Entering Friday's game against the Washington Wizards, not only were the Milwaukee Bucks banged up beyond belief, but they were also on the second night of a back to back.
After their rousing win over the LA Clippers, the Bucks took on Washington without Damian Lillard, Taurean Prince and Bobby Portis, who is serving a 25-game suspension at the moment. Without a pair of starters and a key second-unit enforcer, the Bucks would have to dig deep into their bench and rely on their depth in this one.
Luckily for them, depth has quickly become a key strength for Milwaukee after the trade deadline.
Milwaukee Bucks' depth shines in win over Washington Wizards
With no Damian Lillard, Doc Rivers called on Ryan Rollins, who doesn't even possess a standard deal at the moment, and the newly-acquired Kevin Porter Jr. to man the point guard position. Both played extremely well, with Rollins pouring in 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block. Porter chipped in 12 points, three assists, three rebounds and three steals. It's hard to replace what Damian Lillard provides, but these two certainly held things down at the point guard slot.
Meanwhile, newcomers Kyle Kuzma and Jericho Sims gave Milwaukee some needed support in the frontcourt. As much as Khris Middleton helped the Bucks, he simply wasn't built to take on minutes like Kyle Kuzma, who played 34 in this one, can. With Giannis Antetokounmpo only playing 19 minutes due to fouling out, Kuzma stepped up and didn't let the Bucks sink. Sims did his part to fill the void left in Portis' absence by hauling in five boards in his nearly 18 minutes of action.
That goes without mentioning Gary Trent Jr. and AJ Green, who both tallied over 30 minutes, which is not their typical output. However, even if they struggled, they understood how depleted the team was and that they needed to step up. The shooting splits were ugly, but both impacted the contest in their own ways, with Green logging three rebounds and three assists, while Trent hauled in six boards.
In what was an all-around team effort, the Milwaukee Bucks secured a 104-101 victory. It was clear the Bucks were tired, having fallen into a 16-point hole, but they showed some resiliency by clawing their way back into things. Even when a late Washington surge had the Bucks against the wall as the Greek Freak was sidelined due to fouling out, the depth stepped up and secured this win.
Adding young players like Kuzma, Sims and Porter to this core alongside other youngsters such as Rollins, Green and Trent not only shored up Milwaukee's depth tremendously, but it also gave them players who can take on hefty minutes when called upon. That's not something previous players on this roster possessed. Surrounding the core pieces like Antetokounmpo, Lillard and Brook Lopez with youth has given this team new life.
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