The Milwaukee Bucks have 12 games remaining in the regular season and are the first team to clinch a postseason spot.
So with Milwaukee already in the postseason, what names could we see not see as much action in the postseason as in the regular season?
Milwaukee this year has good depth on their roster and with that, some notable names will likely be left out of Head Coach Mike Budenholzer’s playoff rotation. We’ve seen it in years past with guys like Bobby Portis in 2021 against the Brooklyn Nets in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and with Jevon Carter in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against Boston Celtics last year.
So, who are the three who will likely not see as many minutes this postseason?
3 Milwaukee Bucks in danger of losing minutes in the playoffs: Grayson Allen
Grayson Allen’s first postseason run with the Bucks left a lot to be desired.
After having a solid series in the first round against the Chicago Bulls last season, Allen had a tough series against the Boston Celtics in which he shot only 31 percent from the field and 20 percent from three. Allen was attacked ruthlessly by Boston’s bigger wings in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Boston had the strategy to get Allen on every switch so they could shoot over the top of him.
When you get to the postseason, and especially if you advance, every weakness a team could have gets magnified. Milwaukee’s was not having a guy who could combat Boston’s taller wings.
This time around, Milwaukee acquired Jae Crowder and is managing Khris Middleton’s minutes to make sure he stays healthy in the postseason.
Middleton’s injury hurt last season because his 6-foot-7 frame would have made a difference in the Boston series. Instead, Milwaukee was forced to put Allen Tatum, Brown, and Grant Williams, and the results weren’t effective.
With Milwaukee’s improved depth this postseason, there isn’t a pressing need to play Allen if Milwaukee advances in the postseason.
3 Milwaukee Bucks in danger of losing minutes in the playoffs: Wesley Matthews
That shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Wesley Matthews has only played in 41 games for the Bucks this season as he’s missed time due to hamstring and calf injuries this season.
Matthews is only averaging 15 minutes per game (the lowest of his career) and has lost a step defensively. He was regarded as a guy who could guard the other team’s best wing player, but with his age and with General Manager Jon Horst building the roster full of players with defensive versatility, Matthews isn’t asked to play that role anymore.
Budenholzer has said in the past that the goal for Matthews is to keep him fresh for the playoffs, but it is fair to question Matthews’ role after the acquisition of Crowder and the signings of Goran Dragic and Joe Ingles.
Matthews likely won’t be in the playoff rotation because teams don’t play guys who are only in for 10-15 minutes. Matthews, before the games against Indiana and Phoenix, hadn’t played since February 16 against the Chicago Bulls. In the two recent games, Matthews played limited minutes (13 against Indiana) and (11 against Phoenix.) With the Bucks having 12 regular season games left, it feels like it’s too short to ramp a player up to play 20-25 minutes.
Matthews averaged over 20 minutes per game last postseason, but don’t expect to see that this time around as he will likely see a reduced role in this upcoming postseason.
3 Milwaukee Bucks in danger of losing minutes in the playoffs: Jevon Carter
Hear me out.
Is Jevon Carter on a hot shooting stretch? Yes. Is he playing with more confidence this year than in years past? Yes. Is his style of play good for the Bucks in the postseason? No.
Any player in the league can go on a hot stretch, but eventually, that run ends and that player reverts to who they are supposed to be.
In Carter’s case, his level of play hasn’t been consistent, which is why his minutes have fluctuated this month.
That is why Milwaukee signed Goran Dragic (who hasn’t played yet). He’s a veteran who can slow the game down and can run the offense.
Carter, meanwhile, is known to take pull-up threes in transition. Those shots are fine in the regular season but in the postseason, every shot is magnified, and a pull-up transition three is a low-percentage shot when you get something toward the basket.
Carter can play ball-hawking defense but Budenholzer prefers a backup point guard who can run the offense, which Dragic has done. Milwaukee hasn’t asked of Jevon Carter.
Don’t be surprised if Carter finds himself in a similar situation to last year’s playoffs where Budenholzer played veteran point guard George Hill over Carter much to the chagrin of Bucks nation. The same situation could take place this postseason.