Milwaukee Bucks: Should Jason Kidd give Sean Kilpatrick more minutes?

The Milwaukee Bucks have only used newly-signed Sean Kilpatrick in two games thus far. Should Jason Kidd give more minutes to the young guard?

With the implementation of the two-way contract, NBA teams like the Milwaukee Bucks can now augment their 15-man roster with a player or two from their G League affiliate. More than most teams, the Bucks have leaned on that new flexibility to fill minutes during NBA games.

Combo guard Gary Payton II was waived and signed to a two-way contract earlier in the season, and played a key role for the Bucks throughout November and December. Once he hit the maximum 45 days with the parent club, he was cut and replaced by Sean Kilpatrick.

A one-time standout at Cincinnati, Kilpatrick bounced around the league after being undrafted in 2014. The Milwaukee Bucks got their first close-up look at Kilpatrick when he played on their 2015 NBA Summer League squad. The guard eventually made his way to the Brooklyn Nets, where he finally began to succeed.

Able to put up points in bunches, Kilpatrick earned a contract with the Nets by filling the stat sheet. He scored in double figures in 21 of his first 25 games as a Net. In all he averaged over 13 points per game while in Brooklyn, earning 24 starts over his tenure and once scoring as many as 38 in an upset over the Los Angeles Clippers.

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For his entire career, the ability to score has been his hallmark. Kilpatrick for his career has averaged 18.8 points per 36 minutes on efficient shooting percentages. When he has stepped up to the free throw line he has been nearly automatic, hitting 86.1 percent of his free throws for his career.

When the Nets made the move to acquire former 76ers Jahlil Okafor and Nik Stauskas, Kilpatrick found himself the odd man out, and on Dec. 7 was waived by Brooklyn. Eleven days later the Bucks replaced Payton II with Kilpatrick, signing the former Net to a two-way contract.

Although the Bucks have played in five games since signing Kilpatrick, he has appeared in only two of them. In his first action with the Bucks against the Charlotte Hornets, Kilpatrick played slightly over 10 minutes and scored five points on 2-of-3 shooting. The very next night against those same Hornets, he played 14 minutes and put up 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting.

Kilpatrick’s contributions weren’t empty, either, as he had a positive point differential in both stints, including a +5 mark in the team’s win over the Hornets in his Milwaukee debut. Conversely, the two players Kilpatrick is primarily fighting for minutes — rookie Sterling Brown and journeyman DeAndre Liggins — posted negative point differentials in both contests.

Despite his positive showings in both contests, Kilpatrick has been relegated to the bench in both of the subsequent games. While that is not surprising in and of itself — most teams have plenty of options to fill minutes on the primary 15-man roster, and the Bucks are no exception — there are reasons to think Kilpatrick may be able to help this team.

In a 115-106 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Boxing Day, Kilpatrick did not enter the game. While Sterling Brown was likewise relegated to the bench, DeAndre Liggins played 18 minutes and was a -8 for the night, scoring just two points.

After the loss head coach Jason Kidd was asked about his decision not to play Sean Kilpatrick, and he gave a thoroughly confusing answer:

This random selection of players to see the court isn’t just limited to Kilpatrick either. Here is Kidd after the team’s win Thursday night over the Minnesota Timberwolves, explaining why reigning Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon didn’t play until late in the second quarter.

It’s not a good look for an NBA coach to suggest he is randomly deciding which players to put into the game. It’s even worse to blatantly state that’s how he is making his decisions. Kidd needs to make decisions on who to play based on preparation and analysis of how the game is playing out, not a “lottery” or where his eyes land first.

Sean Kilpatrick may not be the best option off the bench at the 2/3. It’s possible that over the long run he would be a worse option than Liggins or Brown. But since Kilpatrick made his debut, both Brown and Liggins have put up a negative point differential in every game they have appeared in. Kilpatrick, as previously mentioned, was positive in both appearances.

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The team has an investment in Brown as last year’s second round pick, but Liggins is merely a veteran on a minimum contract. What’s the point of keeping him around — and playing him — if he’s not going to make a positive impact? If Kidd is going to play him based on a lottery, perhaps it would behoove management to cut Liggins to take his name out of the running.

The team signed Kilpatrick for a reason, when they could have used help in the frontcourt. He has played well in the two games he was allowed to see the court. He has more of a history of offensive success than either Brown or Liggins, and this Milwaukee second unit could use a scoring punch. So why didn’t Kidd play him over the last two games?

In the end he is a backup 2-guard on a two-way contract for a coach who has no problems playing his starters heavy minutes. But if Jason Kidd can step away from his ridiculous attempts at fending off the media, he needs to determine which players will truly help his team win.

Based on his play thus far, Sean Kilpatrick deserves the chance to prove himself to be one of those players. With the schedule only ramping up from here, the competition will be fierce to see the floor among a number of players all playing for their jobs. When and where Kilpatrick sees the court is a mystery.

Next: 2018 NBA Mock Draft: End of 2017 edition

Not even Jason Kidd knows whose name will be drawn.