The Milwaukee Bucks have endured a dramatic offseason filled with roster turbulence and uncertainty.
The drama began with a report suggesting that Giannis Antetokounmpo wanted to explore opportunities outside of Milwaukee.
The franchise made the shocking decision to abandon Damien Lillard and create a pay cap space to acquire Center Miles Turner after losing Brooke Lopez.
Giannis remains in the organization, but the roster movements have created a major imbalance.
NBA insider Tim Bontemps has identified a hole that is important for the current construction of the Bucks. It is the lack of a suitable alternative for the production of Lillard at Point Guard.
The Bucks explored options involving Chris Paul, but quality point guards are not embodied to fill in the gaps left by Lillard’s departure.
The insider highlighted how Milwaukee was significantly downgraded in the point guard position, despite the addition of Turner to improve the frontcourt. The trade-offs caused more problems than it solved.
“Last year they had a terrible, good Damian Lillard. They didn’t replace him. They replaced Brook Lopez with Miles Turner, but they still have an All-Star Point Guard hole in their team,” explained Bontemps.
The Bucks tried to deal with the position by signing Cole Anthony and retaining Ryan Rollins on their roster. However, Bontemps believes these options are far below the requirements of the championship level.
Anthony started just 22 games in Orlando last season, averaging 9.4 points, 2.9 assists and 3.0 rebounds.
His limited start experience and modest production numbers raise questions about his preparation for an increased responsibility as an alternative to Lillard.
Rollins was primarily a bench player with Milwaukee, offering 6.2 points, 1.9 assists and 1.9 rebounds per 1.9 games. His development remains promising, but not enough for the immediate championship contest.
Doc Rivers head coach will use Giannis in his point guard role, similar to his approach last season. This strategy maximizes Giannis’ versatility, but generates potential long-term concerns.
The Bontemps are worried about the sustainability of putting such a heavy offensive responsibility on Milwaukee franchise players throughout the season.
The lack of quality point guard depth forces Giannis to assume the primary ball handling obligations along with responsibility for scoring and rebounding.
“I liked some of the things they did in the margins. Ryan Rollins like an interesting young player. It’s fine to keep Cole Anthony to a minimum with the acquisition. There’s no problem with the roster, and one of their Giannis injuries will soon become one of the worst teams in the league if they missed three weeks.
“He’s going to be an insane use load this year and put crazy numbers on his hands, but I’m not sure he has him in a situation where he plays 75 games.
Giannis suffered multiple injuries last season, but played in 67 games despite physical sacrifices. His durability allowed Milwaukee to remain competitive throughout the regular season.
However, increased utilization and increased responsibility could accelerate his body wear.
The combination of scoring, rebound and playmaking obligations represents a significant physical burden.
The Bucks’ playoff aspirations rely heavily on maintaining Giannis’ health while carrying unprecedented workloads.
The extended absence reveals flaws in the construction of their roster, and could derail even the uncompetitive Eastern Conference.