Season Autopsies: San Antonio Spurs | Phoenix Suns | Dallas Mavericks | Sacramento Kings | Denver Nuggets | Milwaukee Bucks | Miami Heat | Minnesota Timberwolves

The most difficult part of roster building is landing a franchise-defining player. Only a handful of truly elite players exist in the world and the Milwaukee Bucks have one in Giannis Antetokounmpo, locked up for at least three more seasons.

Still, formative years aren’t long in the NBA and keeping a franchise player can be just as difficult as finding one.

Once again, the Bucks failed to make any noise in the playoffs. The difference this season is this was a team expected to make some sort of leap. Antetokounmpo did his part, sprinting out of the gate as an early MVP candidate with averages of 29.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.7 steals per game.

Still, the Bucks were hardly a good team. Milwaukee’s dance with mediocrity was often placed on the missing Jabari Parker, still rehabbing his torn ACL.

Unfortunately, the problems with Milwaukee’s stagnant half-court offense and poor defense are more ingrained than the absence of its injury-riddled prospect. The trajectory of Antetokounmpo’s play compared to the rest of the roster is as gap-filled as the foam cheese that sits on Milwaukee fans’ heads each NFL season.

giannis antetokounmpo
CP

Though he just finished the first year of a four-year, $100 million extension and has repeatedly verbalize his loyalty, frustrations can evolve into serious internal questioning.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is just 23-years old but has comfortably placed himself amongst the top 10 players in the NBA. His prime is now, even if his peak has yet to come. Antetokounmpo is so far ahead of the development curve, it’s easy to forget the team itself is still in the midst of growing pains.

Anthony Davis’ situation with the New Orleans Pelicans is a ray of hope for Milwaukee, catalyzing around an identity when the things seamed bleak. Key for the Bucks is to remember that, while Antetokounmpo is ready now, the rest of the roster has some room to grow.

Finding a culture changer

Giannis Antetokounmpo will be on his fourth head coach heading into his sixth season. This summer holds a basket of coaches ripe for the picking, but with three years remaining on Giannis’ contract, Milwaukee must exhaust every possible resource to find the perfect candidate to gel the roster into a formidable team.

The question is whether the Bucks take a seasoned coach like Mike Budenholzer or find a young motivator like David Fizdale to grow with the team.

If Milwaukee goes the development route, it can follow the path set by the Philadelphia 76ers, whose newfound success has been guided by Head Coach Brett Brown’s ability to build a strong culture that extracts the most out of young players.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Fizdale is a hot commodity on the coaching market. Despite a festering between Fizdale and Memphis Grizzlies star Marc Gasol, he carries the reputation of a players’ coach and might succeed in an environment with more room to build a new culture.

A coach like Budenholzer might signal a commitment to fast-track the Bucks’ potential as an elite Eastern Conference team. Milwaukee is already a perennial playoff team despite harshly constructed schemes. With a coach with Budenholzer’s track record with the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks, perhaps the Bucks could have squeezed out a series win against a depleted Boston Celtics team.

Having a franchise player makes the Bucks one of the most appealing jobs in the NBA. Now, Milwaukee just needs to figure out the right identity to craft around Antetokounmpo and give it time and space to grow.

Try to retain Jabari Parker…but just try

Jabari Parker is the biggest question facing Milwaukee this year. As he enters restricted free agency this summer, he has expressed his desire for a rookie max.

Despite two major ACL injuries in his career, the market for Parker is still there, particularly in Atlanta and his hometown of Chicago. Parker is still pushing for the max, or close to it, forcing Milwaukee to face a decision that could hinder or push their progression.

His offensive game is dynamic. He's a decent outside shooter, hitting 38.1 percent from three-point range and showing off an incredibly polished game within the arc. Parker's athleticism can still be seen off the dribble, but is his offensive game enough to subside his horrendous defense?

