POSTED BY: ETHAN STERN Full Court Press Radio
After making the playoffs two years ago, the Milwaukee Bucks disappointed many last year by struggling all season long and missing the postseason. This year, the team seems to have somewhat righted the ship, and is playing .500 basketball so far, at a record of 13-14.
The Bucks are led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has continued his development into becoming one of the league’s best young players, and a potential superstar in the making. It’s hard to understate Antetokounmpo’s impact on the team. He leads the Bucks in nearly every box score and advanced statistic, including points, rebounds, assists, steals, block, offensive rating, and defensive rating. While Antetokounmpo has struggled to find his jump shot, he continues to help the Bucks in a myriad of ways.
The other big success story on the Bucks this season is Jabari Parker, who has quietly become a more effective player than the only man drafted ahead of him in 2014, Andrew Wiggins. After Parker missed almost the entirety of his rookie season, he has become a versatile scorer while improving his defense. Parker’s individual rebound numbers aren’t great, the Bucks rebound at a top five rate while he’s on the floor, compared to what would 29th while on the bench.
Though less of a contributor than Antetokounmpo and Parker, Malcolm Brogdon has begun to make a name for himself. The 24 year-old rookie has surprised many with his contributions, averaging 7.7 points and 3.1 assists while shooting 41.7% from three. While recently making headlines for dunking on both Kyrie Irving and LeBron James in the same game, Brogdon has been contributing on both ends of the floor.
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