The Milwaukee Bucks secured a solid win over the Brooklyn Nets in their home finale, but the journey overshadowed the destination in this one. A handful of players, including AJ Green, Ousmane Dieng, and Cormac Ryan, set career highs in statistical categories, further fueling their development and setting them up to become mainstay contributors in Milwaukee moving forward.
Career highs take the spotlight in Bucks' latest win
Milwaukee's rousing 125-108 win over Brooklyn was propelled by AJ Green. The wing officially put his slump behind him with the best game of his young career. Sinking a franchise record 11 3-point tries, Green was automatic from deep, finishing with 35 points. Both the makes and total points were brand new career bests for Milwaukee's marksman.
Not far behind AJ Green in the points department was Cormac Ryan. Sinking 10 shots, five of which came from downtown, the wing finished with 28 points. It was the third 20-point game Ryan has had in his 10 matchups with the franchise, surpassing previous career-highs of 21 and 25. Since being promoted via a two-way contract, Ryan has cemented himself as Milwaukee's latest hidden gem.
Ousmane Dieng didn't light it up with his scoring, finishing with 12 points on 12 shot attempts, but he made his mark as a passer. Ironically, the lengthy forward also finished with 12 assists, impressing as a lead facilitator. He notched a fresh career-high by surpassing the 10 assists he tallied just a few nights ago, displaying a part of his game the OKC Thunder never uncovered.
Games like this show that the Milwaukee Bucks have some prospects in the pipeline who can help this team on a larger scale next season.
Bucks have three players who should all be back next season
Green's role is far more set in stone than the other two, given the fact that he signed an extension to stay in town just last summer. However, a game like this showed that Green is capable of doing much more for the Milwaukee Bucks if given a larger opportunity. He won't make 11 triples per night, but the perimeter shooting he brings to the table can make him one of the league's best marksmen.
Meanwhile, Ryan and Dieng are two players carving out roles for themselves that were not on the table before landing with the Milwaukee Bucks.
At 27, Ryan isn't some raw prospect with boatloads of untapped potential. Yet, that doesn't take away from his intrigue whatsoever. He's still proving that he's also quite the marksman in his own right, and that goes without mentioning how he impacts the game with his passing and defensive fire. The wing is yet another two-way gem who should soon make his way onto the standard roster long-term.
Dieng, who is a raw prospect at 22, is making a strong case for the Milwaukee Bucks to retain him as he prepares for NBA Free Agency. For a team that has struggled to fill out its small forward depth for years now, it would make sense to keep the former lottery pick who has shown immediate growth in just about every facet of the game.
Next season, all three players could very well be essential cogs in Milwaukee's rotation, and games like this are setting them up for that level of importance.
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