National media and fans alike have not been very optimistic about the Milwaukee Bucks' offseason. After losing Damian Lillard to an Achilles injury and retooling with creative methods, the team seems extremely reliant on Giannis Antetokounmpo to be a dominant one-man wrecking crew. But the Bucks have quietly built up an extremely deep roster that follows the philosophy of last year’s NBA finalists, the Thunder and Pacers.
Depth is key in the modern NBA, and the Bucks know it
As we have seen repeatedly over the last few seasons, the recipe for deep postseason success may now be a deep roster rather than a top-heavy one with multiple stars. This last postseason was the clearest example yet, as both the Thunder and Pacers had extremely deep rosters, while some of the league’s top-heavy rosters (Suns, Lakers, Bucks, and 76ers) had early exits or even missed the playoffs entirely.
The reason for this is multi-fold. Having a more balanced team makes the roster more resilient to injuries that may impact the top stars, a lesson that the 76ers and even the Bucks found out the hard way. Deep rosters are also key to success because they lack weak points on either end, which can be exploited.
The Milwaukee Bucks have had some defensive flaws since trading away Jrue Holiday, specifically on the perimeter. The decline of Brook Lopez’s mobility also exacerbated this problem. Bringing in a more mobile big man in Myles Turner, along with Cole Anthony as a perimeter defender, can shore up that team weakness.
The Bucks are relying on some resurgence years from a few rotation pieces, which could end up making or breaking their season. But if guys like Gary Harris and Amir Coffey, who do have histories of being solid players, can return to being serviceable in the playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks could have a good thing going.
Are the Bucks missing a second star?
Of course, one big difference in the roster construction between last year’s Finals teams and the current Bucks is a lack of a second star. The Pacers had Pascal Siakam and the Thunder had Jalen Williams, both All-Stars last season, to support their lead guards when the going got tough. As it stands, the Milwaukee Bucks don’t have anyone of that caliber to support Giannis.
However, it may not be as necessary because of Giannis’ sustained and unstoppable dominance. For close to a decade now, no one has been able to stop Giannis short of building a complete wall in the paint to close him off. Even if opposing defenses do that, Giannis has added a lethal mid-range shot as a counter.
Because Giannis can continue his attack regardless of the defense and do so against a variety of coverages, he may not need a secondary star the way that other players do. Even without one, the Bucks have set him up with a deep roster that can be a dark horse in the Eastern Conference.