The Giannis Antetokounmpo era of Milwaukee Bucks basketball is over, and it’s time to get over it!
Of course, that’s easier said than done when the era included the man who saved the franchise. It’s been less than a month since the trade that has been anticipated for the many years it’s been speculated. Nevertheless, embracing the low-stress young Bucks is something to be very excited about.
If you’re reading this, you probably have read the big Giannis article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Go ahead and take your pick on the quotes that are most eye-opening and those that sink your heart. Who gets the blame for the downfall? That’s up to your own interpretation.
Now that fans have been given this closure, Bucks fans must look toward the positive. Yes, it’s a rebuild. The team is more than likely going to be a Play-In one, at best. Fans will be lost. Asking for the game to be put on at your local watering hole is going to be a reminiscent chore.
Except, there are things to get excited about. Things that paint over the glaring negatives that made this team so dysfunctional. Milwaukee is taking steps to ‘Own The Future’ once more!
Taylor Jenkins Is Ready to Coach
The bad man (Glenn Rivers) can no longer destroy our beloved franchise. The last time the Bucks were a “force”, Adrian Griffin was just about to get the axe. After the Bucks fired Griffin, Rivers went 97-103 while coaching at least one of the Top-75 players in NBA history.
New Head Coach Taylor Jenkins will have his hands full, that is no doubt. To some, his name will always be linked to the off-court issues involving former Memphis Grizzlies Guard Ja Morant. But Jenkins had no part in those problems, and he should instead be remembered for what he actually accomplished in Memphis.
In five full seasons as the Grizzlies’ head coach, Jenkins made it to the postseason four times. In just his third year, the Grizzlies finished second in the Western Conference and tied the franchise record for wins.
Jenkins has a proven track record of developing young talent. He turned Morant from a raw rookie into a two-time All-Star, Desmond Bane into a Most Improved Player candidate, and let’s not forget, forged a Defensive Player of the Year winner, Jaren Jackson Jr.
Patient, player-first development is exactly what the young Bucks roster needs and has needed since 2023.
Who Are the Young Bucks?
If Bucks radio play-by-play host Dave Koehn decided to bring back the once-popular, “Bango! Goes the young Buck!” phrase, this would be the year to do it. He has plenty of guys to don the slogan onto.
The incoming talent from the Giannis deal may seem underwhelming, but it has given the Bucks a gulp from the fountain of youth.
Last season, the Bucks were sixth-oldest team and it showed, equating to some of the worst stats we’ve seen in a while. The Bucks were the second-worst scoring team, gave up nearly 117 points per game, and were bottom third in the league for NET.
Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis stand out as two young players with real long-term potential. Ware should bring much needed athleticism and defensive versatility that will finally give the Bucks a modern big man who can protect the rim.
Jakucionis brings high-IQ playmaking and poise. From his sample size in Miami, he looks like a true floor general. He recently went off in his debut for Lithuania in World Cup Qualifiers.
Jaime Jacquez will also be huge off the bench. Last season, he shot nearly 51% from the field in 75 total games. Jaime Highway also tallied the most points off the bench in the association.
As much as you might want to hate on him, you can’t sleep on the guy coming back home. Tyler Herro isn’t the most likable guy in the NBA, just ask Bam Adebayo, but he provides instant scoring, averaging 21.5 pts over the last five seasons. He’ll likely be an All-Star, and that will be huge for this team.
Jon Horst Can Take a Back Seat Now
Many see Jon Horst as the man who was nowhere to be found in the impending Giannis breakup. He will certainly go down as the worst drafter in franchise history during the Giannis era. Putting those two lows together will forever be marked on his tenure.
On the other hand, things are definitely looking up.
It may be low-hanging fruit, since a blockbuster trade with a massive return is any GM’s dream-come-true situation, but Horst truthfully had his hands tied behind his back for a while.
“It felt like the decisions being made were based off the emotions of results”, said Pat Connaughton about the end of the Bucks’ era. Horst operated on eggshells due to what most SHOULD assume is because of the viscousness of Giannis’ agents, yet proceeded, silently, to get Damian Lillard and Myles Turner. Now, he’s free from the thumb of Antetokounmpo.
There is always the worry that Jimmy Haslam will have his mitts on the Bucks’ roster, but at the very least, the Bucks have a GM that has been through the fire, knows the landscape, and now has the freedom to start this soft rebuild… just don’t think about the Gary Trent contract!
So let’s don our optimism caps!
No one can take away the memory of the championship banner being raised. Now, let’s mark where the new chapter begins, come October. An “Own The Future” T-shirt or rally towel on opening night would go hard.
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