What Happens If Milwaukee Bucks Keep Winning?

The Hole At Power Forward Isn’t So Large After All

One of the biggest concerns with the loss of Parker was a gaping hole at power forward. With five centers on the team and only one natural power forward, Mirza Teletovic, the way Jason Kidd would manage his rotations was an area of great interest.

The fear for many fans was that Kidd would “go big” and slot one-time power forwards Greg Monroe or Spencer Hawes at the 4, even though both are clearly best deployed at the 5. But instead, Kidd has gone the other way and it is working for Milwaukee.

Over their three-game winning streak the Bucks have started the combination of rookie Thon Maker at center and wing Michael Beasley at power forward.

Milwaukee Bucks

Beasley has posted a positive plus/minus in each contest, while keeping sharpshooter Teletovic as the bench scorer and floor spacer.

Kidd has also flexed his other roster option, which was to slide Giannis Antetokounmpo to power forward and insert Khris Middleton at small forward, pairing them with two guards and a center.

This lineup saw the floor for portions of their win over the Brooklyn Nets as Kidd played Antetokounmpo 20 of his game-high 40 minutes at the 4. He also dropped 33 points as part of a robust stat line.

As the league shifts smaller and smaller, using a combination of wings at the 4 seems to be increasingly tenable, and it has worked for Kidd so far. It also unlocks the most switchable lineups, fitting seamlessly into the Bucks’ preferred defensive approach.

While relying on Michael Beasley long-term is a scary proposition for any team, the versatility of Milwaukee’s All-Star forward means when the chips are down neither Beasley or Teletovic need to be on the court.