Although the Milwaukee Bucks have gone through seismic changes over the past several months, their main goal has not changed; they want to want an NBA championship.
This team has been constructed with that sole goal in mind, and they're going to do what they can to bring another title back to Milwaukee. Just like it did in 2021, winning a title can change legacies for the rest of time. As the Bucks look to capture the joy of winning once again, several people involved could alter their legacies significantly depending on how things transpire down the stretch.
That said, let us rank five Milwaukee Bucks who could be looked at very differently depending on how things shake out over the next several months.
No. 5 - Patrick Beverley
If one were to poll all players asking who the most annoying and agitative player across the NBA is, Patrick Beverley might run away with it by a mile. Not only does the guard love to talk trash, but he's a hound on the defensive end, boasting three All-Defensive selections. However, when a player talks a big game, they will receive criticism when they fail to back it up.
Beverley has been a part of no shortage of excellent teams, but he's never managed to go all the way. Of course, he was never one of the best players on those teams, so he's never received a majority of the criticism, but due to his antics, he's still gotten plenty. When it comes to Beverley, people seem to side with Russell Westbrook, who famously alluded to Beverley's defensive impact being overrated.
"Pat Bev trick y'all man. ... He just running around, doing nothing"
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 25, 2022
Russell Westbrook and Pat Beverley are now teammates in L.A. 😬
(via @MarkBermanFox26)pic.twitter.com/fMERNm4L5m
No matter how people feel about Beverley, there's no doubt he possesses the energy, intensity and defensive play this team needed. Before his arrival, there were too many games where it felt like the Bucks were devoid of energy. They can still pop up here and there, but Beverley has done his part to give this team a spark from a mental perspective as much as possible, which has helped mightily.
Since the trade, a lot of people have compared this move to the one that brought P.J. Tucker to the Bucks in 2021. Tucker brought a similar attitude and defensive notority as Beverley, helping the Bucks win their first title in 50 years as a key piece. Before that, many wondered if he was the quality piece on the defensive end that people touted him to be. Beverley could follow that same route.
If history does indeed repeat itself, those who argue that Beverley's impact is overrated will likely be vanquished in the eyes of many. Of course, all eyes will primarily be on him when the playoffs begin, which is when legacies are truly made.