The Milwaukee Bucks released their first-round playoff schedule earlier this week and will begin postseason play on Sunday at Fiserv Forum. This particular postseason is enormous for the Bucks and could affect how the front office decides to shape the team moving forward.
With big decisions looming on the future of the current Bucks roster, some players will need to make a big impression during this playoff run if they want to remain in Milwaukee. These three players are playing for their future with the Bucks during the playoffs.
Wesley Matthews is playing for his future with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2023 playoffs
Wesley Matthews is arguably the most underrated player on the Bucks team. Matthews’ importance is forgotten because, unlike most players where you expect big things on offense, he will give you most of his impact defensively.
After giving the Bucks a big boost on the defensive end last season, the team rewarded Matthews with a new one-year contract this offseason. It will take a repeat of that performance for Matthews to stretch his Milwaukee Bucks tenure another year.
Matthews was crucial to the team’s success in slowing down DeMar DeRozan in the 2022 playoffs. During the series against Chicago, Matthews held DeRozan to just 11-for-29 shooting (37.9 percent), per NBA.com/stats.
Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Jayson Tatum, who shot 46.7 percent against Matthews. Part of that is Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer putting too much faith in others to defend Tatum, and the other part is that you have to tip your cap to a player as skilled as Tatum sometimes.
If Matthews can contain stars such as DeRozan and Tatum in the playoffs in 2023, he could find himself back in Milwaukee next season.
Jae Crowder is playing for his future with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2023 playoffs
Jae Crowder is in the final year of his contract in 2023 and will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Crowder was acquired from the Brooklyn Nets at the trade deadline this season. It’s the same gamble that the Bucks took when they received P.J. Tucker from Houston in 2021.
The Bucks have missed a player as versatile as Tucker since, which sparked the move for Crowder. Crowder has lived up to everything the team had hoped he would be on the defensive end while contributing better on offense than expected.
The most surprising part of the addition of Crowder has been how he has shot the ball. Crowder has been spectacular, with shooting splits of .479/.436/.833 this season. Considering his career marks in those categories are .418/.348./.778, Crowder has certainly exceeded expectations. The outstanding contribution on offense is just a bonus for the defense that the team acquired Crowder to play.
The great thing about Crowder defensively is that he can switch onto different matchups and guard all five positions on the floor. His versatility on that end takes the pressure off the other defenders on his team. Not that Jrue Holiday, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Brook Lopez can’t hold their own, but Crowder makes it almost a death lineup.
If Crowder can give the Bucks the great versatile wing defender he’s been already, the Bucks should avoid making the same mistake they once made when they let Tucker walk and bring Crowder back next season.
Grayson Allen is playing for his future with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2023 playoffs
It’s arguably the NBA’s worst-kept secret that the Milwaukee Bucks would be willing to move Grayson Allen. Throughout the offseason and even the regular season, Allen’s name was mentioned in trade rumors surrounding the team.
Due to the swirling rumors, there’s a lot of pressure on Allen to perform in the playoffs. Allen has been great for the Bucks in both regular seasons he’s played in Milwaukee, as he’s shot 40.9 percent and 39.9 percent from three in his two seasons while averaging double digits in points. Unfortunately, more remember Allen for being a no-show in the playoffs a year ago.
After absolutely dominating the Chicago Bulls in round one, Allen went missing for the most part in the Conference Semifinals series against the Celtics. In the series, Allen averaged five points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 31 percent from the field and 20.8 percent from three. Considering how well he had played only one series earlier, it was a stunning drop-off.
Allen also fell victim to matchup hunting, with the Celtics trying to get him matched up with either Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum. Being mediocre on both ends made Allen a liability whenever he was on the court throughout the series.
Overall, Allen did not perform well in the playoffs a year ago. He can erase those memories with a good run this season and earn a spot on the team again next year rather than somewhere else.
The Bucks will begin postseason play on Sunday against the winner of Friday night’s play-in game between Chicago and Miami. Stay tuned for Bucks analysis and news throughout the playoffs.