Jabari Parker

Because it wasn't this season. His -3.5 net rating just shows you a glimpse of his ineffectiveness on the defensive end. He can't guard the post, isn't quick enough on closeouts, and lacks the instincts portending to any improvements on that end.

Fact is, Parker's worth to Milwaukee probably isn't what his desired contract demands are. Unless the market goes cold on him, Milwaukee should painfully let him walk.

Despite having an elite player, the Bucks need to slow play the building process a little more. The future cap space will be important for the Bucks moving forward and laying out money for such a huge risk is the exact move that put them in their current stranglehold.

Unloading while loading up

There is no perfect plan to obtaining players. The motives  and fit of each free agent ar pretty unpredictable. Milwaukee's move for Eric Bledsoe has worked out, for now. But there are questions whether that will continue as Bledsoe hits age 29 next year.

Not that he is the most valuable trade piece, even with his expiring contract next season. Like Parker, the Bucks should closely assess what Bledsoe's value is to the team. They'll have at least one more season to do so.

The Bucks should look to the summer of 2019 as an opportunity to refresh its talent base. Moving on from Bledsoe will help keep the cap clean for a player who might better fit the Bucks' long term timeline. They already have a player in Malcolm Brogdon who can step into the starting spot if it means the Bucks can upgrade elsewhere.

There are other assets who could be deemed negative relative to their contracts. Two standouts are Tony Snell and John Henson. Snell's outside shooting makes him easier to fit in to an offense schematically, but making over $10.5 million each of the next two seasons. Henson's real NBA role should be as a backup big man, but has been the best option for Milwaukee the past few seasons.

Thon Maker
CP

Thon Maker's sophomore season has been disappointing to say the least, but his postseason play gave some signs of revitalization. Maker could undeniably fill in Henson's role with more seasoning. If Milwaukee can commit to attaching a few second rounders to his contract, Henson could be out the door and push Maker into the unorthodox starting center.

Again, Milwaukee's goal here should be shedding cap next season any chance it gets. Khris Middleton and Antetokounmpo are theoretically enough to get the Bucks back into an increasingly tough Eastern Conference as long as they add some fit-centric free agents.

If they play their cards right, they could be primed for an absolutely star-studded free agency. Unfortunately, the biggest free agent Milwaukee has signed in recent years has been Greg Monroe, which ended in a flubbed tenure. So kiss away the Klay Thompsons and Kawhi Leonards of the world. But there are still free agents that could do some damage in the form of Kemba Walker, Tobias Harris, and even DeAndre Jordan, who may be available for a decent price.

Draft philosophy

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Drafting based on length has given Milwaukee the spoils of Antetokounmpo, Maker, and rookie Sterling Brown. It's a great list considering draft position, but no other draftee outside of their star has been able to make a serious impact.

D.J. Wilson is an example of Milwaukee trying to keep the length ideology, while overlooking Jarrett Allen, O.G. Anunboy, and Kyle Kuzma.

The Bucks hold the 17th pick in a 2018 NBA Draft that's front-loaded with talent and sprinkled with high potential. After missing out on the likes of  Jarrett Allen, O.G. Anunoby, and Kyle Kuzma to take D.J. Wilson, Milwaukee needs to go for a home run pick.

Any player with a hint of star potential should be swooped up quickly, whether it's taking a shot on an undersized guard like Aaron Holiday or going after defensive stud Zhaire Smith.

Milwaukee isn't in need of blowing its roster up, but a major retooling is in order. Finding a culture-setting coach who can get the most out of a roster filled with hefty contracts will go a long way in increasing their trade value. Deconstructing salary cap will position this Bucks team to move forward in roster building.

The timing on Giannis Antetokounmpo's contract is ticking ever so slowly. A few more falters and the speed on that clock will speed up unpredictably. Milwaukee has to de-slog themselves and finally commit to conforming around their star player. Outside shooting, athletic big men, and a stable coaching staff is enough to make Antetokounmpo even more effective, and more importantly, happy.