Can the Bucks win another title? Giannis in the Olympics? Jim Owczarski answers readers' questions
The Milwaukee Bucks are watching the rest of the NBA playoffs like the rest of us, and there isn’t much going on in the NBA until the draft on June 26-27. Then, free agency opens shortly thereafter.
After a disappointing season in which the team hired Adrian Griffin, traded for Damian Lillard, fired Griffin, hired Doc Rivers and ultimately lost in the first round with Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined, it is an important offseason for the Bucks.
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And you had questions about it all. A lot of questions. So many that we’re going to divide the mailbag into two parts.
In this first part we’ll use as a catch-all and in part two on Thursday we’ll dive into general manager Jon Horst and his job status and performance, developing young players and the upcoming draft.
Let’s get into it:
Interestingly, of the over 50 questions submitted for this only Gary M. asked about what the Bucks need to do to win another championship (outside of being healthy).
So, we’ll start there.
Q: What do the Bucks need to do to win another title?
Jim Owczarski: It’s not a simple task, but it’s one I believe the team began to address with the hiring of Doc Rivers in January. They need to have a clear and focused training camp to really unlock the Giannis Antetokounmpo-Damian Lillard two-man game, as well as the three-man combination with Khris Middleton.
The offense was loose and somewhat unorganized under former head coach Adrian Griffin, but it was historically effective at putting points on the board. Being able to tap back into some of that while having structured sets can only be good.
Defensively, the Bucks improved under Rivers but were still middle-of-the pack. Part of that was due to injuries, part of that was due to roster limitations. While we have to see how general manager Jon Horst and Rivers collaborate on the role players, the Bucks still have a formidable back line with Antetokounmpo and center Brook Lopez. That’s an excellent place to start.
The Bucks switched one-through-five and played zone more often than most Rivers teams, and some of that was due to the fact the team did a lot of that under former head coach Adrian Griffin. The players liked that ability to throw multiple defenses at teams and that was one of the reasons why Griffin was hired. I think it’s important they keep those tools in the toolbox going forward.
Finally, there a roster-building component to this that we’ll delve more deeply into in Thursday’s part two of the mailbag. It is imperative Horst hits on the role players that round out this roster.
Q: Is there NBA precedent that a team can bounce back like the Bucks are trying to do?
Jim Owczarski: It’s a good question from Scott G., and I think the Bucks can look immediately to the North and see how the Minnesota Timberwolves are in the Western Conference Finals a year after losing in the first-round of the 2022-23 playoffs.
Think about it. Minnesota effectively traded six first-round draft picks and four players for a future Hall of Famer in Rudy Gobert (a bigger haul than the Bucks sent out for Damian Lillard) and then Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns were injured and underperformed in that season. The move was roundly criticized and immediately panned as a bust. Yet Minnesota was patient. It took time for them all to figure each other out on the court. And if not for another Towns injury this season the Timberwolves would have run away with the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, but here they are, one step away from the NBA Finals. Now, the Bucks don’t have an emerging young star like Anthony Edwards, but the concept is very similar, as he had to find his space and place in the offense next to Towns.
The 2019-20 Los Angeles Clippers traded for Paul George and signed Kawhi Leonard and then blew a 3-1 second-round playoff lead to the Denver Nuggets in the “bubble” playoffs under Doc Rivers. The next year, they went to the Western Conference Finals under new coach Tyronn Lue.
I think the lesson to be drawn from those is just patience – that even though there were very high expectations, and a feeling of massive disappointment in that first year – letting that core group of players reach a second season is important.
Q: Did the Bucks hit their ceiling?
Jim Owczarski: Peter wondered if the last few years have indicated the top level the team can reach, and I understand the question. Since winning the championship in 2021, the Bucks have won a total of 10 playoff games despite having spent nearly $190 million in luxury tax (on top of a maxed-out salary cap). On paper, the first- or second-round is not the ceiling of this team. I would venture to say the 2024-25 Bucks will be one of the betting favorites to win the Eastern Conference again, as well as the NBA title. I will go on record to say they should be a favorite for those things. But we’re closer to the five-year anniversary of that championship team than not, so right now that skepticism has been earned.
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Q: Why should the Bucks expect to be healthy in 2024-25?
Jim Owczarski: Ken cited the playoff injuries the last few years and asked why next year will be any different, and Damian Lillard agreed in his season-ending interview saying that is not a guarantee. I do not think you can “expect” health. Look at the playoffs this season. Indiana is in the Eastern Conference Finals in large part because Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton were injured, as well as New York’s Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanović.
Now, nothing can be done to prevent sprained ankles, knees, or being undercut while in the air. But, I will say the Bucks should evaluate how they train and manage soft tissue injuries in the legs this summer. The team has fallen victim to calf injuries (and Achilles issues), specifically, for the better part of four seasons. It is true that Boston’s Kristaps Porziņģis, Denver’s Jamal Murray and Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell also dealt with calf strains in this year’s playoff – so they are not alone – but the preponderance of Bucks players managing those issues is worth looking into.
Q: Have fired Bucks coaches found new jobs?
