The Bucks keep slipping further and further out of the playoff picture with limited games to make up the difference. Given the state of their team, it might be best to rest star Giannis Antetokounmpo for the rest of this season and improve their lottery odds. It won’t be a popular choice, but landing a high draft pick is the most surefire way to improve the trajectory of this franchise.
The loudest opposition to this strategy might come from Giannis himself. He’s known to be a supreme competitor and would surely object to missing games that he could play. But the Bucks need to remind him of the bigger picture and the team’s playoff chances this year.
The Bucks should be tanking at this point
Missing the postseason entirely would be a major ego blow for the Bucks. Milwaukee hasn’t missed the playoffs in a decade. Giannis certainly won’t want to return to the team’s dark days before he ascended to superstar status.
And yet it would probably be in the Bucks’ best interest. Even if they manage to sneak into the Play-In Tournament and survive it, they will likely be overwhelmed by a top seed in the first round. The Bucks don’t have the depth and firepower to manage a competitive series against a complete team like the Pistons or Celtics.
Instead, they would be wise to use the rest of this season giving promising young talent an opportunity to develop. Wins this season are almost meaningless, but growth from players like Ryan Rollins and Ousmane Dieng will have a massive impact next season when the Bucks can retool for a playoff run.
The Bucks can enter a retool, not a rebuild
But with some solid development and good lottery luck, the Bucks will be back in the playoff picture before we know it. Giannis is still one of the very best players in the league, even if the Bucks haven’t been able to put a great roster around him. They can use this summer to fix that problem, especially if they get a high draft pick.
This year’s draft is touted as an exceptionally deep one with multiple players ready to make big contributions right away. Securing a good draft pick should be paramount for any visions of grandeur that the Bucks have in the near future. Just one impact rookie and a smart offseason can make all the difference for this team.
It’ll be hard to sell Giannis on tanking this season, but it’s genuinely his best path to competing for another title in Milwaukee. If he can zoom out to the bigger picture, this will be the best route for him to accomplish his primary goal.