Jon Horst has been one of the most aggressive general managers in the NBA, making bold moves to keep the Milwaukee Bucks in championship contention over the years.
There's something to be said about his consistency; time and time again, he's made the moves necessary to prove to Giannis Antetokounmpo that the organization is committed to winning.
As the dust settles on another trade deadline, a troubling pattern has emerged: Horst’s tendency to prioritize inefficient scorers and non-shooters over players who fit seamlessly around Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The acquisitions of Kyle Kuzma and Kevin Porter Jr. are the latest examples of this flawed approach. While both players have their strengths, they’re not exactly known as two-way contributors, and their fit alongside Giannis raises serious questions about Horst’s understanding of this team’s needs. If the Bucks want to maximize Giannis’ prime, they need to rethink their roster construction—and fast.
Are these the kind of players you need around Giannis Antetokounmpo?
Kyle Kuzma and Kevin Porter Jr. are talented players, but they share a common flaw: inefficiency.
Kuzma is averaging 15.4 points per game this season, but he’s doing so on just 42 percent shooting and 28.4 percent from three. KPJ, meanwhile, is a dynamic scorer but has a shooting percentage of just 43.3 percent and 24.8 percent from distance while struggling with consistency and decision-making throughout his career.
While both players can create their own shot and provide a scoring punch, their inefficiency and defensive limitations make them questionable fits alongside Giannis.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ offense is built around Giannis Antetokounmpo's dominance in the paint, which requires shooters to space the floor and keep defenses honest. Surrounding him with players who can’t shoot or defend at a high level undermines the entire system. Kuzma and KPJ might help in the short term, but their long-term fit is far from ideal.
This is only to say that Horst’s tendency to target inefficient scorers with subpar floor-spacing capability is a recurring issue. Over the years, the Bucks have acquired players like Eric Bledsoe, Wesley Matthews and even Jrue Holiday (before his shooting improved), who struggled to space the floor consistently. While some of these moves paid off—Holiday was instrumental in the Bucks’ 2021 championship run—they often required Giannis to carry an even heavier load on offense.
The problem is compounded by the fact that the Bucks have failed to address their need for reliable two-way wings. Players like Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr. have been solid, but they’re not enough to offset the deficiencies of players like Kuzma and KPJ, especially in the same lineups. The result is a roster that’s often unbalanced, with too many players who excel in one area but struggle in another.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the most dominant players in NBA history, but even he can’t do it alone. To maximize his impact, the Bucks need to surround him with shooters who can space the floor and defenders who can take pressure off him on that end. Instead, Horst has repeatedly gone all-in on players who don’t fit that mold, forcing Giannis to compensate for their shortcomings.
This flawed approach not only limits the Milwaukee Bucks’ ceiling but also increases the risk of Giannis growing frustrated with the team’s inability to build a cohesive roster around him. If the Bucks continue to surround him with inefficient scorers and non-shooters, it could eventually lead to Giannis questioning whether Milwaukee is the best place for him to win championships.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ recent struggles highlight the flaws in their roster construction, and the fact that Doc Rivers continues to tinker with his starting lineup is very telling.
Against teams with elite wing defenders and versatile bigs, the Milwaukee Bucks often look disjointed on offense, with too many players who can’t shoot or create their own shot. Defensively, they lack the athleticism and versatility to contain opposing wings and guards, and their best wing defender often has the shortest leash from Rivers.
What the Milwaukee Bucks need are players who can do both: shoot efficiently and defend at a high level. Instead, they’ve doubled down on players who excel in one area but struggle in the other, creating a roster that’s often unbalanced and easy to exploit.
If the Bucks want to maximize Giannis’ prime, they need to rethink their approach to roster construction. That means prioritizing players who can shoot efficiently, defend multiple positions and make smart decisions with the ball. It also means being willing to move on from players who don’t fit that mold, even if they have name value or put up impressive stats.
Both things can be true: the Milwaukee Bucks made good moves to land great players during the trade deadline that address team needs going forward, but the team's identity and intentionality in building a cohesive team around Giannis Antetokounmpo leave much to be desired.
The pieces simply don't make the most sense together, especially considering they already have a defensive identity that worked under Mike Budenholzer. While they're a decently competitive playoff team as it currently stands, the on-court product has still consistently looked clunky and disjointed.
Horst has shown a willingness to make bold moves, but he needs to be more strategic in his approach. The Bucks can’t keep surrounding Giannis with inefficient scorers and non-shooters and expect to compete for championships. They need to build a roster that complements his strengths and covers his weaknesses, not one that exacerbates them.
Jon Horst’s eye for talent is becoming a major concern for the Milwaukee Bucks. While players like Kyle Kuzma and Kevin Porter Jr. have their strengths, they’re not the two-way contributors the Bucks need to maximize Giannis Antetokounmpo’s prime.
If the Bucks want to remain in championship contention, they need to rethink their approach to roster construction. That means prioritizing players who can shoot efficiently, defend at a high level, and make smart decisions with the ball. If they don’t, they risk wasting Giannis’ prime—and potentially losing him altogether.
The Bucks have won three in a row coming out of the break, and their trio of newcomers looks great. The players themselves are competent, but are they able to cover for each other to form a complete unit? Perhaps only time will tell heading into the playoffs.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.