Sunday’s national television affair was a reminder that things could be worse for the Milwaukee Bucks. As of now, they’re not in an ideal position. Sitting at five games over .500 and first in the East is tolerable, but championships are the aspirations in Milwaukee.
Sure they haven’t developed a rotation player in a decade and that brutal reality is haunting them in the middle of Giannis Antetokouunmpo’s prime years and at the tail end of Damian Lillard’s. Kyle Kuzma still isn't shooting well. But they could be the Philadelphia 76ers. During a Sunday matinée contest that was simultaneously a send-off for Hubie Brown’s 50-year career in the NBA, and a preamble for the Super Bowl, Lillard dropped 43 on the Sixers' skulls like it was a piano being dropped from a crane.
During the broadcast, it was also revealed that Joel Embiid would likely require another off-season surgery on the left knee that has bothered him for a year now. He hasn’t moved well all season and has missed chunks of the season. He scored 27, dished six assists, and logged 12 boards, but ultimately it wasn’t enough. The Sixers fell to 12 games below .500 in what’s beginning to feel like a lottery season.
Meanwhile, the Bucks also have a 30-year-old big who has won two MVPs, won an NBA Finals MVP, and still has healthy enough knees to prop their title window open for another half decade even if Lillard won’t be around for the entire ride.
Unfortunately, a mid-calf strain will sideline Antetokounmpo through the All-Star game. He’ll be replaced by Trae Young on Team Barkley, and the break will give the Bucks more time to get healthy. The calf strain Antetokounmpo suffered on Feb. 2 is similar to the injury that has kept Luka Doncic out since Christmas Day. Fortunately, he appears to be less severe and he is expected to return soon after the All-Star break. But take that with a grain of salt. Calf strains are notoriously tricky to rehab due to their proximity to the Achilles.
Until he returns, Lillard will have to work the shop from dusk to dawn like he did Sunday. Can he still go berserk on a scoreboard like he did two years ago? Sunday was a reminder of Lillard’s ability to toss projectiles into a cylinder from great depths. Lillard went 8-for-15 behind the arc and looks like he's gearing up for another 3-point shootout crown. The Bucks will need their best sharpshooter to keep his finger on the trigger if they’re going to stay upright while Antetokounmpo is down.
Bucks Buyout Candidates
In the long term, John Horst has work to do on the buyout market. He added you to a perimeter by acquiring Kyle Kuzma and Kevin Porter Jr. at the deadline. However, their frontcourt is still lacking size and athleticism.
They may have struck out at the trade deadline, but the buyout market provides options for the Bucks to explore. Pickings are slim, although the market should heat up as we near the All-Star break.
Mo Bamba
Bamba is still only 26, but the 7-3 big is currently a free agent after being waived by the Utah Jazz last week to help facilitate the Luka Doncic deal. He's likely headed back to the Lakers unless the Bucks beat them to the punch.
On paper, he's fantastic. He's long, an excellent shot swatter, shoots around 38 percent from beyond the ar, around 50 percent from the field, but he mysteriously fell off from the stripe at the age of 23. However, he’s also wiry, functionally weak, and too much of a liability on the boards and in the trenches when he has to get physical.
P.J. Tucker
I wouldn’t blame you if you were under the impression that Tucker retired years ago. The ultimate lunch pail player is still getting kicked around the league. At this point, he’s only good for the occasional energy spurt for five minutes and to hold it down as the ‘Udonis Haslem’ bench warrior.
Larry Nance Jr.
Nance should have been a target on the trade market, but he’s also a possible impending free agent if the Atlanta Hawks decide to waive the 32-year-old impending free agent. Nance is a small ball center with pogo stick legs and range that extends beyond the arc which is perfect for preserving the spacing for Lillard and Antetkounmpo. He's also a deft rim protector as well.