It may have been a heartbreaking way for the Milwaukee Bucks to end their NBA season, but the writing was on the wall, and defeat was imminent.
Now they turn to the offseason, hoping Giannis Antetokounmpo is willing to stay around. The roster needs open heart surgery without the tools to conduct such a large-scale operation.
Milwaukee raced out to a 30-13 first-quarter lead in their elimination game with the Indiana Pacers. It looked like the Bucks might extend the series. Indiana kept picking away at the lead and forced the game into overtime, where the Milwaukee Bucks were up by seven points with 40 seconds remaining before throwing it all away.
One area the Bucks were at a massive disadvantage was in the frontcourt. They struggled to keep up with Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam, with Doc Rivers' rotations not helping, and his Game 5 realization to start Bobby Portis at the five to match the athleticism was far too late.
The frontcourt needs addressing whether Giannis Antetokounmpo stays or not.
The Bucks need to move on and go to a young, athletic frontcourt
Brook Lopez has been nothing short of a legend for the Bucks since his arrival back in 2018. The Brooklyn Nets all-time leading scorer turned from a back-to-basket scorer to one of the best stretch fives in the league. He was a huge reason why the Bucks won the title in 2021, and he deservedly earned Defensive Player of the Year nominations as the perfect partner to Giannis.
Sadly, at 37, he struggles to have that same impact. In this series, he was almost unplayable. He started the first four games, seeing his minutes decrease, and then played just seven minutes off the bench in Game 5. On both ends of the floor, he couldn't keep up with Turner, averaging just five points across the games and being taken advantage of by Tyrese Haliburton on switches.
Portis is a different proposition as he does have some versatility and athleticism, but he also has a player option worth $13.4 million and would be one of the Milwaukee Bucks' biggest assets to make any form of trade. He is not irreplaceable. There's a chance he could be gone next season. Losing both Lopez and Portis could usher in a new frontcourt archetype for the Bucks.
Milwaukee could then buy into its youth and match the landscape of the NBA.
Fans were crying out for more Jericho Sims minutes this postseason, and Rivers refused to play him more than 15 minutes. As a team, they looked so much better with his ability to match the Pacers' frontcourt and switch defensively onto more agile wings and guards. He will be a low-cost option, and he is exactly what they need moving forward.
It is well documented that the Bucks lack the assets and cap space to go spending big in free agency. Scouring the market and finding guys that have something to prove, similar to Gary Trent Jr., is the way to go. There may even be guys in the G-League that have something to prove that can be of use for the Milwaukee Bucks in the frontcourt.
Tyler Smith is now the lone rookie from the 2024 NBA Draft on the roster. We only saw him in 23 NBA games this season, but he has all the tools he needs to be successful in this league. If he continues working on his shooting and defense, the Milwaukee Bucks will have a gem on their hands. What they need to do is let the shackles off the young guys and allow them to improve by making mistakes and playing elite opponents.
The cycle is changing now for Milwaukee; the old guard is on the way out, and they have to set the young players up for success. Sitting in the G-League for two years is great, but we have seen countless Milwaukee Bucks' draft picks just disappear and barely be given a shot. Now is the time to change that.
It will be a big offseason for the Milwaukee Bucks, and this position will be a significant reason why.
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