The Milwaukee Bucks started this season incredibly slowly, losing six straight games after defeating the Philadelphia 76ers in the opener. A 1-6 start was a dream scenario for the national media, which had long wanted two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to leave Milwaukee for a bigger market. Indeed, after a six-game losing streak, Giannis’ trade rumor mill began circulating hypothetical trades with teams like the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks.
However, the Bucks have won four straight games and seven of their last nine. With a record of 8-9, they are currently in fifth place in a mediocre style Eastern Conference and could get back to .500 if they beat the Miami Heat on Tuesday night.
Milwaukee’s rise from bottom tier to one of the hottest teams in the NBA has excited Bucks fans, but it has done nothing to stem the barrage of criticism from the national media.
NBA analysts give the Milwaukee Bucks rookies an F grade
NBA analysts from Bleacher Report recently released their ratings for each team’s rookie class. While some groups deservedly received high grades, the Bucks’ rookie trio of Tyler Smith, AJ Johnson and Liam Robbins received an F:
“The Milwaukee Bucks got almost nothing from No. 23 pick AJ Johnson, a combo-project guard whose tools were tempting but whose obvious need for seasoning made him an oft-criticized pick by a team that needed low-cost rotation support in the low term.
“Johnson (19) averaged just 2.8 points in 7.9 minutes for the NBL’s Illawarra Hawks in the NBL prior to the draft and has played just eight minutes of game time for the Bucks to date.
“At least Smith, selected 33rd overall, got a glimpse of what he can do last year in the G League Ignite. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 14.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 22.5 minutes per game during the 2023-24 season, but saw no action with the Bucks and none with the Wisconsin Herd this year.
“Milwaukee, beleaguered by the second apron and in dire need of rotation support, is getting nothing from its rookie class. That’s not to say that Johnson, in particular, has no future prospects. But given the Bucks’ specific circumstances, these debut performances constitute a major failure.
While it’s true that Smith, Johnson and Robbins haven’t contributed much this season, it’s also worth noting that Milwaukee hasn’t drafted or signed any of them to play right away. Smith and Johnson are just 19 years ancient; any team that drafted them would do so with the intention of developing them, just like the Bucks do.
When exactly are the Milwaukee Bucks rookies scheduled to play?
Given that the Bucks are an NBA title contender (even though they currently have an 8-9 record), one might wonder when NBA analysts expect the rookies to play. The truth is that the rookies who contribute the most to a team and have the most success in their first seasons are those drafted by bad teams.
And the Bucks aren’t a bad team.
Smith and Johnson were stuck behind such established NBA players as Delon Wright, Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince and Bobby Portis. Andre Jackson Jr. and AJ Green have also proven to be valuable members of the rotation.
Those latter two players, Jackson and Green, also challenge the notion that the Bucks haven’t drafted well lately. The truth is that MarJon Beauchamp didn’t work out and every pick they’ve made since Giannis has been disappointing.
But Milwaukee hasn’t had to choose for a long time. Instead, they added key veterans to their roster via free agency and trade. In the meantime, they made every effort to educate the debutants of their choice.
And although they lost a lot, Jackson and Green prove that they were better than they thought.
Analysts should wait a year or two before rushing to judgment on the Bucks’ current trio of rookies.
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