Rastall Ramblings: Bucks Better Positioned to Compete After Bold Offseason Moves
There are many words one could use to describe Jon Horst’s tenure as the Milwaukee Bucks’ general manager, but “boring” and “complacent” would certainly not be among them.
In an offseason that began with many questioning whether or not Giannis Antetokounmpo would demand a trade to leave the Bucks (and this time, they really mean it gosh darn it) due to the rough state of the Milwaukee roster, Horst managed to dramatically alter the identity of the team despite fairly limited avenues to do so.
Gone are Damian Lillard and long-time Bucks Brook Lopez and Pat Connaughton. In are the likes of Myles Turner and Cole Anthony. Obviously, we won’t know what this new-look supporting cast around Giannis will truly look like until this fall, but the Bucks managed to quickly get a lot younger and should be able to play a much faster pace that should suit one of the greatest transition players in NBA history.
With the dust (seemingly) mostly settled on the Bucks’ offseason moves, it’s a good time to reflect on the players out the door and size up what the new roster might bring to the table.
The end of the Giannis-Dame project
By any measure, the pairing of Giannis and Dame never lived up to the lofty expectations laid before them when Horst pulled off the trade to acquire Lillard shortly before the start of the 2023-24 season.
It would be overly harsh to pin the Bucks’ shortcomings over the last two years on Lillard. Frankly, the aging Milwaukee roster has been on a steady decline since the 2021 championship, further exacerbated by Khris Middleton’s injury-plagued decline. Even a better version of the Giannis-Dame pairing probably wasn’t going to make them bona fide title contenders given the roster construction and coaching issues surrounding them.
However, despite being the highest-scoring duo in the NBA during their time together and the Bucks having a +7.4 net rating when they were both on the court, it was clear watching them that their two-man game never developed the way it was envisioned. Some of it was Dame being a bit too deferential to Giannis. Some of it was Giannis not seeming to get Dame involved enough or being a strong enough screener. Whatever the cause, they never fully clicked together.
Lillard’s Achilles tear this postseason effectively ended his time in Milwaukee. It’s a shame that things played the way out they did. Dame’s debut as a Buck, in which he scored 39 points in a 118-117 win over the 76ers, was nothing short of electric. His playoff debut for Milwaukee where he unloaded 35 points in the first half of a win over the Pacers (with Giannis sidelined) was one of the greatest single-game takeovers in franchise history.
Sadly, those were glimpses into something that never fully materialized on a regular basis.
Goodbye Brook and Pat
Moving on from Brook Lopez and Pat Connaughton was necessary given that each have noticeably declined in the last couple years, but it’s still sad to see them go given that they were both instrumental to the Bucks winning their second championship in franchise history in 2021.
Lopez was the rim-protecting anchor in Mike Budenholzer’s drop coverage defense that allowed Giannis to roam around on defense like the basketball version of a free safety. He remade his offensive game to become an outside threat while also occasionally showing his ability to dominate in the post. Connaughton hit some of the biggest shots of the Bucks’ title run and had a hilarious knack for getting smacked in the face by opponents but still hanging in there no matter what.
Both will always be remembered fondly for being part of a golden age of Bucks basketball. In Brook’s case, there’s at least some chance he eventually sees his No. 11 go up in the Fiserv Forum rafters.
The Myles Turner shocker
Just like how essentially no one seemed to have the Bucks in serious discussions for the Damian Lillard sweepstakes two summers ago, I don’t think anyone figured they’d be a potential landing spot for former Pacers center Myles Turner this offseason.
Yet after an ambitious waive-and-stretch of Lillard (leaving the Bucks on the hook for over $20 million in the NBA equivalent of dead cap over the next five years), Horst was able to land the most coveted player in this year’s free agent class.
Turner should provide the same sort of defensive presence as Lopez without the age-related physical limitations that plagued the latter in the last couple seasons. Additionally, Turner should flourish more than ever on offense playing next to Giannis.
The Bucks also added former Magic guard Cole Anthony and managed to retain guys like Gary Trent Jr. and Ryan Rollins to bolster their backcourt depth.
It still feels like the Bucks could use some more wing help and there is a bit of a question mark about who can be the reliable secondary scoring option next to Giannis. Milwaukee might not be back to true championship contender status yet, but the outlook for the next season is suddenly much brighter and there should be optimism that they can be among the best in what’s expected to be a weak Eastern Conference.
