Milwaukee Bucks: 2018-19 NBA season preview
2018-19 roster
Key additions: Donte DiVincenzo (draft), Brook Lopez (free agency), Ersan Ilyasova (free agency), Pat Connaughton (free agency)
Key subtractions: Jabari Parker (free agency), Brandon Jennings (waived), Jason Terry (unsigned)
The Milwaukee Bucks were victims to their own successful model, leaning into the idea of drafting for athleticism, length and raw potential over skills, feel and other factors. That left them with a roster weighed down by long athletes who had not yet developed into consistent contributors.
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That began to change this offseason, as the team added a pair of stretch bigs in Brook Lopez and Ersan Ilyasova. Lopez should start immediately at the 5, providing Antetokounmpo the spacing he has never had on this team. Ilyasova replaces departed forward Jabari Parker as a comfortable outside shooter who brings team defensive chops as well.
Both Lopez and Ilyasova have been out of the first round in the playoffs, something few players on the Bucks can claim. That gives this team a helpful veteran presence, even as Jason Terry was not retained. This was a veteran team adding veteran pieces.
The Bucks also made the right kind of move to bolster their bench depth in adding Pat Connaughton. In years past that slot was filled with one-sided players such as DeAndre Liggins or Shabazz Muhammad.
Connaughton was a legitimate rotation player on the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference last season.
The team’s biggest offseason move, of course, was adding head coach Mike Budenholzer. The former Spurs assistant oversaw perennial playoff teams in Atlanta, including a 60-win campaign in 2014-15.
An Atlanta team sapped of talent finally embraced the rebuild and Budenholzer was free to come to another team. He chose the Bucks, and should be their most important addition.