I’d have Lopez and Mamu be almost inseparable. Similar to the way Wesley Matthews has taken MarJon Beauchamp under his wing.
Mamu may never be a star in the NBA but there is no shame in carving out a role like Brook Lopez, the fact is the Milwaukee Bucks don’t win the 2021 NBA Championship without him. Brook’s defense and leadership is very important to the Bucks; success. Mamu can learn how to be a guy who does all the little things that only the real basketball fans notice, like being one of the best at boxing out, and one of the best at protecting the rim without swiping for blocked shots and fouling. Brook is 34 years old and has been battling back problems for a few years now, last year he missed 69 games due to that, I think Milwaukee will be very careful with their big man during the regular season and that might mean more Mamu, if it does than he needs to take full advantage of a center position that could be up for grabs for the Milwaukee Bucks going forward!
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.