Milwaukee Bucks: Player Power Rankings (Dec. 8-Dec. 14)
It was not an easy week for the Milwaukee Bucks, as they went winless in three attempts, dropping their overall record to 11-12. As for their overall performance, where does each player rank this week?
Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Week in Review (0-3)
L: Atlanta Hawks, 114 @ Milwaukee Bucks, 110
L: Milwaukee Bucks, 105 @ Washington Wizards, 110
L: Milwaukee Bucks, 100 @ Toronto Raptors, 122
Player Tweet of the Week (oh, look at the chemistry!):
Having a meat pie with the boys ???? pic.twitter.com/22SWW2AOyE
— Matthew Dellavedova (@matthewdelly) December 11, 2016
It was not the greatest week for the Milwaukee Bucks, especially when considering the record. For a team with playoff aspirations, losing three in a row is never a good sign. Despite playing three reasonably high-quality opponents, it was important for the team to at least take one of those games.
For truly the first time this season, the balanced Milwaukee bench disappeared. Both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker continued to play well and kept the team afloat, but there was rarely more than one or two quality bench performers this week. Mirza Teletovic had one outstanding game against the Washington Wizards and Greg Monroe had another all-around good week, but everybody else seemingly had down weeks.
Even Malcolm Brogdon, the epitome of consistency as a rookie, turned the ball over nearly twice per game and struggled to grab rebounds. Although his shot was terrific, he is an incredibly valuable part of the Bucks bench as a versatile guard and he needs to get back into form.
Now let’s see what the Player Power Rankings have in store as the Bucks approach three straight home-and-homes with the Bulls, Cavaliers, and Wizards.
Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
These players did not play enough minutes to be ranked with any sort of true judgment. Both Plumlee and Vaughn only appeared in one game and were otherwise not pivotal for any actions of the team.
As for Maker, Thon did see a few more minutes than normal, including time in two of the team’s three games. He was also brought in during a late-game situation due to his ability to cover the inbounder and force tough decisions. For a team that seems to be playing a close game most nights, having such a good defender for those passes could prove to be vital. It will be interesting to see how often Coach Kidd utilizes Maker’s length.
Miles Plumlee
C
Last week: 1 GP: 3.0 mins/0.0 pts/0.0 rebs/0.0 ptsLast rank: 12
12
Rashad Vaughn
SG
Last week: 1 GP: 3.0 mins/0.0 pts/0.0 rebs/0.3 astsLast rank: 11
11
Thon Maker
C
Last week: 2 GP: 3.0 mins/1.5 pts/1.5 rebs/0.0 astsLast rank: 10
Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Jason Terry
SG
Last week: 3 GP: 13.7 mins/4.6 rebs/1.3 rebs/1.0 astsLast rank: 13
Prior to this week: 9/31 from three (29%)
This week alone: 4/10 from three (40%)
Not only is he shooting the ball more in less minutes, but he is shooting the ball with better efficiency as well. Terry will likely never have a monster game this season, but he should find his role as a solid bench contributor continue to come along.
Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Matthew Dellavedova
PG
Last week: 3 GP: 28.7 mins/6.3 pts/2.0 rebs/5.7 astsLast rank: 4
Following a very rough week shooting the ball, Matthew Dellavedova has found himself at his lowest point in the Player Power Rankings thus far. When Delly signed with the Bucks, he was not expected to be a high volume scorer, so he is not disappointing in that regard. However, he was expected to be efficient with the shots he takes. For the week, Delly made just seven out of his 28 shots (25%) and was again rough from behind the three point line. Outback Jesus continues to impress as a distributor, especially when considered his low turnover numbers. A 17-to-4 assist-to-turnover ratio during a three game stretch is not something to disregard for a player who spends so much time with the ball in his hands.Next: 8. Tony Snell
Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Tony Snell
SG
Last week: 3 GP: 31.0 mins/4.3 pts/5.3 rebs/2.3 astsLast rank: 7
Also, Snelly was one of only two Bucks that were eligible in terms of minutes for this statistic (all players minus the DNP’s sort of) to not attempt a single free throw this week. Jason Terry was the other, and Snell more than doubled him in total minutes, 93 to 41.
Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Michael Beasley
PF
Last week: 3 GP: 15.0 mins/6.0 pts/3.7 rebs/1.3 astsLast rank: 8
vs. ATL: 6/7 from the field (one three-pointer) for 14 points
@ WAS: 1/3 from the field for two points (only played five minutes)
@ TOR: 1/5 from the field for two points.
And his struggles were not just in scoring. His assist-to-turnover ratio was 1:1, which is not ideal, even for a forward. Beasley is still a great bench player for the Bucks, but he does have a fair number of off nights.
Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Mirza Teletovic
PF
Last week: 2 GP: 22.5 mins/14.5 pts/5.5 rebs/0.5 astsLast rank: 9
Mirza is a very streaky shooter, but it is really fun when he gets it going from behind the arc. He has what seems like endless range and is never afraid to shoot. As evidenced by the video below, he is also adept at deep shots under pressure. This made three had a very little impact on the finish, as the Wizards were able to hold onto the lead, but it does show that he could be a vital asset in late-game situations, especially when trailing by three.
He might not always be “on,” but when he is, you best be watching, because it is then time to Fearza the Mirza (shoutout to fellow BTBP writer Jordan Treske).
Clip taken from 3ball.io
Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
John Henson
C
Last week: 3 GP: 21.7 mins/9.0 pts/4.0 rebs/1.7 astsLast rank: 6
Pop Quiz: Can you name the player who was second in blocks this week for the Bucks? Tweet @hardwiredsports (that’s me) or @BehindTheBucks with your answer.
Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Malcolm Brogdon
PG
Last week: 3 GP: 24.0 mins/9.0 pts/1.3 rebs/2.7 astsLast rank: 5
If you have followed my articles since my start here a few months ago, you know how confident I am in Brogdon and his continuously great play as a rookie is awesome to watch.
Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Greg Monroe
C
Last week: 3 GP: 20.3 mins/10.3 pts/5.0 rebs/3.3 astsLast rank: 3
Minutes: 7th
Points: 3rd
Rebounds: 3rd
Assists: 3rd
Monroe was able to lock down rankings in the top three in each of the three core statistical categories, despite coming in at seventh in minutes. Obviously, stats do not tell the whole story, but there are only so many times that we can compliment Monroe on his improved defense. For now, it looks like Henson is a great fit in the starting lineup although Moose is the better player, as he is showing with his dominance in the second unit.
Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Jabari Parker
PF
Last week: 3 GP: 32.3 mins/20.7 pts/3.7 rebs/2.0 astsLast rank: 2
One concerning thing about Jabari’s play this week was his free throw shooting. He is a physical in attacking the basket and has the ability to draw fouls, despite a relatively low free throw rate to this point. He was second on the team in free throws attempted this week, but was a measly 6/11 from the stripe.
On the other hand, his improved three-point shot is no longer just a novelty. It is a real threat. Over one-fourth of Parker’s shots during this week were threes, and he buried six of them on just 13 attempts (46.2%). Major Cat is part of the future of the Milwaukee Bucks, and watching Giannis and him develop together is a show each game.
Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Giannis Antetokounmpo
SF
Last week: 3 GP: 34.7 mins/24.0 pts/9.0 rebs/4.3 astsLast rank: 1
Minutes: 1st
Points: 1st
Rebounds: 1st
Assists: 2nd
FG%: 3rd
‘Nuff said? ‘Nuff said.
But, actually, Giannis is awesome and worth watching every single night. It would be an incredible upset if he ever gets taken over for the #1 spot on this list. He is truly a star in the NBA and the organizational centerpiece that teams everywhere are wishing they had.
Check back next week for another edition of the Bucks’ Player Power Rankings!
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