Jim Owczarski: Katie W. asked if the four assistant coaches Doc Rivers fired in Nate Mitchell, Josh Oppenheimer, Sidney Dobner and DJ Bakker have found jobs (I’ll loop Adrian Griffin and Terry Stotts into this, too). As of May 20, they had not publicly disclosed they’ve been hired anywhere else. That doesn’t mean they haven’t been. Some of Mike Budenholzer’s former assistants had found jobs last summer but did not disclose it until the team announced them.
As it stands, the Bucks have seven assistants still on the team. It is possible, if not likely, that Rivers continues to adjust his staff as more playoff teams are eliminated. Current Boston assistant and former Bucks star Sam Cassell has been linked to the team, for instance.
Q: Will Giannis play for Greece in the Olympics?
Jim Owczarski: Gerard and Patrick C. wondered why the Bucks would “allow” Giannis Antetokounmpo to play for the Greek national team this summer as they try to qualify for the Olympic Games (and then, of course, in the Olympics if they do so). It’s the same reason why the Bucks gladly saw Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday jump on a plane to Tokyo just days after the 2021 championship parade to play for the United States. You can’t really tell a guy to not represent his country in the Olympics or any international competition.
There have been improved lines of communications between the Greek national team and the Bucks over the years, with Bucks staffers joining the Antetokounmpos to either coach or be there to assist with their physical needs.
But making the Olympics – and leading Greece to a medal – is very important to Giannis. The Bucks will not stand in his way, just as they would not have had Damian Lillard chosen to play for Team USA.
Q: What is the Bucks salary cap situation?
Jim Owczarski: Owen D. asked for some clarification on what financial situation the Bucks are in this offseason. It is true that Khris Middleton missed out on $2.1 million in bonuses (games played and team advancement in playoffs) but all bonuses are counted to the newly created “aprons” whether they are earned or not. The league does that so teams can’t “hide” salary in bonuses and somehow escape penalty if they’re not met. What Middleton missing out on those bonuses means is the Bucks’ luxury tax bill is slightly smaller. The Bucks are a second apron team, which means they face some severe roster-building restrictions such as not being able to aggregate players (i.e. two-for-one) in a trade, or sign any free agents for more than the veteran minimum salary.
Q: Are expiring contracts still appealing?
Jim Owczarski: Nadia P. correctly recalled that at one point in the NBA, collecting “expiring” contracts was an appealing roster-building measure. It meant that those players would fall off the books and create cap space to make big free-agent signings. She wondered if that is still the case.
That is not really something teams do anymore, however. Philadelphia has made waves this season by going back to this strategy, as it has just four players under contract for next season.
But the reason this is not typically done anymore is because the best players are rarely getting to unrestricted free agency. With the advent of the “max” and “supermax” contracts, the very top players aren’t passing up tens of millions of dollars in extensions to go to the open market. It’s just not financially sound. As such, teams aren’t really entering summers with massive cap space, either, as they tend to extend their own. If anything, teams would open cap space to facilitate trades onto their roster. But that of course requires the simultaneous building of trade capital and cap space.
Q: Why has Thanasis Antetokounmpo been on the Bucks?
Jim Owczarski: For some reason, Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s role on the team is something that is hotly debated among Bucks fans. Harry H. wondered why he’s been on the team at all, and Liam wondered if Thanasis can rehab his torn Achilles tendon next season even if he is not signed to the team.
First things first. Since Antetokounmpo was injured while still under contract with the Bucks, he can work out and rehab at the Bucks facility next season even if he does not re-sign with the team (or any other team).
As for his place on the roster, Antetokounmpo is valuable both for what he offers the best player on the team – and arguably the best player in the world in Giannis – as well as everyone else. From the oldest to the youngest player, every year, Thanasis is credited for his knowledge of the game, his willingness to help, and his infectious, positive outlook on a day-in, day-out basis.
Giannis also credited his older brother with a long-term outlook that helped convinced him to sign yet another extension with the Bucks in October. I would venture to say that was a massive deal for the organization and Bucks fans.
Yes, Thanasis “only” plays 30-50 games a season and maybe a handful of minutes in those games. But he’s between the 12th to 15th man in the Bucks rotation (depending on the situation). Players who fill out those rosters on every team are either not playing much, or at all. Playoff rotations might be as deep as eight players. Regular season rotations are maybe 10, 11 deep. He’s not taking the place of anyone that would make a different impact on the court, and no one could bring to the Bucks what he does off it.
I’m also not sure why fans insist the Bucks “just” hire Antetokounmpo as a coach. It’s a disrespectful comment, honestly, as he is clearly an able professional basketball player. Now, he’ll be 32 years old in July and an Achilles injury is very serious – but it is something players can come back from. That said, there has been no indication he is ready to retire.
Q: Will there be any siblings on the 2024-25 Bucks?
Jim Owczarski: Gerard correctly noted that the Bucks have had siblings (specifically the Antetokounmpos and the Lopezes) rostered on the team since 2019-20 and wondered if there might be any more in 2024-25. Honestly, it’s hard to say at this juncture. Justin and Aaron Holiday are free agents. Perhaps a different family-tie signing could be Glenn Robinson II, who is also a free agent. Who knows what this summer has in store, but those pairs of brothers have been a fun part of the Bucks rosters over the years.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Bucks mailbag: Jim Owczarski answers readers' questions
