As always, the Brew Hoop community came up big, posing some very thoughtful questions. Coaching, projections, perspective, roster construction, team priorities, and more. You hit \u2018em all. Here\u2019s our takes; thanks for choppin\u2019 it up.<\/p>\n
Harms: Where would you rank Taylor Jenkins right now vs the rest of the league Head coaches?<\/p>\n
Zac: This is such a hard question to answer; any coach is only as good as the players they have. Of course, as clich\u00e9 as it is, a coach has to make their team better than the sum of its parts too. Clearly, that hasn\u2019t happened in Milwaukee for some time. Statistically, 13 current head coaches have a better career winning percentage than Taylor Jenkins, while 15 have a worse career winning percentage. Nick Nurse is tied at 53.9%. But that ignores context.<\/p>\n
From my vantage point, Joe Mazzulla, Steve Kerr, Rick Carlisle, Erik Spoelstra, and Mark Daigneault (in no particular order) all deserve recognition as better coaches than Jenkins. Then there\u2019s Mike Brown, who just led the New York Knicks to the championship, but I\u2019m not convinced he\u2019s better. The same can be said for Tyronn Lue and Nick Nurse. On the other end of the spectrum, Micah Nori, Sean Sweeney, and Dusty May are yet to coach a single NBA game, so Jenkins gets the nod as better by default<\/a>. You can\u2019t convince me he\u2019s not better than Brian Keefe, Tuomas Iasolo, Doug Christie, Charles Lee, Jamahl Mosley, and Tiago Splitter, either.<\/p>\n With all that in mind, I have him somewhere between sixth and 21st. That\u2019s a huge range, I know. But, like so many of the players on this roster, Jenkins also has a lot to prove. For what it\u2019s worth, I think he\u2019s up to the challenge\u2014as I outlined in my April dive into the Bucks\u2019 coaching search and Jenkin\u2019s past<\/a>. Let him sow.<\/p>\n Harms: Who will be the most improved buck? Some recent articles and podcasts have been talking up Dieng as a possibility.<\/p>\n Zac: This is another legitimately tough one. With so many unproven players, it could be nearly anyone\u2014besides the rookies, of course (you need a baseline to judge improvement). To your point, Ousmane Dieng showed a lot after coming over at the trade deadline last season, but I just can\u2019t see him having as much responsibility\u2014at least with the ball\u2014to make a run at this title. Kasparas Jaku\u010dionis is someone I\u2019m really intrigued with, but he doesn\u2019t seem to have a pathway to enough minutes to take it, either. Jaime Jaquez Jr., on the other hand, figures to get plenty of opportunity at both of the forward positions. He also offers something this squad lacks\u2014downhill attack and paint scoring.<\/p>\n On the flip side, there are numerous veterans who have a realistic shot at being MIB (that\u2019s most improved Buck). After playing so poorly last year, Myles Turner is due to bounce back. Then again, would this really be improvement? Herro, playing for the first time in his career as a number one option, could potentially explode too. But would that be improvement, or just increased opportunity and usage?<\/p>\n You know what? I think Ryan Rollins doubles down on his improvement from a year ago but this time gets the recognition for it (at least from a league-wide perspective). He increases his points to about 20 a night\u2014those off-season workouts with James Harden pay dividends at the stripe\u2014and, more importantly, becomes one of the leaders on the team, cementing his place as the team\u2019s point guard of the present and the future.<\/p>\n Harms: What do you anticipate the roles of vets like Trent, Green and kuzma to be to start the season?<\/p>\n Jack: OK, so for Trent\u2014who we hope is cleared of any wrongdoing, LOL\u2014I think they\u2019re going to have to play him at least 15 minutes per game (certainly at the start of the season) to not make his contract look even fishier? Like, it would look pretty suspicious to pay someone $64m and then not play them, even if they haven\u2019t warranted minutes. The more I think about it, the more I realize you just cannot do that; the optics are horrible. This annoys me a fair bit because those minutes should go to younger players, but instead they\u2019re going to a guy who has no future on this team because Horst made a deal with the devil. Tough.<\/p>\n Gosh, I feel like AJ, through no fault of his own, is now the odd man out? So many combo guards need to play. Like, Rollins, Herro, Porter, LeVert, Burries\u2026 where does Green fit, and how can you find him minutes? At 26, does he fit into the \u201cnext wave,\u201d or is he more valuable as a trade chip? I just feel like at least one of these guards has to be traded, which was why everyone was floating Green as the guy to go out in any potential Peyton Watson deal. Do I think \u201cchoosing\u201d others over Green would be the right choice? I am far from sure. What I will say is that AJ has probably hit his ceiling as a player, so if you value what he brings, that\u2019s great, but there probably isn\u2019t much more evolution to come.