NBA Season Preview 2020-21: 5 big questions for the Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks got a point guard upgrade in Jrue Holiday and a long term commitment from Giannis Antetokounmpo. What comes next?

1. All else being equal, how significant is the point guard upgrade from Eric Bledsoe to Jrue Holiday?

It’s enormously significant, and not in any one specific area as in the way Holiday checks all the same boxes but a little bit better. Holiday is a much better catch-and-shoot threat, a better and more versatile defender, and at least as effective as an off-the-dribble creator. Holiday also has a meaningful track record of elevating his game in the playoffs (over 27 playoff starts) when the inverse has been true for the Bucks.

It’s important to remember that, for all his playoff struggles, Bledsoe has been hugely important to the Bucks’ regular-season success the past two years and has played some really strong basketball. The upgrade might not be as obvious during the regular season, I mean it’s not like Holiday takes the Bucks from a 60-win pace to a 70-win pace. But the ultimate goal is to breakthrough in the playoffs and Holiday’s well-rounded excellence gives them a much better chance of getting through.

2. Is Milwaukee’s padded depth a regular-season blessing, or a Mike Budenholzer postseason curse waiting to happen?

Whether the Bucks are deeper than previous years is an open question but they are certainly as deep as they’ve been, and there are young players like Donte DiVincenzo, D.J. Wilson and Bobby Portis who have the chance to step forward this year and be even more. Separate from the circumstances of last year’s postseason rotations, depth is good and it will help the Bucks in the regular season.

As to whether Mike Budenholzer will make the same bizarre calculations this season, limiting Giannis to 30 minutes in crucial playoff series. One would imagine that it was addressed in some fashion as part of Giannis’ contract negotiations. And if Budenholzer hasn’t realized the mistake he made, then it’s really an internal problem and has nothing to do with depth or lack thereof.

3. Can Donte DiVincenzo do a plausible George Hill impression this year?

Nope, but he might not need to. Hill was an elite outside shooter and versatile defender for the Bucks and DiVincenzo is not at his level in either area. But DiVincenzo has much more creation upside than Hill does at this stage in his career and given how things have gone in the playoffs the past two years, having another player who can reliably create his own shot and open things up for teammates might be more valuable.  With Torrey Craig, D.J. Augustin and Bryn Forbes joining the team as well there are plenty of other places the Bucks can look for defense on the wing or shooting from the backcourt. But none of the new additions can offer what DiVincenzo does off the dribble.

4. How much will the Bucks miss the vibes and locker room shenanigans of Robin Lopez?

I think we’ll all miss the Bucks’ pregame wrestling routines but Brook really struggled offensively last season and I think we can attribute at least some of it to late-night Magic the Gathering sessions with his brother. With Robin gone, Brook can clear his head and sibling rivalry and focus on what’s important, more than outweighing whatever positive vibes Milwaukee is losing.

5. Rate the pressure the Bucks are under this season on a scale from Toots and the Maytals Pressure Drop to Queen’s Under Pressure.

Before Giannis inked his extension, the Bucks were definitely David Bowie and Freddie Mercury, falsetto dripping with angst and heartbreak. Now, they’re Toots, crooning with jubilant catharsis. The reggae legend, who passed away earlier this year, explained that his song was about karma:

"It’s a song about revenge, but in the form of karma: If you do bad things to innocent people, then bad things will happen to you. The title was a phrase I used to say. If someone done me wrong, rather than fight them like a warrior, I’d say: ‘The pressure’s going to drop on you.’"

For all those championship rivals who were coveting Giannis and dreaming of what he could do for them … pressure is gonna drop on you.