Jericho Sims has stunningly earned Bucks mantle no one saw coming

Jericho Sims has arguably been the most valuable member of the Milwaukee Bucks' center rotation. Well, not arguably. He has been. Present anyone with that statement entering the season, and they would call you delusional. 

As they should have, back then. In the meantime, Sims has justifiably seized Doc Rivers' confidence as his most trusted big, thanks to his rebounding ability, overall energy, and his incipient skills as a playmaker. Just ask BTBP's own Dalton Sell, who appeared on WTMJ last week to address all things Bucks. 

"It's crazy. Before the season, I was thrilled that he was coming back because I thought he was a nice depth piece for the center position and offered more athleticism than the other guys," Sell said. "But he's become a full-time player. He's become Doc's favorite center. He's playing over Myles Turner, Bobby Portis, and rightfully so. I think you can't really deny that over the past however many games that he's been the most impactful of that trio."

Nothing about that is hyperbole. It's what Milwaukee Bucks fans see with their very own eyes. 

Sims has suddenly surged to the top of the totem pole

Of course, the current state of affairs says a lot about what a dramatic disappointment Turner has been in Milwaukee. He's making more money than anyone on the team not named Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he isn't living up to his salary. He is rebounding and blocking shots at a career-low rate. His 43.9 field goal percentage is also a career low. In the second half, he has faded more than ever. 

Bobby Buckets is well-suited to his nickname, but fans all know his issues defensively. 

As a result, Rivers has turned to Sims more and more on a team desperate for someone who can secure rebounds and defend capably at all levels of the floor. And somehow, it's true: his impact on a league-minimum paycheck has been greater lately than what Turner and Portis have provided while earning nearly $40 million between them. 

So much for being a depth piece, a 10th or 11th guy in the rotation at best. 

Recently, all that has come despite a decrease in easy scoring chances since Kevin Porter Jr.'s latest sideline stint, this time with knee swelling. For Sims, those lobs are harder to come by now. 

Yet he is making the most of his opportunities, even incorporating maneuvers off a dribble or two. Earlier this season, any kind of bag to his game was nowhere to be found. 

2025-26 has become legitimate leap year for Sims

Even with Porter out, he has managed to keep producing. In the three-game interval, he has provided 6.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per contest. He has missed one field goal attempt in 11 tries. Ever since being reinstated in the rotation early last month, Sims has emerged as a unique force on the Bucks' roster, offering athleticism and vigor that Turner and Portis just don't. 

His averages over his last 16 games: 6.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 84 percent shooting from the field. His 25.8 minutes a night is the highest of the trio. Among them, Sims is Rivers' choice at closing time. 

Ideally, the Milwaukee Bucks wouldn't need to depend on Sims over Turner. Ideally, Portis would play just enough defense to be the team's best option in crunch time. The fact that those things aren't true doesn't taint the growth Sims has shown in the 2025-26 season. Those conditions are what have allowed him to bloom.