On paper, the Milwaukee Bucks have had a decent history of development with their young players. Pundits point to their decision to draft Giannis Antetokounmpo with the 15th overall pick. Antetokounmpo has since developed into one of the best players in the NBA, becoming the league’s MVP in 2019 and 2020 and leading the Bucks to their first championship in 50 years in 2021. Even Khris Middleton, who came to Milwaukee as a throw-in in the trade for Brandon Knight, has since become a bonafide star in this league.
But anyone paying attention will tell you that the team is falling behind its counterparts in this regard. None of the young players the coaching staff has developed in the past five years are on the roster today, and none of the young pieces still aboard are showing any growth.
Former Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon is now with the Celtics. Donte DiVincenzo is now a key piece for the defending champion Golden State Warriors. Jordan Nwora is enjoying increased opportunities with the Indiana Pacers. Even Sandro Mamukelashvili ended up starting at center for the San Antonio Spurs to end the season.
Don’t forget, the Bucks in past seasons have essentially mortgaged their draft capital for the foreseeable for the likes of Jrue Holiday and Jae Crowder. They simply don’t have the assets to move around to get better pieces on the roster anymore. As a result, they have very few options to try and improve their roster for next season.
And that means developing from within isn’t just the best option — it’s the only option.
Why the Bucks need to go all-in on player development next season
The Bucks are currently over the salary cap, so they are limited in their ability to sign free agents. Other teams around the league know this well; by developing young players, any front office can add talent to their roster without having to spend a lot of money. Developing younger players allows teams to avoid having to trade away draft picks or young players in order to acquire veterans.
The Bucks also have young guys who are already willing to put in the work to carve out a place for themselves in this league. At one point, the Bucks seemed to have a solid youth movement locked up for the foreseeable future with guys like Nwora and Mamukelashvili. With those pieces snipped away, there’s a lot riding on the development of Marjon — and for that matter, guys like A.J. Green, too.
MarJon Beauchamp, for obvious reasons, is the first place to look. The 24th pick in last year’s draft had himself a relatively solid rookie season with the Milwaukee Bucks, showing flashes of potential on both ends of the floor. He averaged 4.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 17.2 minutes per game — a number that belies the number of opportunities he actually got.
Beauchamp is a versatile defender who can guard multiple positions. He has good athleticism and length, and he is a capable ball-handler and passer. He also has a good (if not a little clunky) 3-point stroke, shooting 33.1 percent from beyond the arc in his rookie season.
Beauchamp has shown that he can be a good shooter from beyond the arc, and he also has the athleticism and length to defend multiple positions. He could be a valuable asset to the Bucks’ starting lineup or their second unit as a 3-and-D wing. He’s also a high-energy player who brings a lot of hustle and effort to the court. He could be a valuable asset to the Bucks off the bench, providing a spark on both ends of the floor.
In his sophomore season, Beauchamp could have a larger role with the Bucks. He could be a key contributor off the bench, providing energy and defense. He could also start at small forward if Khris Middleton is injured or traded.
No matter what role Beauchamp plays for the Bucks next season, he is a player to watch. If he continues to work hard and improve, he has the potential to be a very good player in the NBA, and he could be a key part of the Bucks’ future success.
A.J. Green has also shown he can be a knockdown shooter from deep for the Bucks. In his first season with the team, the former Northern Iowa Panther scored 4.4 points per game in just ten minutes a night in 35 games. He also shot an impressive 42 percent from 3-point range as a rookie.
It’s an understatement to say Green has been prolific from the 3-point line. He’s made a living knocking down shots from deep dating back to his college years, but the looks he got playing alongside Antetokounmpo really demonstrated just how good of a long-range bomber he is. According to regular season tracking data courtesy of NBA.com/stats, Green converted on a searing 17-of-26 on triples that were considered “wide open,” a number that’s good for 65.4 percent of his attempts.
In short, if he’s open, it’s a safe bet the ball is going through the basket.
As a result, the threat of his shooting makes the team better. The advanced stats back this up, too. According to PBP Stats, the Bucks as a team shot better from deep with Green on the floor (40.1 percent) than in the minutes he was off the bench (36.4 percent).
It’s certainly a limited sample size, but it’s not too far a reach to say he could even be one of the best shooters on a Bucks squad that already has Khris Middleton and Grayson Allen. Considering the team’s history of going cold from distance in the playoffs, they can really never have too many shooters. This kind of player archetype always seems to thrive once paired with the inward gravity of Antetokounmpo — just ask Bryn Forbes. If the Bucks can continue to get solid production from Green going forward, it can only mean good things for the team as a whole.
Moving forward, he could also work on hiding his deficiencies on the defensive end. He could also work on adding more versatility to his shot diet. Just look at the work Grayson Allen did to round out his arsenal by working on his driving and at-the-rim finishing.
Despite the recent heartbreak against the Miami Heat, make no mistake, the Bucks are still very much a team that is looking to contend for a championship. With a generational talent like Antetokounmpo, anything less than swinging for the fences every season is a mistake. They have a strong core of players, but they need to add some young talent to their roster.
Beauchamp and Green are still very young players, so they will need time to develop their games. But they’ve never been lacking in effort or potential, and there’s no doubt they could be key pieces for the Milwaukee Bucks in the future. After all, their asset situation and lack of youth necessitate growth at their position.
As it currently stands, the Bucks have already exhausted their limited draft capital to acquire players who can help them win now.
They do have the 58th pick in this coming draft, and it’s their sole selection this year. For this writer, using the pick might be a better choice than trading it to draft another aging veteran.
Milwaukee’s Eastern Conference counterparts are testaments to the need to develop. The Miami Heat are up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals playing a litany of undrafted players. Boston’s own core is made up of players they drafted, and they have other serviceable young pieces like Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser coming off the bench. Philadelphia was able to develop Tyrese Maxey while still building around the talents of Joel Embiid.
This is just to say that finding diamonds in the rough is absolutely possible. The Bucks might have already found that with Sandro Mamukelashvili after all, but it remains to be seen how well he pans out for San Antonio.
Development also doesn’t just apply to Milwaukee’s young Bucks. Players like Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton still have holes in their game that they can work to patch up. Even Giannis Antetokounmpo has more room to grow to round out his offensive bag.
With a new head coach on the way, the Bucks may also finally have a lead tactician who is more liberal with giving young pieces some valuable playing time. One of Mike Budenholzer’s many faults was that he was persistent in giving his guys playing time. Just look at the decision to play George Hill and Thanasis Antetokounmpo over guys like Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig in the past few years. A new head coach might mean more playing time should open up for the Bucks’ bench moving forward.
Investing in the development of young players can also help the Bucks build for the future. The Bucks are currently in a win-now mode, but they will need to start thinking about the future at some point. By developing young players, the Bucks can ensure that they have a strong foundation in place for the years to come.
Having opportunities available for young players can also help the Bucks create and maintain their winning culture. When young players are given the minutes they need to play through their mistakes and develop into serviceable role players, they are more likely to buy into the team’s culture and be motivated to win. This can lead to a more successful team in the long run.
The Bucks will need to make some decisions about their future in the coming months. They can either choose to stay the course and try to improve their team through the draft and free agency, or they can make a big move by trading one of their stars in order to acquire another star.
The Bucks don’t have a lot of options available to them, and it will be interesting to see how they play their cards in the coming months. But one thing’s for sure: they can’t afford to not have their young pieces take the next steps in their games.
Stay tuned for more updates and analysis on the Bucks’ youth movement over the coming off-season.