As things currently stand, Taurean Prince is the oldest player the Milwaukee Bucks employ, and he is just 31 years old. For a team that has consistently been one of the oldest, if not the oldest, rosters in the entire association year after year, that is shocking. Yet, it's necessary, signaling that the Bucks are fully embracing a needed youth retooling.
Bucks are young, and Taurean Prince stat proves it
A season or two ago, a 31-year-old being the oldest player on Milwaukee's entire roster would have been a mind-boggling statement. The team has consistently relied on older veterans over these last few years, trying, once successfully, to create a championship-winning squad based on recognition and hard-earned experience. For years, it made sense to run things that way.
However, with the NBA fully becoming a youth-run league, the Milwaukee Bucks had to adapt, and to give credit where it's due, they did. Jon Horst, the general manager who was receiving uppercuts of criticism after receiving an ill-timed extension recently, heard the noise and did his part to change up this roster, letting go of several key pieces in the quest for youth, athleticism, and energy.
The Milwaukee Bucks have five players over 30 on the roster. They are Taurean Prince, Gary Harris, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, and Kyle Kuzma. There's no Brook Lopez. No Khris Middleton. No Damian Lillard. Milwaukee is doing everything they can to abandon their old formula and usher in a new era of Bucks basketball that relies more on 23, 24, and 25 year olds consistently.
Being young doesn't guarantee a title. In fact, to some, Prince being the most experienced player on the roster could be frightening because it means the team will be relying on inexperienced pieces to play heavy minutes. That holds some validity, but so does the fact that Milwaukee's experience didn't matter much when trying to combat young, athletic, hungry teams. Change was desperately needed.
These are exciting times in Milwaukee after an eventful offseason. Only time will tell how the changes hold up once the season actually starts, but many would argue they are in a better position than they were when last season concluded in heartbreaking fashion.
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