Predicting minutes distribution for the 2023-24 Milwaukee Bucks

With the 2023-2024 NBA season finally underway, some questions are still unanswered about this Milwaukee Bucks team.

Who plays and how much they play is likely the main question floating around the Bucks. Rotation typically depends on a few different factors, including injuries, matchup stats, and what guys are able to do with in-game and practice reps.

The Bucks are obviously amongst the best teams in the league heading into this season, and it will be very interesting to see how the culture blends in with their roster. Milwaukee is one of the oldest teams in the league, but with several new faces coming in, most young, it will be interesting to see how the staff goes about things.

In the following piece, I will be predicting how Milwaukee forms its gameplan in the upcoming weeks and what kind of minutes the players may see.

Core

Damian Lillard- Lillard’s first season outside of Portland will be an interesting one. The bar is set to the top for Milwaukee following the acquisition of Damian Lillard. He has hovered right around 35 minutes per game since he entered the league, and you can expect him to fall into that range again.

Prediction- 33.8 minutes per game

Malik Beasley- After spending last season with the Jazz and Lakers, the Bucks were able to sign Beasley on a minimum contract, which is an absolute steal for the team. Beasley’s ability to shoot off the catch is a perfect fit for this team. Beasley has also made it clear that he is willing to work as hard as he needs to on the defensive end this year. Expect Beasley to occupy the starting role for the whole season.

Prediction- 30.2 minutes per game

Khris Middleton- As unfortunate as it is, Khris Middleton is trending towards missing some more time this season. He has really struggled to stay healthy the last couple of years. Do not be surprised to find Middleton’s name on the injury report every few games. For that reason, minutes per game or per game stats could be a little misleading for Middleton. It is also hard to say how long he will be on restricted minutes.

Prediction- 26.9 minutes per game

Giannis Antetokounmpo- In his first season under the new regime, it is a fair assumption to say that Giannis will once again play around 33 minutes per game. Antetokounmpo is the type of player that does not have an off switch, so 13-15 minutes of rest seems just about perfect.

Prediction- 33.7 minutes per game

Brook Lopez- After a stellar season for Lopez last year, he will try to bring that same impact on a somewhat different team. Lopez is getting up there in age and miles, but that did not seem to bother him last year. Expect him to play a hair under 30 minutes.

Prediction- 29.2 minutes per game

Bobby Portis Jr.- The fan favorite in Milwaukee will look to put his name into the Sixth Man of the Year conversation for yet another year. Portis won’t always play the most minutes off the bench, but he is the 6th man of this team due to his fit, skill, and energy.

Prediction- 21.7 minutes per game