Throughout Giannis Antetokounmpo's tenure, the Milwaukee Bucks rarely had a reliable backup point guard on the roster. Plenty of names came and went, with none of them living up to the hype or initial promise when they were acquired. Now, the Bucks finally have the type of security at the point guard position that teams would love to have, but their franchise icon is no longer in town.
Bucks have been a revolving door for backup point guards
Let's start with the 2020-21 season, when this problem really became an issue year after year as the Bucks were the most competitive. Since then, Milwaukee has acquired countless guards, hoping they'd be fine backups to Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard. Many of them were lucky to make it through a single season with the team.
D.J. Augustin got traded mid-season. Jeff Teague had one good game. Second stint George Hill steeply declined from his first stint. Jevon Carter was solid but needed more minutes. Cam Payne got traded mid-season for Patrick Beverley, who was also a stopgap for a few months. Delon Wright and Cole Anthony had top-tier potential, but both were sent elsewhere months into their Bucks tenures.
The point is that the Milwaukee Bucks have had no luck locking down a stable backup point guard in recent memory. Now, though, that shouldn't be an issue.
Bucks' point guard depth is looking solid after Giannis move
There's no telling what Taylor Jenkins' rotation will look like on opening night, but he has a plethora of interesting point guard options to assess. Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr., and Kasparas Jakucionis are all young up-and-comers who are seeking big minutes next season. That goes without mentioning two-way signee Kam Jones, a pure point guard who was a second-round pick just over a year ago.
All of these players can bring something to the table. Rollins is a two-way stalwart who looks poised for another big year as he takes on more responsibility. Porter is a three-level scorer who will look to build off a career year as a passer. Jakucionis, the player with perhaps the most untapped potential on the roster, has the tools to be special. Jones, if he earns time, has solid scoring and passing skills.
No matter who starts where, it will be exciting to see the Milwaukee Bucks roll out a rotation that has suitable depth at the point guard spot for the first time in a long time. Of course, on the flip side, the team now has concerns at the power forward spot, something they haven't had to deal with in a long time.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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