Following the NBA Draft, Milwaukee Bucks fans cannot wait for Summer League to see all of their youngsters in action. Milwaukee's Summer League lineup could feature Kasparas Jakučionis and Brayden Burries in the backcourt, Nate Ament and Bogoljub Marković at the two small and power forward spots, and Kel'el Ware at center. That's a potential-filled five.
Bucks new lineup has everything
Now, right off the bat, there is a chance the Bucks hold Ware out of Summer League. After all, he does have two seasons of NBA experience under his belt. However, there is also a chance they want him to get used to playing with this particular group of players, and the best way to do so would be putting him out there with them in a game environment.
With or without Ware, who is already a strong two-way threat, this group is fascinating.
In the backcourt, Jakučionis and Burries should complement one another well. The former is the type of pure point guard who can run the show while the latter provides complementary shooting and nice defense. Jakučionis is also an off-ball threat and is armed with a lethal perimeter jumper, so it will be crucial to see how he plays in that regard while getting Burries reps as well.
At the forward spots, Ament is raw, but the upside is there, and this will give him an opportunity to show it off. The biggest concern with the young forward is his lack of physicality, making it tougher on him to score at times. It would be great to see growth. Markovic, the overseas MVP winner, wants to prove that he belongs in the NBA and should do so with an improved jumper and pristine passing.
Milwaukee's youth movement is starting
After trading Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks are all-in on youth. This lineup might not be the starting five when the season begins, but all five of these players, who are 22 or younger, may be key cogs for the franchise moving forward. In some form or fashion, they should be in Milwaukee's rotation moving forward, and having a strong Summer League would be a great start.
Above all else, it would be nice to see Ament silence his critics. While the Burries pick was applauded, the Ament pick was met with some hesitancy by draft critics due to his raw profile. If he shows signs of growth from the jump, this pick, which the Bucks got from Miami in the Giannis trade, will look all the better immediately.
Summer League cannot come soon enough.
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