The Milwaukee Bucks spent a lot of money and effort retooling their roster this season around Giannis Antetokounmpo. Many of the other names on the roster have changed. However, the team is still lacking a lockdown perimeter defender to play big minutes, a weakness that could come back to haunt them.
The Bucks' defense has obvious holes
Based on the Bucks' current projected depth chart, their best options for perimeter stoppers are Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince. Both have looked overburdened with this role on the Bucks in prior seasons. This could end up being a huge problem for the Milwaukee Bucks as elite guards pop up on teams all over the league.
Another option for the Bucks could be Kyle Kuzma, who was an elite defender in his time with the Lakers. But that was five seasons ago now, and he hasn’t shown a return to form since being traded to the Wizards. Even after joining the Bucks last season, Kuzma didn’t show the defensive chops that the team was hoping for.
The team is betting on the internal development of some young guards defensively. In the regular season last year, the trio of AJ Green, Kevin Porter Jr., and Ryan Rollins had the best defensive ratings on the team of regular rotation players. Hopefully the three can continue to grow on defense and become legitimate stoppers.
Another potential perimeter stopper is new addition Cole Anthony. Anthony has been a sparkplug off the bench in his career and had good moments in an elite Orlando defense, but it remains to be seen whether he can replicate that in Milwaukee.
All of these guards are a bit undersized, especially against forwards. While they can make up for it with solid positioning, these small guards can still find themselves getting targeted in the playoffs. Ideally, the Bucks would also have some better options with good size to match up against larger ball handlers.
Unfortunately for the Bucks' defense, it seems that their best perimeter defender may soon be off the team or play limited minutes even if he makes the roster. Andre Jackson Jr. is one of the non-guaranteed contracts on a team with too many players, and he seems on his way out.
Jackson is unquestionably the best perimeter defender on the team, both in how he maintains position and recovers for blocks/steals. Unfortunately, his lack of offensive impact prevents him from being a reliable rotation piece.
The Bucks’ biggest weakness over the last couple of seasons has been their perimeter defense. It’s why they’ve been thoroughly dismantled by the Pacers - a team that has a formidable multi-faceted perimeter attack - for two straight years. Unfortunately, they did not directly address this need in the offseason, but may continue searching for solutions in the trade market.