The Milwaukee Bucks have constructed a roster that looks championship-ready on paper, but there's a glaring hole that could collapse their entire season before it starts. With the departure of Damian Lillard, they have a scarcity of dependable floor generals at point guard, and it could go on to crush their shot at being a serious contender.
Look at Milwaukee's current backcourt depth chart and try not to wince: as currently constructed, this roster will have to be buoyed by the likes of Kevin Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins, and rookie Mark Sears. That's it. That's the entire point guard rotation for a team with championship aspirations.
Even worse, both Porter Jr. and Rollins are combo guards rather than true point guards who can facilitate an offense built around Giannis Antetokounmpo's unique skill set.
Milwaukee has a dearth of point guards that has yet to be addressed
The math is terrifying when you break it down. Porter Jr., who is projected to start for the Bucks as things currently stand, has never been a traditional floor general in his career. He did average 3.7 assists per game as a Milwaukee Buck, but his score-first tendencies display a shooting guard who was simply forced into point guard duties by a team that was in desperate need of one.
Rollins, meanwhile, is a third-year player whose role has always been to defend opposing guards and stretch the floor. The point is that asking either to run an NBA offense for 30+ minutes nightly is organizational malpractice.
Rookie Mark Sears adds another layer of concern. While his college production was impressive, he's being thrown into the fire of NBA point guard duties without any meaningful professional experience. Relying on an undrafted rookie to solve your facilitating problems is how championship windows close prematurely.
This isn't the worst thing in the world, to be sure. Giannis is also more than capable of creating for others, as he has shown his entire career thus far. But asking him to be both primary scorer and primary facilitator is unsustainable over 82 games plus playoffs. It would also add to his already-heavy load as a two-way player.
There are options in free agency -- players like Malcolm Brogdon or even Pat Beverley remain available as of this writing -- but Milwaukee's financial constraints limit their ability to make significant moves. They're essentially hoping their current guards can develop into something they've never been before.
If rumors are true that they're pursuing Bradley Beal, then the aforementioned trio is the entire point guard rotation Milwaukee has to complement a backcourt that would feature two natural shooting guards.
This isn't just a minor roster concern that can be masked by impeccable defensive infrastructure in the frontcourt. Guard play determines pace, spacing, and offensive flow, which have always been crucial to maximizing Giannis's impact. Without competent facilitating, Milwaukee's playoff hopes could crumble before they even begin.
The Bucks have built a good starting lineup, but foundations don't guarantee playoff success. Balance, depth, and cohesion do, and Milwaukee doesn't and can't have those without dependable guard play.