The Milwaukee Bucks head into the offseason with a sour taste in their mouth after collapsing in the final minute of Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers.
As heartbreaking as the series was, it did expose what type of basketball the Bucks must embrace as they prepare for an offseason retooling. This team needs to get younger, faster, scrappier and more agile; the best way to do this is by employing more players who are athletic by nature. The good news is that they already have a few players who fit the criteria on the payroll, including Tyler Smith.
Bucks have plenty of questions regarding the bigs on the roster
Of course, the largest question the Milwaukee Bucks face is what will happen with franchise superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. If he opts to stick it out, the Bucks must surround him with better athletes, a formula that showed promise all season, particularly regarding the roster's bigs.
Both Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis, neither known for their athletic prowess, can enter free agency, so the Milwaukee Bucks might be looking at tearing down the position for the first time in a long time. If that is indeed the case, promoting Smith to earn more time would make plenty of sense.
Smith, 20, didn't dazzle during his rookie year, appearing in only 23 contests, but he flexed attributes that highlighted his potential. At 6-foot-11, he has a legitimate outside stroke - shooting 43.3 percent on his triples during the regular season - while also being able to attack the hoop and grab boards.
The primary question is how Tyler Smith can grow on the defensive end. He has the height and length to be incredible switchable and disruptive, but he didn't have much of a chance to show it. If he can be that type of defensive presence while also shooting the ball well, he's got lethal two-way potential.
At 20, Tyler Smith is still unsurprisingly raw, but that doesn't mean the Milwaukee Bucks should stash him down in the G-League for another year. Sometimes, the best way to see what a player is made of is to throw them right into the fire, especially when a team needs athleticism like he has in tow.
Smith earning a promotion will not only boil down to the work he puts in this offseason, but also on the coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. At this time, it is unclear who may be the head of the snake next year. Regardless of who it is, prioritizing the development of this team's youth must be a key focus.
For a team with limited assets to improve this offseason, getting contributions from a second-round pick could certainly be a shot in the arm, especially as their need for frontcourt athleticism looms.
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