Milwaukee Bucks: 5 takeaways from 2017 NBA Summer League

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LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 12: Gary Payton II of the Milwaukee Bucks is guarded by Naz Mitrou-Long #19 of the Sacramento Kings during the 2017 Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 12, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sacramento won 69-65. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

5. Battle for the third point guard remains unresolved

Late last season, the Bucks signed Gary Payton II to a two-year contract, with the second year being non-guaranteed. That signaled their latest attempt to find a third point guard, a goal that would give them freedom to move the now unwieldy contract of Matthew Dellavedova.

Having used one of their 15 roster spots on Payton, they leveraged one of the two-way contracts added in the new collective bargaining agreement on Bronson Koenig. A local star at Wisconsin, Koenig added another option at PG.

If the Bucks think Koenig is as good or better than Payton, they can cut the former Oregon State star and allocate that roster spot elsewhere. If he’s not ready for the big leagues, he can draw fans to the new Wisconsin Herd as a familiar face.

In Las Vegas that decision didn’t become easier – not because both players stood out, but instead because neither did. Koenig’s best skill is his ability to pull up off the dribble, a skill unique to the Milwaukee backcourt. But he shot terribly during his time in Vegas, providing no evidence he can hit reliably from NBA three-point range against faster and longer closeouts.

Payton’s best time in Vegas came when he was playing off the ball, either alongside another point guard such as Travis Trice or when Sterling Brown initiated the offense. While Milwaukee has one of the league’s best wing playmakers in Giannis Antetokounmpo, they need a point guard who can handle the ball and set up the offense.

The ripple effects of a double disappointment in Las Vegas is that the Bucks may continue their search elsewhere. Rumors of Derrick Rose signing with Milwaukee have persisted, flamed on recently by head coach Jason Kidd saying the two sides had “mutual interest.” While the fit with Rose would seem to make little sense, the team feels a need to have another option at the 1.

Gary Payton II and Bronson Koenig had the chance to prove it should be them. And while players such as Rashad Vaughn, D.J. Wilson and Sterling Brown all showed flashes of why they could be a part of Milwaukee’s future, the point guards did not. What happens in Vegas is supposed to stay in Vegas, and Payton and Koenig will hope their poor play does just that.

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