During the NBA off-season, many teams acquire free agents or build through the draft in order to either get to the playoffs, or perform better in the playoffs. The Milwaukee Bucks made the playoffs last season, but lost in the first round in Game 7 to the Boston Celtics. The Bucks were lead to the playoffs by the monstrous “Greek Freak” Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is without a doubt one of the best players in the Eastern Conference with the departure of LeBron James. However, the Bucks will make more of a splash this season with a few particular moves they have made in their free agency so far.
The addition of Brook Lopez
The Bucks have made a one year, 3.4 million dollar deal with Brook Lopez this season, which gives the Bucks a reliable starter in the five slot. Brook Lopez is a one-time All-Star who had a sub-par year in Los Angeles with the Lakers last season. The Bucks’ roster has good role players, like Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe, but they have been missing a good center for some time. Lopez fills the whole that the Bucks had in the Center position last season, and Brook Lopez could elevate the Bucks even more in the playoffs with his consistent game based around rebounding and defense.
Milwaukee’s moves in the Draft
In the NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks’ most relevant pick was selecting Donte DiVincenzo from Villanova with the 17th pick. DiVincenzo, also known as “The Big Ragu”, had a standout performance last year in the March Madness tournament. Also, he had one of the best performances of his career in the NCAA Championship, with a statline of 31 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. With the Bucks adding DiVincenzo to their roster, they add an athletic rookie with an amazing vertical jump and a smooth shooting form, even from three-point range. Even though Donte DiVincenzo will likely not start over Eric Bledsoe for Point Guard, the Bucks seriously build up their bench with this impressive rookie.
Last Word
The Bucks have made two great moves this off-season that should enable them to get far in the playoffs next season. The Bucks filled a long-time hole in the Center position with the capable, consistent Brook Lopez, while also drafting the valuable Donte DiVincenzo. When you combine these new players with the nuclear force of the Greek Freak, there’s no telling how far the Bucks could get in this year’s playoffs.
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