Projecting the Milwaukee Bucks' ideal bench lineup in 2024-25
By Dalton Sell
It goes without saying that any and all success the Milwaukee Bucks have this coming season with primarily rely on how well their starting five plays.
Yet, they will still need reinforcements from the bench brigade if they want to reach their ultimate goal of winning another championship. Last year, Milwaukee's bench was all over the place. Looking at the positives, the second unit ranked seventh in 3-point percentage and 10th in rebounds per game. On the other side of the coin, they were 19th in points and 23rd in assists per game.
The Milwaukee Bucks need more consistent production from their reserves to alleviate the heavy workload off of their superstars.
With a retooled roster, head coach Doc Rivers will have plenty of talent to choose from when picking which players to utilize off the bench. Analyzing the group from top to bottom, there are five reserves who stand out and who should be given roles this coming season due to their unique skill sets. With that said, let us highlight those five names.
Point guard: Delon Wright
Unless rookie AJ Johnson takes generational strides in training camp and the preseason, newcomer Delon Wright won't have much competition at the backup point guard slot.
Wright's two greatest attributes are his versatility and defense, which do go hand in hand. At 6-foot-5, he can guard and play multiple positions, which will make him a useful asset for Doc Rivers. He'll be on the floor often to take on tough defensive assignments in the backcourt. This bench ranked 21st in steals per game last season, and Wright could bump that up a few ticks with his active hands.
In addition to defense, Wright can bring scoring, ball-handling and facilitating. For his career, he's shot 35.4 percent from three while averaging 3.1 assists per game. Floor-spacing and passing like that will only increase his value to the Milwaukee Bucks. Perhaps Wright could do his part to make sure this team does not rank 23rd in second-unit assists per game once again.