<\/p>\n I reckon there\u2019s a decent chance Kuz starts at the four at the beginning of the season and plays 25-30 minutes per night. It feels like he\u2019s going to take on a leadership role as a vet on this young team. Other commenters have mentioned this before, but I think this team will try its hardest to win up until the trade deadline; however, it might shift to a more developmental focus after that (even though there\u2019s no value in tanking since they don\u2019t have their first-round pick). Ergo, if Kuzma isn\u2019t traded at the deadline, I could see his minutes cut substantially as they wait for his contract to expire.<\/p>\n Harms: How many assists and turnovers per game do you anticipate? Who will lead in each category?<\/p>\n Jack: To the first question, the Bucks averaged 25.8 assists per game last season, ranking middle of the pack (16th). I found this interesting because I don\u2019t feel like the team moved the ball particularly well last season, but I guess that\u2019s what happens when you have Giannis; you\u2019re just naturally going to rack up assists because he\u2014 being the physical presence he is\u2014demands multiple defenders, which creates open looks. Without Giannis, I am confident the team will move the ball better, but still end up with a similar number of assists per game, if that makes sense. Like, the assists they get will \u201clook better\u201d because the ball has moved in a more typical fashion, but the number itself won\u2019t shift much.<\/p>\n As for turnovers, the Bucks finished last season ranking 21st at 15.2 per game (meaning they averaged the ninth-most in the NBA). Funnily enough, my prediction for this is similar to my prediction for assists: they will land in a similar spot, but for a different reason. Last season was a mess; nobody really knew their role, and Giannis was often injured, which led to a chaotic style of play and thus, many turnovers. This season, the team is basically brand new and has little to no continuity, so I predict similar chaos and a similar number of turnovers per game.<\/p>\n Regarding the leader in each category, Ryan Rollins is my pick to lead in assists, closely followed by Kevin Porter Jr. As for turnovers, the obvious answer is KPJ, but I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if there are some teething issues with Kel\u2019el Ware as he tries to expand his offensive game.<\/p>\n Wisconsin Sam: I would like to know if you feel your \u201coutsider\u201d perspective (as referenced in Jack\u2019s articles about how Giannis CLEARLY should have been traded a year earlier, as opposed to us sentimental locals who wanted to hang on to our precious Freak as long as we could and never never let him go\u2026 maybe that\u2019s just me) affects your coverage at all. Also if it makes you say things like \u201cchinwag.\u201d<\/p>\n Zac: Honestly, it has to, right? But I don\u2019t see \u201caffects\u201d as a negative. Not being from Milwaukee (I have visited though\u2014on my honeymoon no less!), we don\u2019t have the same ties to the city as locals do, but don\u2019t for a second confuse that for a lack of care or investment in this team. In fact, I\u2019d say it\u2019s the opposite. Following (and covering) a team from afar is arguably more difficult\u2014games air during the workday, we don\u2019t get to see them in person, and most people we encounter have only a very casual relationship with the NBA\u2014let alone the Bucks\u2014so fandom can be isolating. You don\u2019t commit to a team like the Bucks without doing so wholeheartedly and some of my greatest memories are because of this team. So, trust me, we are sentimental (see my Bobby Simmons piece<\/a> and, more pertinently, this<\/a> and this<\/a> about just what Giannis means to me). But, again, my sentimentality is not the same as yours. It can\u2019t be.<\/p>\n As for \u201cchinwag,\u201d I wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s a part of my daily vernacular, but it is a great term\u2014just think of the imagery! Plus, I\u2019ve grown rather protective fond of chin-related nomenclature\u2014my high school PE teacher nicknamed me \u201cJaws\u201d for my, uh, substantial jaw (and it\u2019s still a running joke in my circle). Let the chins wag!<\/p>\n BarryDort: With it being rookie extension season, should the Bucks offer the rookie extension to Jaime Jaquez Jr. and what type of deal should they offer?