The Milwaukee Bucks have been one of the best teams in the league since 2019 and made minor adjustments to their team this offseason. Here is their projected lineup for the 2024 season.
The Milwaukee Bucks finished the 2023 season with a record of 58-24, which was the best in the NBA. After finishing the last half of the regular season scorching hot, the Bucks had high hopes of winning another championship but would have a massive upset in the first round to the Miami Heat.
Despite the Bucks' regular season success, there were so massive flaws that had plagued them throughout the season. The first being the wrist injury to Khris Middleton forcing him to miss the first 20 games of the season. Then after playing seven of their next eight games, he would miss another 18 games after that. The second being their coach Mike Budenholzer whom they replaced with Adrian Griffin.
The Bucks were able to resign key pieces and sign small role players to hopefully put themselves in a position to win another championship. Here is their projected lineup.
Milwaukee Bucks starting point guard: Jrue Holiday
This is no surprise here as Jrue Holiday has been the starting point guard for the Bucks for the last three seasons. In those three seasons, Holiday has given the Bucks 18.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.5 steals on 49/40/80 splits and made the All-Defensive team every single year.
In the absence of Khris Middleton, he turned himself into a great second option and had one of the best seasons of his career averaging 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 7.4 assists on 48/38/86 splits and made the All-Star after not making one for a decade.
Holiday is the perfect starting point guard for this and the perfect third option for this team. He runs the offense extremely well as his assists have never been this high before. He takes the playmaking responsibility away from Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo which even though they are solid at, they shouldn't always be required to run it.
Holiday is also the best two-way point guard in the league as well. He's been an All-NBA defender five times so he can guard the other team's best perimeter player and with the Bucks he's been very efficient with scoring the basketball.
Others who could receive minutes: Jazian Gortman, Khris Middleton, and Giannis Antetokounmpo
At the moment the Bucks currently don't have a bonafide backup point guard but they do have a bunch of other solid options. Jazian Gortman is currently the player other than Holiday who is a true point guard but, as an undrafted player, there's a chance he won't play that many minutes to start the season.
What is more likely to happen with the Bucks backup point guard situation is them having Giannis being the "point forward." There were times Giannis and Holiday did not share the court together and Giannis was the primary ball handler which is something that will definitely happen.
If there is a scenario where Khris Middleton and Holiday don't share the court together then Middleton will take on some of the point guard responsibility.
Milwaukee Bucks starting shooting guard: Grayson Allen
The Bucks have a lot of options as to who their starting shooting guard will be but it will be none other than Grayson Allen. Allen is returning for his third season with the Bucks having started all but seven games.
Even though Allen is a player who is not very respected throughout the NBA, every team needs a grit guy like Allen. In his two seasons with the Bucks, Allen has averaged 10.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists on 44/40/89 splits which are his career-best for any team he has played for.
Allen is the perfect complementary player for Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo. He's not a player who demands the ball but is a very great three-point shooter and can score off the dribble when he drives into the paint. These are key offensive perks to have when Giannis is on your team because he needs floor spacing and loves transition offense.
Allen is also a very solid defender too where he and Jrue Holiday can lock up other great backcourts across the league.
Primary Bucks backup shooting guard: Malik Beasley
Malik Beasley is the newest signing for the Bucks but he is going to be the primary backup shooting guard. Out of all of the Bucks shooting guards, Beasley is the most seasoned out of all of them.
Last season Beasley struggled as he averaged 12.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists on 40/36/77 splits. Don't expect Beasley to struggle as much with his efficiency on the Bucks because their system is Taylor made for their role players to be efficient. Expect Beasley to be closer to his career average from three, around 38 percent.
Beasley has been one of the best high-volume three-point shooters over the last few seasons and one of the perfect players to have on your team. There will probably be times when Beasley becomes unplayable but thankfully the Bucks have a lot more options.
Others who could receive minutes: Khris Middleton, Pat Connaughton, MarJon Beauchamp, and Andre Jackson Jr.
The Bucks do have a lot of depth at their wings where almost all of them could either play the three or the two. Even though Pat Connaughton can play the two guard, it is more than likely that the Bucks third string two guard is Andre Jackson Jr.
Andre Jackson Jr. was selected with the 36th overall pick in this year's draft by the Orlando Magic and traded to the Bucks. Jackson was a part of the NCAA Champion UConn Huskies so playing a role with a great team is very familiar to him. Playing under great shooters his efficiency should also be up from what it was in college to a respectable average in the league.
Milwaukee Bucks starting small forward: Khris Middleton
Khris Middleton re-signed for the Bucks for a three-year, $93-million deal and will be the starting small forward for the Bucks. Last season Middleton averaged 15.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists on 44/32/90 splits.
