Milwaukee Bucks looking to clean up unfinished business
Storyline 1: Who will replace Malcolm Brogdon?
The only significant departure from the roster this offseason was starting 2-guard Macolm Brogdon. The former Rookie of the Year has developed into a versatile wing defender and a knockdown shooter, joining the prestigious 50-40-90 club for shooting percentages.
With Brogdon now on the Indiana Pacers, the Milwaukee Bucks need to fill his place in the starting lineup, his role in the offense and his minutes load in the rotation. Those three aspects don’t have to be taken on by the same player, and in the case of the Bucks it would behoove them to share the load.
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In the starting lineup, most expect Wesley Matthews to take Brogdon’s place and that’s not a terrible place to start. Matthews has been a serviceable starter on the wing for literally his entire career. He has also not been anything spectacular, last year rating as the league’s 32nd-best shooting guard according to ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus (RPM) metric, a negative on both ends.
That performance could be a result of changing teams twice during the season and with an offseason to settle into the system he could get back to the success he had earlier in his career. However Matthews has not been a positive-impact player since his Achilles injury with the Portland Trail Blazers four years ago.
Whether or not Matthews is starting, the role of knockdown shooter will likely go to Kyle Korver. The veteran guard picked the Bucks over a number of suitors, reuniting with head coach Mike Budenholzer to make a run at a title.
Perhaps Korver and Matthews together can replace Brogdon’s minutes in the rotation, but the team would be well-served to try out Sterling Brown in an increased role. The third-year player is a solid defensive option already and has versatility on offense to do more than simply catch-and-shoot.
He is the closest thing to a direct replacement this roster has and if the Bucks can develop him into a starter, he will provide a younger option as Matthews and Korver and George Hill age out of relevance for the team.