Milwaukee Bucks guard Lindell Wigginton must take these 4 steps to make the roster

1. Milwaukee Bucks require great perimeter defense from their guards

This past season, Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics became the first guard to win the Defensive Player of The Year Award since Gary Payton received the accolade back in 1996. While perimeter defenders are often overlooked when conversations about end-of-year awards take place, there is no mistaking the value of an elite backcourt pick-pocket.

Even if a perimeter defender does not get a steal or force a turnover, his constant pressure can greatly disrupt the opposing team’s plan of attack. In Game Four of their 1st round series against the Phoenix Suns, the New Orleans Pelicans instructed rookie point guard Jose Alvarado to harass Chris Paul for 94 feet. The result was several impressive stops by the rookie out of Georgia Tech, and a surprising 15-point margin of victory for the Pelicans.

For a player like Lindell Wigginton, who is joining a roster that includes constant scoring threats like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, his first priority must be convincing head coach Mike Budenholzer that he can impact the game on the defensive side of the ball. Fortunately, he has the luxury of going up against Jrue Holiday in practice. If Wigginton can prove he can rattle a seasoned veteran like Holiday, he can be trusted against any starting point guard.

The Bucks are a team that knows where their scoring will come from. In addition to their Big 3, they also have seasoned veterans like Bobby Portis, Grayson Allen and Robin Lopez who will provide additional scoring punch. Young players like Wigginton are going to have to earn the respect of the coaching staff through their tenacity on the defensive side of the ball.