Middleton had an off season because he played in 33 games last season as he was dealing with a wrist injury to start the season and a knee injury midway through the season. In the playoffs Middleton looked like his old self where he averaged 23.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists on 47/41/87 splits.
Going into the next season fully healthy Middleton will return to his All-Star form giving you similar numbers as he did in the playoffs and on the brink of 50/40/90. It is very important for Middleton to play well as his injury problems may have cost the Bucks two championships.
Middleton is the perfect co-star for Giannis as he can do just about everything really well. He's a great scorer, above-average playmaker, defender and he also takes on the role of being the closer. Giannis is not known for creating his own jump shot late in a game but Khris Middleton has taken those opportunities time after time for the Bucks.
Primary Bucks backup small forward: Pat Connaughton
Even though Pat Connaughton is undersized for a small forward at 6-foot-5, he plays bigger than he actually is. For the last two seasons for the Bucks he was listed as a small forward where he averaged 8.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 43/37/76 splits.
Connaughton won't be asked to do much more than make threes and use his underrated athletic ability to crash the glass. There were countless times throughout the Bucks championship run where Connaughton would get a key rebound or hit a big three. Every team needs a gritty player who's willing to get their hands dirty and hit a big shot late in the game.
Others who could receive minutes: MarJon Beauchamp and Giannis Antetokounmpo
MarJon Beauchamp is going to be the third-string small forward for the Bucks. The sophomore stands at 6-foot-6 which gives them a little bit of more size there and averaged 5.1 points, 2.2 rebounds on 40/33/73 splits in 52 games played.
As long as everyone stays healthy Beauchamp won't see the court that much but, if someone gets hurt Beauchamp will see significant playing time. He has the size and length to be a potential great three and d wing for the Bucks.
Milwaukee Bucks starting power forward; Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a two-time MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year, seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, and five-time All-Defensive player. When you have a player as decorated as he is in his prime, there's no chance no one else is starting over him.
Giannis came off of one of his best seasons where he averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists on 55/28/65 splits. He finished third in the MVP voting and was unanimously selected to First Team All-NBA for his fifth straight year, the only player to be unanimously selected more than three times in a row.
Giannis is easily a Top 20 player to ever play this game of basketball and the Bucks are so incredibly happy to have him. He's going to do everything on the court, score, rebound, pass, defend at a high level. Giannis is the type of player to pour every ounce of his blood, sweat, and tears into every game and that is the perfect leader to have on your team.
Primary Bucks backup power forward: Jae Crowder
The Bucks picked up Jae Crowder midway through last season with a buyout from the Suns. In those 18 games he played Crowder averaged 6.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on 48/44/83 splits.
Crowder is going to play a three-and-D role with the Bucks, which is the role he's played for the majority of his career. Even though he is undersized for the power forward position, he is going to scratch and claw on every possession for every point, rebound or loose ball.
Others who could receive minutes: Bobby Portis
Milwaukee Bucks starting center: Brook Lopez
This is also another obvious choice for the Bucks as Brook Lopez came off of one of his best seasons of his career. He averaged 15.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, a career-best 2.5 blocks on 53 percent shooting from the field, a career-best 37 percent from 3, 78 percent from the free throw line, and finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Lopez is the perfect center to have alongside Giannis because he can shoot threes. Lopez is one of the most unique centers in the league because there are not many who can make a high percentage of threes and also rim protect at an elite level.
Having Lopez along with Giannis, Middleton, Holiday and Allen easily makes this the best two-way starting lineup in the league. They have four All-Star caliber players along with three All-defensive/DPOY caliber players. There is no better fit at the center spot for the Bucks than Brook Lopez.
Primary Bucks backup center: Bobby Portis
The Bucks have one of the deepest lineups in the league and to make this team even more stacked, they have the best backup center in the league with Bobby Portis. Last season Portis averaged 14.1 points, 9/6 rebounds, 1.5 assists on 50/37/77 splits and finished third in the Sixth Man of the Year voting.
Portis is also perfect to play alongside Giannis because he can shoot well for his size, rebound, and defend at a high level. His versatility is very important to the Bucks because they can go big or small.
When they go big they can have a lineup of Holiday, Middleton, Giannis, Portis and Lopez or they could go small where Giannis plays more center than Portis. Having a versatile lineup where you can match up perfectly with any team that you face is extremely important in winning a championship.
Others who could receive minutes: Robin Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo
Robin Lopez was signed onto the Bucks again to play the third-string center for this team. He will get minutes if either Portis or Lopez get hurt. Even then his role is going to be very small for this team.
Giannis' versatility is unmatched to most players in NBA history. His size, quickness, and IQ allow him to play all five positions. Out of all his "secondary' positions, Giannis will see the most with him playing center. When he and Portis play together as the taller player he plays a little bit more center on the defensive side of the ball. If either Portis or Lopez gets hurt Giannis will see more center minutes throughout the season.
