For the first time since they were signed, the three newest members of the Milwaukee Bucks spoke to reporters for NBA Media Day.
Delon Wright, Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr. all had interesting things to say about what led to them signing with the Bucks, which primarily had to do with the chance to compete for a title. Yet, rather than just deliver a cliche answer about wanting to win, each player went in depth about what they plan to do to help this team in that quest to hang another banner.
The big takeaway from their quotes is they know the type of role they are being brought in to play.
How the Milwaukee Bucks newcomers plan to help
The Bucks signed Delon Wright because they needed another versatile defender in the backcourt, and Wright is ready for the challenge. He specifically went in-depth and explained how he could help the Milwaukee Bucks take down one of their primary rivals, the Boston Celtics.
“Just to talk about the Celtics team, I do a good job of guarding all four of those guards: Tatum, Brown, Holiday, and White. I feel like for the most part, they try to pick on matchups, so with me being able to switch one-through-four with them, sometimes against Al Horford, switching on him when he's on the perimeter, I feel like it just adds to what I can bring to the team."
For Taurean Prince, he knows the Bucks wanted him so badly because he's a versatile forward who can guard almost every position on the court. Furthermore, he's a strong outside shooter who can provide spacing for Milwaukee's stars. He explained how he plans to turn up the intensity every time he steps on the floor for the Milwaukee Bucks.
"When you bring up effort, that's a non-negotiable for me. I'm just trying to bring my length, IQ. Flying around, being annoying to guys. Getting in guys' faces, letting them know it's not gonna be an easy task."
Regarding his 3-point shot, Prince also mentioned how, upon signing with the Bucks, one of the first things he did was ask for clips of assisted 3-point makes for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and Khris Middleton. He did this so he could study which spots he needs to be in offensively when those players decide to kick the ball out. He knows that will be such a key aspect of his role.
Gary Trent Jr. didn't go too in-depth with his answer, but he still made it clear that he's willing to do whatever it takes to help this team win.
"Obviously, I'll go out there and contribute towards winning, be an energy giver instead of taker and play high level basketball. That's my main goal."
Trent, likely Milwaukee's starting two guard, knows that he'll play a massive role night in and night out. They need his energy, primarily defensively, to achieve their main goal, so it won't be surprising if the guard embraces the challenge and has a strong year defensively. The desire to win was a constant phrase repeated in his interview, so it's clear he's wiling to do what it takes.
It's fantastic to hear that Milwaukee's three newcomers have already bought into their roles and are willing to do whatever it takes to win. Lack of egos is crucial in today's NBA, and the Bucks have three high-character guys coming in this season.
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