Developing talent while contending for a championship is always a complicated balancing act with a long list of moving parts. The dynastic Golden State Warriors tried it with their two-timeline plan, eventually leading to their collapse.
When the Milwaukee Bucks were set to play their fourth and final exhibition match of the NBA preseason, head coach Doc Rivers made the decision to play none of the usual starters and give his youngsters the starting nod. Considering these first and second-year players were up against a few NBA veterans, the result was about what you'd expect: a blowout loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
Youth is important for Bucks coach Doc Rivers
As the Bucks gear up for another season, Rivers has made one thing abundantly clear: he is focused on cultivating the potential of their younger roster, ensuring they are not just serviceable role players but integral parts of a championship-caliber team. He had this to say in his post-game press conference after the loss.
"I just thought it was good for them. You know, developing how to play together, play as a team. Look at AJ Johnson - he struggled a little bit today, all that is good for him. All the minutes are good. I thought there were spurts or moments tonight where you see where all of them in different moments can play."
Top-heavy Milwaukee needs contributions from their bench
Days after the preseason wrapped up, news broke that Milwaukee was interested in trading its 2022 24th-overall pick in MarJon Beauchamp for a wing defender. It was a bittersweet acknowledgment that after three years, yet another young Buck had failed to pan out the way fans had hoped.
Milwaukee has not had the smoothest time maximizing the young talent available on its roster, and as a result, the team's general depth has suffered immensely. Last season, the Bucks bench registered a net rating of -1.0, good for 20th in the NBA. Past the top-heavy Bucks core, their tertiary unit put up a 19th-ranked 32.5 points per game.
These past preseason games have given fans glaring evidence of just how top-heavy the Bucks roster is on paper. When their starters played together, the Bucks ranked fifth in the league in both offensive rating (94.7) and net rating (net plus-16.5) even without Khris Middleton in the starting lineup. Those are excellent numbers, yet the Milwaukee Bucks went on to lose all but one of their preseason games after seeing their leads erode once the bench unit came in.
For all the rookie mistakes the young Bucks made playing together in the preseason and Summer League, it's worth pointing out that their roles on the court will be extremely different once they're playing alongside Antetokounmpo and company. There's at least reason to hope that they can produce more efficiently once they aren't expected to create their own shots or facilitate entire offenses against NBA-ready opposition.
Asked about how he approaches the development of his younger players, Rivers asserted that young players must learn to coexist with established stars before they receive a bigger nightly role.
"For all of them, you just have to learn that you're going to play with Dame and Giannis and Brook and Bobby and Khris Middleton. They all have to learn how to play with stars. You know, where they're from, they've always been the star. And now all of a sudden, they're the third, fourth, fifth option in learning how to do that."
At the end of the day, player development takes a village
The relationship between coach and player plays a pivotal role in a player's developmental journey, and for Rivers, it's all about communication. A former player himself, Rivers has always had a knack for connecting with young players.
"Sometimes they hear you, sometimes they don't. It's normal. There's just so many things going on in their mind. When I think they're struggling hearing it, I say less. When I think they're open, I say more. And you just got to have a good read...Some days it's not about relationships. I think we have a great relationship. It's about, sometimes they're overwhelmed, and you gotta let them stay in that space sometimes."
But Rivers believes that development isn't solely the coach's responsibility; it also hinges on veteran players investing in younger teammates. Fortunately for the young Bucks, there's a wealth of talent spread out across the team's roster. Rivers in his interview highlighted the need for a whole-of-team approach in maximizing the young team's potential.
"I just think we got so many young guys on the team, so many young guys in the league, and the way they can be taught right is obviously the coaches, but really the players. And when we have a group of guys that are invested in our young guys, I think that's going to pay dividends."
More than any other year in the Giannis Antetokounmpo era, the Milwaukee Bucks have seemingly made more of a concerted effort to integrate youth into their roster while maintaining competitiveness. With Rivers at the helm, there’s at least some reason for optimism that Milwaukee can finally leverage the potential rookies like Chris Livingston and Andre Jackson Jr., both of whom showed flashes of brilliance during summer league play.
As Doc Rivers plots the way forward for the Milwaukee Bucks' youngsters, his approach seems to combine patience with strategic guidance. By fostering an environment where young players can thrive alongside established stars while receiving mentorship from veterans, the goal is not just to build a winning team but a sustainable future for Milwaukee Bucks basketball.
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