On July 20, 2021, the Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA championship after Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 50 points in 42 minutes of play. It was awesome!
In that game, Milwaukee didn’t use much of their bench. In fact, they only played Bobby Portis for 22 minutes, Pat Connaughton for 22 minutes and Jeff Teague for a minute. The starters were so good in that game that it made sense for then-head coach Mike Budenholzer to ride them to victory.
That season, along with Portis and Connaughton, Milwaukee had Bryn Forbes (70 games), Jordan Nwora (30 games played) and Donte DiVincenzo (26 games). They also had the two D.J. 's (Augustin and Wilson) and Teague. Thansis Antetokounmpo also played in 57 games.
That season (2020-2021) was truncated down to 72 games because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This season, the Bucks' bench will look very different. Only Portis and Connaughton remain from that group. Does that mean that this group for the 2024-2025 season will be a strength or a weakness? There is no doubt that the 2021 bench was a strength that gave the team a spark.
Let's take a look and see how this year's bench compares to that bench.
The plan for the Bucks' 2024-2025 group
No one, after looking at the way this roster is constructed, should have any doubts that this team will go as far as its stars can carry it. It has been great to watch Giannis play well in Greece.
So, for that, I’d direct you here to a great piece by my colleague Dalton Sell. In that piece (and I think tons of other NBA pundits agree) he has Giannis, Damian Lillard, Gary Trent Jr., Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton as the Milwaukee Bucks' starting five in 2024-25.
That would put Portis into a similar sixth man role again this year. Suffice it to say that is certainly a role he has had success in (Portis finished 3rd in the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year voting).
Coming in as the seventh man should be Delon Wright to spell Damian Lillard. Then, you could imagine Taurean Prince coming in to spell Giannis.
AJ Green and Pat Connaughton will vie for who will spell Middleton. Then, you’d have to guess Trent Jr. will get relief from possibly Andre Jackson Jr. or even MarJon Beauchamp.