NBA All-Star Weekend has given the Milwaukee Bucks an opportunity to have a break and figure things out before an important final portion of their season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has missed the last six regular season games and the festivities, while Damian Lillard competed in the All-Star Game and the 3-Point Contest and Andre Jackson Jr. flew the flag for the team in the Dunk Contest.
Those three aside, the rest of the Bucks have been able to rest up and hopefully work on their craft to help push the team into the top four seeds of the Eastern Conference and reach their hopes of winning an NBA title. Kyle Kuzma's addition to the roster had mixed reactions, but he's slowly shown how important he can be to a potential title run.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo missing time, Doc Rivers has not been able to try a season-altering lineup that could make or break the Bucks season.
Can Kuzma at the four and Giannis at the five be the recipe for success?
As they sit fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 29-24 record, the Bucks turned their season around following a slow start but have really struggled to find any consistency in 2025 and push themselves into contention with the top teams in the league. Many adjustments need to be made if they want to catch the top three out East, and a frontcourt pairing of Kuzma and Giannis could be game-changing.
All season long, the Bucks have lacked frontcourt athleticism and energy. Kuzma has already shown that he can fix that, meaning the pairing him with Giannis could work out. At 6-foot-9, Kuzma can also guard opposing wings and play at the three should the Milwaukee Bucks want to go with a bigger lineup. Playing small ball and going with a lot more speed is now an option the Bucks didn't have in the first part of the season.
The ability to switch onto guards during a pick-and-roll is something these two also excel at. Watching Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis being dragged out to the perimeter and attempting to stay with a fast guard is not fun, so addressing that versatility is key. With Jericho Sims and Kevin Porter Jr. also on the roster now alongside Kuzma, the team has way more energy and athleticism.
This idea may not be a starting lineup, as Giannis and Lopez have worked so well throughout their time together in Wisconsin, but a five consisting of Damian Lillard, Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince, Kuzma and Giannis really could be a masterplan at times. Three very good defenders, along with Lillard and Trent, who have both shown good effort without the ball, combined with all five being effective offensively, would be a problem for opposing teams.
Jackson has been the starting shooting guard, and his defense is so valuable to the team, but offensively, he hasn't taken a step forward and has very little impact. That has opened the door for Trent or AJ Green to potentially become the two guard. Before the All-Star break, they both had been playing more minutes off the bench than Jackson had been when starting.
This lineup would still keep spacing around Giannis, with Kuzma being able to hit shots from deep despite his poor shooting season so far and not making a 3-point shot in his last two games. If it works, it would also produce questions regarding Jon Horst and why Lopez or Portis were not moved at the trade deadline. Their contracts are some of the highest that could have been moved, and the two potentially becoming redundant on this roster is not a good look on the general manager.
We haven't had the chance to see these two play together yet since the trade, but it is definitely something that can be tried and tweaked. Giannis Antetokounmpo has shown an ability to play the center position and be effective. Kyle Kuzma could be the perfect frontcourt partner while keeping a strong defensive presence but adding more shot-creating.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks news and analysis.