After a very quiet first few months of the NBA off-season, the Milwaukee Bucks may be done making moves for the time being.
Their 15-man roster is full, so unless a trade happens, this is the group they will roll with for the start of the 2023-24 NBA season, though two-way deals may change. With that said, let us look at the roster from top to bottom and break it down.
Assessing the Milwaukee Bucks’ current 2023-24 NBA season depth chart
Point Guard: Jrue Holiday, Lindell Wigginton (Two-Way), Jazian Gortman (Camp Deal)
Shooting Guard: Grayson Allen, Malik Beasley, Pat Connaughton, A.J. Green, Andre Jackson Jr.
Small Forward: Khris Middleton, MarJon Beauchamp, Chris Livingston, Thanasis Antetokounnmpo, Omari Moore (Two-Way)
Power Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jae Crowder
Center: Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, Robin Lopez
Looking at the roster, one thing is for sure: Milwaukee needed wings, and they were sure to stock up on them. Pat Connaughton, Grayson Allen, and MarJon Beauchamp were all under contract, but the team re-signed Khris Middleton, A.J. Green, and Thanasis Antetokounmpo while also bringing in Malik Beasley and Omari Moore and drafting Andre Jackson Jr. and Chris Livingston.
The Bucks now have a nice amount of athleticism on the wing, especially from the young players, which is something they’ve lacked for years now. Beauchamp, Jackson, and Livingston are all very young, but they could be nice contributors for the Bucks next season due to their athletic abilities and the tough defense that comes with that, which this team very much needed.
Although the wing is loaded with bodies, one major question is the point guard position, which has just one player on a standard deal. Lindell Wigginton and Jazian Gortman could compete for the job in Bucks’ 2023 training camp, which would certainly be interesting, given that they both bring different things to the table. Yet, the lack of a standard backup is somewhat worrisome.
While players like Jackson and Moore are expected to receive some ball-handling duties, the Bucks would likely still benefit from having a true backup point guard. Milwaukee will likely start the year with this roster, but it would not be surprising to see them make a mid-season trade if the bench’s struggles due to this giant hole at the position are apparent.
The Bucks are also a tad thin at power forward behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jae Crowder. Yet, it wouldn’t be too surprising if players like Middleton and Livingston saw some minutes at the four when the Bucks go smaller. With this roster, one thing to keep an eye on is just how much the new coach, Adrian Griffin, utilizes these smaller lineups throughout the year.
Overall, while it’s not perfect, this is a solid roster. The team has an abundance of versatile wings that bring different things to the table, which will be refreshing. The point guard position is still an understandable concern, but it’s not a make-or-break issue at this point. It could always be fixed via trade down the line.
Two new players who could be difference makers are Malik Beasley and Andre Jackson Jr. Beasley could make life for others on offense much easier due to his outside shooting, while Jackson could be the ideal wing defender who can also facilitate the basketball on offense.
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