The Milwaukee Bucks have got off to a bit of a roller coaster start by their standards in the NBA this season. They have a record of 3-2 and sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, and there are clearly teething problems as expected, with additions to the roster and a new head coach trying to implement his style of play on the team.
Ugly blowout losses to the Atlanta Hawks and the Toronto Raptors were recovered by a five-point victory over the New York Knicks in the first game of the inaugural NBA in-season tournament. As Adrian Griffin implements his ideas, there has been a mixed bag of individual performances so far and a number of players who will feel they deserve more time on the court.
Here are three Bucks who should be getting more minutes.
No. 1 – MarJon Beauchamp
This week, the Bucks picked up MarJon Beauchamp’s third-year option, showing they have clear faith in him being a part of the organization moving forward. In his rookie season he may not have seen much time on the court but so far this season he is averaging 15 minutes per game and has certainly shown what he can do on both ends of the court.
Through the four games he has appeared in, Beauchamp is averaging 8.3 points and two assists on an incredible 60 percent from the field and 54 percent from 3-point land, draining seven of his 13 attempts. Per Basketball-Reference, his per 36 numbers are also impressive, with him projected to score 19.2 points with four rebounds.
If we compare these numbers to Pat Connaughton, who can play a similar role to what Beauchamp does for the Bucks, the 31-year-old is averaging just five points in 22 minutes so far this season. Yes, his role may not be as a designated scorer, but with the sophomore averaging more points in seven fewer minutes, it makes you wonder what sort of impact he could have with a few extra minutes on the court.
It would be hard to suggest Beauchamp should start for the Bucks as four of the five are very much set, and Malik Beasley has been really impressive so far with his shooting and ability to stretch the court. When Khris Middleton sits or is on a minutes restriction, as already seen so far this season, Beauchamp would be an ideal player to have at the small forward position and allow him to play off-ball with Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
I think it is clear that all Bucks fans want to see more of Beauchamp, and with time I think he will slowly see more minutes without rushing him into a huge jump. So far this season, he has done more than enough to show why he deserves more time on the court.