3 Milwaukee Bucks starting lineup combinations after Damian Lillard trade
By Dalton Sell
Well, the previous piece from Behind the Buck Pass about possible starting lineup options for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023-24 needs an update.
Of course, the Bucks shook up their roster in recent days, dealing two starters from last season in Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen in a deal to land Damian Lillard. With Lillard in town and two other key pieces now elsewhere, new head coach Adrian Griffin will have to alter his starting five options heading into training camp, as there’s now a massive new variable.
There’s no denying that Lillard will start alongside Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Brook Lopez, but who will be the team’s fifth starter? How everyone performs in training camp is likely a significant factor in that, but in the meantime, let us look at three possible starting lineup combinations for the 2023-24 Bucks.
Milwaukee Bucks Starters – Lillard, Beasley, Middleton, G. Antetokounmpo, B. Lopez
A good chunk of Bucks fans want to see Malik Beasley take the reigns as the starting two-guard. Beasley certainly lives up to his position of shooting guard, having made the most 3-pointers off of the bench last season by any reserve. For his NBA career, the guard has buried 37.8 percent of his 3-point shots, cementing himself as a strong threat from the outside.
Beasley and Lillard would make for an electric shooting backcourt. These are two players who can let it fly from way beyond the arc and have no shortage of confidence in doing so. That would be a great thing for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who would have a ton of room to operate close to the rim with these two, along with Khris Middleton, stretching the floor beyond the perimeter.
The one concern with this lineup would be the lack of defense, particularly in the backcourt. Lillard and Beasley have never been known as strong defenders, and pairing them together could result in opposing teams going after them. Khris Middleton is also not the defender he once was, which could cause major concerns on that end.
There’s no doubt that the offense would be a well-oiled machine, but the defense is questionable.