<\/p>\n Jack: I don\u2019t think the Bucks should be in any rush to extend Jaquez. If he wants to accept a \u201cbelow-market deal\u201d\u2014maybe like 5\/100 or 4\/88\u2014I might do it, but I\u2019d probably prefer to wait and let him hit RFA. Horst and co. need to gather more data on JJJ to discern if they see him as part of the \u201cnext great Bucks team\u201d or if they view him more as a bridge player that could help a contender now. Also, unethical as they are, restricted free agency rules have proven an effective tool for teams to force players into signing below-market contracts (see: Josh Giddey, Jonathan Kuminga\u2026 maybe Jalen Duren this offseason). If the Bucks can save a few\u2026 bucks\u2026 they should do exactly that. Don\u2019t hate the player, hate the game.<\/p>\n BarryDort: Everyone assumes Ryan Rollins is going to be a Buck for a long time. However, after this season he will most likely opt out of his deal and become an unrestricted free agent. How much is it going to cost to keep him and will it even matter if he decides he has a better opportunity somewhere else in the league?<\/p>\n Zac: How much it costs to keep him largely depends on his play this season. Was last year\u2019s growth for real? Does he take another step? My answer to both is \u201cYes,\u201d but there\u2019s a very real chance that he regresses too. Looking at league-wide players salaries<\/a>, and assuming Rollins does continue his ascension, it\u2019s hard not to see him in the mid-20s annually. If not more. As for a better opportunity elsewhere? I don\u2019t see it, certainly not in terms of touches and role\u2014and Rollins doesn\u2019t seem to be at the point in his career where he\u2019d prioritise winning over those. He\u2019s also had a lot of instability in his young career\u2014three teams and plenty of time in the G-League in just four seasons as a pro\u2014so you\u2019d think (hope?) he\u2019d value continuity.<\/p>\n Kaz5: If no trades happen before the season starts (which is kind of what I\u2019m assuming now), who makes the team and who gets cut?<\/p>\n Jack: If no trades happen, I\u2019d bet a lot of money they convert Pete Nance back to a two-way, since he has one year of two-way eligibility left (I think). From there, I can\u2019t see how they take this many guards into the season; Horst could very well eat KPJ or LeVert\u2019s expiring contract, and voila, you\u2019re at 15 players.<\/p>\n Zac: I\u2019ll jump in on this one too. I agree that a trade this late is unlikely\u2014but you never know (just see the Damian Lillard trade to Milwaukee, which happened on September 27). In that case, I assume Pete Nance is one of the unlucky roster cuts, mainly due to him having a non-guaranteed contract. As for the other one, I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if the Bucks waive Caris LeVert. His $14.8m salary would be handy in future trade scenarios, but he just feels too much like the odd man out in this team (age, position etc.).<\/p>\n BarryDort: What should the Bucks prioritize for next year, winning or development? I believe you can only do one or the other at the same time. Development is playing 10-12 guys 20-25 minutes a game to get better and determine who is going to be part of the team going forward. Playing veterans 30 plus minutes a game doesn\u2019t accomplish that goal.<\/p>\n Jack: I believe Milwaukee should prioritise development. When I weigh the upside vs. the downside of trying to win every game, the upside is that fans, by and large, are generally more content (which leads to higher ticket sales) and that the Bucks don\u2019t give up such a high draft pick (but then again, with the flattened draft odds, who really knows). Additionally, as I\u2019ve mentioned before, this draft is not great, so giving up a high pick is not nearly as costly\/embarrassing as it ordinarily would be.<\/p>\n On the other hand, the downside of going all out to win every game is that you lose valuable opportunities to collect data on the young guys and expose them to NBA basketball, which, three years down the line, could prove costly. Also, as a fan, I want to see these guys play more than I do your Kyle Kuzmas or Caris LeVerts. Even if it\u2019s not pretty, I want to see the \u201ckids\u201d play and would get a lot of joy out of it.<\/p>\n Mayor of Ding Dong City: My question is a two parter- which three players do you feel like are most likely traded during the season (bonus points for making rough % chance each get traded) and which players would you most likely look to trade if you were Horst?<\/p>\n Zac: I can\u2019t go past Tyler Herro, Myles Turner, and Kyle Kuzma. For one, these guys don\u2019t fit the Bucks\u2019 timeline for contention\u2014Herro will be 27 in January, Turner will be 31 in March, and Kuzma already is 31. While these ages don\u2019t make them old, they are getting up there, at least in terms of playing prime. Moreover, as skillful veterans (yes, even in Kuzma\u2019s case), they are more likely targets for teams looking for impact players now, especially around the trade deadline when teams have a clear indication of where they sit and are therefore more likely to go \u201call in.