Milwaukee Bucks: 5 goals for Donte DiVincenzo’s rookie season

3. Receive votes for Sixth Man of the Year

Barring the unexpected, Donte DiVincenzo will come off the bench for the vast majority, if not the entirety, of his rookie season. With Eric Bledsoe entrenched as the starting point guard, it seems most likely that Mike Budenholzer will start either Tony Snell or Malcolm Brogdon at the 2 alongside Bledsoe.

That means DiVincenzo will be in a rotation with Matthew Dellavedova to back those three players up, at least to start the season. If he can establish himself, the goal for both DiVincenzo and the Bucks will be to phase Dellavedova out of the regular rotation. A dependable DiVincenzo also primes the team to trade either Delly or Bledsoe during the season.

It’s highly improbable that the rookie could establish himself and make such an impact so as to win Sixth Man of the Year. That’s a goal for another season. Yet what DiVincenzo can do is continually grow his impact, start a few games when injuries strike the rotation, and seize the narrative enough for someone in the media to check his name off on an end-of-the-year ballot.

“The Big Ragu” has the explosive offensive game and the personality to make an impact on an award discussion, and the opportunity is there for him to make his impact on Milwaukee bench units. Getting just a single vote for Sixth Man of the Year would be a validation of what he can contribute this season.