Milwaukee Bucks: Consistent role players have stepped up so far

The Milwaukee Bucks are 8-1 to start the 2018-19 season and don’t look to be slowing down soon. While most attribute this to superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo’s MVP play, the Bucks’ role players are also playing a huge role in the team’s success.

After another win on Sunday over the Sacramento Kings, the Milwaukee Bucks are one of the hottest teams early on in the 2018-19 NBA season. With a record of 8-1, Milwaukee has already defeated other conference favorites in the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers.

Currently sitting only a half-game back of first place in the East, the Bucks look like legitimate contenders to represent the conference in the NBA Finals this year.

Leading the charge is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is currently having the best year of his career. Averaging 26.1 points, 13.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game, Giannis has showcased why he is an early favorite to win MVP this season.

Assisting him in carrying the workload is Khris Middleton, who is emerging as a great wingman for Milwaukee’s offense. Middleton is averaging 19.1 points on a strong .446/.443/.886 shooting split, also adding 5.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Through Giannis’ greatness and Middleton’s scoring, the duo is spearheading the Bucks’ strong start to the season.

However, there are a few Milwaukee players who haven’t been getting enough love for their contributions. For those who didn’t know, there are three other players in the Bucks’ starting lineup and they have also been playing very well. Along with Antetokounmpo and Middleton, starters Eric Bledsoe, Malcolm Brogdon and Brook Lopez have been doing their part in the victories, something they will need to keep doing to ensure Milwaukee keeps winning.

A disgruntled Eric Bledsoe was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Bucks near the beginning of last season and immediately stepped into a starting role. His scoring has dropped from 17.8 points per game last year with Milwaukee to 13.6 per game this year, but he has stepped up his role player value by doing better in every other category.

He has increased his assists and rebounds per game while turning the ball over less. Bledsoe is also shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from the 3-point line, allowing Giannis to make more plays while he can stick to shooting. By also adding 2.8 win shares per 48 minutes, Bledsoe has been an all-around large contributor to the team’s overall success so far.

Alongside Bledsoe in the backcourt is Malcolm Brodgon, who is also contributing to Milwaukee’s success as a role player. After only starting 20 games last year, Brogdon has started all nine this year and is doing everything the Bucks need him to do to win.

He has a great true shooting percentage of 62.5 percent, which includes hitting 43.8 percent of his 3-point shots and all 16 of his free throw attempts. The 2017 Rookie of the Year is also a very solid defender on the perimeter, where opponents are only shooting 37.4 percent from beyond 15 feet when guarded by him. Brogdon might not seem like the most important player on the Bucks this year, but him being solid on both ends of the floor is key for Milwaukee to get to the next level as a team.

Rounding out the starting lineup is newcomer Brook Lopez, who has been exactly what the Bucks have needed out of their starting center. With Giannis spending a lot of time in the paint on both ends of the floor, Milwaukee went out and got Brook Lopez in the offseason to be able to space out the offense.

The seven-footer has stepped-out and hit 33.9 percent of his 3-point attempts this season, making him perfect to start alongside Giannis. While Lopez’s interior defense has been lacking, him being able to be the fourth Bucks starter around Antetokounmpo to hit 3-pointers is a large reason why Milwaukee boasts the second-most points per game of any team in the NBA.

There is no “I” in team, and that has been true up to this point for the Bucks. While the Greek Freak and Middleton have been the obvious stars of the team so far, Milwaukee has been so successful because its role players like Bledsoe, Brogdon and Lopez have done their part as well.