\u201d And while I\u2019m someone who really values veteran leadership on the roster\u2014just see my Culture setters<\/a> piece from earlier this offseason\u2014if the Bucks can turn them into picks or younger assets, they certainly have to go for it. Percentage-wise, I\u2019ll go Kuzma at 70% (his expiring contract helps here), Turner at 55%, and Herro at 35% (just know I am not a gambling man).<\/p>\n As for the second part of your question, if I\u2019m Horst, I want to build with and around guys who want to be here. For all their warts, Herro (via public comments<\/a>), Turner (through hosting <\/a>the team in Texas), and Kuzma have all made steps in showing that desire. Having said this, I\u2019m supremely cognisant to the fact that at least two of these guys (Herro and Turner) stand directly in the way of the two Bucks with the most upside, Brayden Burries and Kel\u2019el Ware. Kuzma, with Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nate Ament, and even Ousmane Dieng, presents a similar situation. So, all things considered, I\u2019d honestly stick with the same three names, with the caveat that it depends on what everyone shows early on in the season (and that there are no takers for Gary Trent Jr.). Outside of these three, I\u2019d look at freeing up some of the guard room, in which case AJ Green and Kevin Porter Jr. seem the most likely candidates\u2014they offer an enticing combination of strong talent and low salary to interest a number of teams.<\/p>\n Kaz5: The Bucks are obviously rebuilding. What is a realistic timeline to be a championship contender again? Five years? So, who will be a part of that future? Similar to what others have said, I\u2019d love to see a roster analysis. I\u2019d especially be interested in hearing insights on which guys they will try to trade in the very-near future. I have no issue with these guys as Milwaukee Bucks, but I feel like the following guys don\u2019t fit that 4-5 year timeline:<\/p>\n I think each of those guys can contribute to a winning team, but that\u2019s not the Bucks right now. Which of those guys will be traded pre-season? Mid-season? Next off-season?<\/p>\n Jack: Sorry, this turned into a much longer answer. Yeah, I\u2019d say the Bucks are looking at a 4-6 year window for when they hope to contend again. At the very least, they\u2019d want to be showing signs that they\u2019re getting close by the fourth or fifth year. With that said, this is made much more difficult due to Milwaukee having precious few first-round picks over this timeline. Now, what they have is a pick surplus from 2031 onward thanks to the Giannis trade, and those Heat picks could be very valuable.<\/p>\n That gives you two options: 1) be patient with the rebuild and maybe even extend your timeline a year or two and make one or both of those Heat picks yourself in 2031 and 2033, or 2), trade those picks over the next few years in exhange for immediate help\u2014whether that be through the upcoming drafts or in a trade for an established player\u2014and speed up the process. I don\u2019t know the right answer; what I will say is that the hasty nature of Horst\u2019s operations over the past eight years has naturally made me more inclined to see the front office exercise patience. It\u2019s not about constructing a team that can merely win a few playoff games in the first round; it\u2019s about building something that can have sustainable success at the highest level.<\/p>\n As for the guys you mentioned, I agree that in an ideal world, all of them would be traded. However, as you\u2019ll see in an upcoming article, not all of them have great trade value. Herro\u2019s a good chance to be dealt to a win-now team mid-season if he plays OK for the first 50 games and doesn\u2019t get injured. Kuzma is an expiring, so he\u2019ll either get dealt mid-season for some middling picks or just expire\u2014LeVert same thing. Nobody\u2019s touching Trent\u2019s contract for at least two years, I\u2019m sorry to say. Turner, if he plays well to start the year, could be moved mid-season; the contract isn\u2019t great, but it\u2019s not awful either.<\/p>\n How\u2019d we go, folks? Agree with our takes or think that we\u2019re trippin\u2019? Either way, let us know in the comments and thanks again for your questions. Questions & Antlers will return in November, at about the quarter mark of the season, where we can chat about early season impressions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As always, the Brew Hoop community came up big, posing some very thoughtful questions. 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