The Bucks have made a lot of moves since the 2016-2017 season came to a close. However, there were still nine players that returned to the roster from last season. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, John Henson, Tony Snell, Malcoldm Brogdon,Thon Maker, Jason Terry, Matthew Dellavedova, and Jabari Parker all made their returns to the Bradley Center floor this year. They had their ups, they had their downs, but here are the grades for each returning Bucks player:
Tony Snell: C+
Tony Snell resigned with the Bucks last season for four years, making $46 million over the course of those four years. After the way he performed late in the season and in the playoffs last year, resigning Snell seemed to be a no-brainer. But with the way he has been playing this year, it almost feels like maybe we should have just let him slip into free agency. He started off the season well. Hitting threes, defending some of the league’s best wing players, and proving himself to be a valuable member of the team. However, as the season went on, Snell’s consistency slipped from his hands. He didn’t even seem to really be taking shots in the back half of the season, which perhaps could’ve had something to do with the coaching change, but he seemed very discouraged every time he had the ball in his hands. His season has not been a complete disappointment, but let’s hope he can turn it around in the playoffs here, and get it together in the off-season to have a strong 2018-19 campaign.
Khris Middleton: A-
Khris Middleton has given us his strongest showing yet. Averaging 20 points per game, five rebounds, and over four assists, he has been a vital part of the Bucks’ success all season long. When Giannis is off the court or not playing in the game all together, Khris was the coaching staff’s go to option. He improved his finishing around the rim, shooting off the dribble, and being an all around leader for this young Bucks team. If there are some things Middleton could improve on, it would be his one-on-one defense and his consistency from the three-point line. Over the last few years, Khris has been the Bucks best three point shooter, but for some reason, he seemed to be discouraged from the arc. It was evident that he stopped working on his shooting while he strengthened other aspects of his game. Additionally, his defense is not terrible. But he could become a much stronger player if he worked on the isolation defense a little more. Perhaps have him do some one-on-one practice with Giannis, because if he can lockdown Giannis defensively, he can lockdown anyone.
Thon Maker: D+
Thon is young, but all the hype around the Bucks 2016 10th overall draft pick caused him to be some what of a letdown this season. He had a strong playoff series last year against the Toronto Raptors, but the skinny big man that the Bucks seem to be forcing into playing the center position has hardly seen playing time as the season has gone on. All Thon seems to be good for is the occasional three pointer. He has no presence in the post on offense and is far from an immovable object on defense. Much like most of the Bucks big men, Thon gets pushed around by the opposing big men when he’s on defense. I still have hope for Thon, but until the team moves him down to be a stretch power forward, I don’t see him succeeding in the future. I believe he can be a solid power forward in the NBA, but he is not someone who will ever have much of a back-to-the-basket post up skill. Let’s hope we see some improvements quickly, because the Bucks’ time is now.
Matthew Dellavedova: C-
Delly is showing signs of being an incredible leader. I love him as a backup point guard for the Bucks, especially last season, but this season he has not had much of an effect. Delly has proven to be a tremendous pint-point passer, but seems to spend far to much time dribbling in the front court. He attempts to do his own drive-and-kick play that no one is ever prepared for and ends up turning the ball over. He seems to have a lot of panic with the ball in his hands this season, and now is not a great time to be working him back in to the rotation. He was out for almost two months with an ankle sprain and now we are in the playoffs, with Joe Prunty attempting to help him find his fit in the rotation. Brandon Jennings has yet to see any playing time in the post season, despite him fitting in very well once he signed with the Bucks. I’d love to see Delly find his mojo again in the offseason and help the Bucks make a strong run next year, but he should not be getting as much playing time in the playoffs as he is.
Jabari Parker: B-
I can’t remember a time recently where Bucks fans have been more excited for a player returning from an injury than when Jabari returned to the court on February 2nd. I had the pleasure of being at the game where he returned, and the entire crowd was on their feet, cheering loud for the 2014 second overall pick hitting the court for the first time since he tore his ACL for the second time in 2017. Performance wise, Jabari has given the Bucks some strong offensive performances, especially with Giannis missing multiple games late in the season. However, his effort on defense has been abysmal. He seems to rarely give any effort towards defending the opposing team for more than two seconds. He is lazy on box outs and seems to expect that rebounds will just come to him. His offense has become much more well-rounded since he last played. His ball handling has improved, and so has his three point shot and shooting off the dribble. The Bucks will have a big decision to make when it comes to resigning or letting Jabari go into free agency this summer.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: A+++
What more can you say? Giannis has given us anything and everything we need. He is one of the most prominent offensive players in the NBA. Ending the season tied for fourth in scoring with 26.9 points per game while adding 10 rebounds per game as well. Not to mention countless highlight plays in the process. Giannis continued to improve his jumper throughout the season, and is finally starting to gain some confidence in it. It definitely still needs work, but it has come a long way since he entered the league. Of course, there is a worry in everyone’s mind from Giannis’s season: his knees. Primarily late in the season, Giannis missed a few games due to soreness in his knees that pretty much came from playing too many minutes. Despite this knee pain, Giannis gave us the best season a Bucks player has had since Ray Allen (most likely). God bless you, Giannis. Keep it up.
Jason Terry: B-
The JET! Jason Terry has proven to be a valuable veteran leader. He is the only player on the Bucks’ roster who has played a vital role with a team who won a championship, so the young players know to listen to him, because he knows what it takes to win. Jason Terry struggled early on in the season, struggling to get playing time and struggling to hit shots when he did play. However, as the season went on, he got his rhythm going and hit some big time shots along the way. Despite shooting a nearly career low 34% from the three point line, JET’s leadership was his strongest suit during the 2017-18 season.
John Henson: C-
John Henson is the definition of inconsistent. He has been one of the most frustrating players to watch these past couple years, because the organization trusts him to play the minutes of a prime NBA center, but frankly, should not be. In six seasons with the Bucks, Henson seems to have avoided bulking up with muscle at all, and constantly gets pushed around by opposing big men. However, he has had his bright spots on the floor. While he is inconsistent, some of those good games would include him blocking 5 shots, or coming out and starting with 8 points in the first quarter. My real issue with the way Henson plays is how much we are paying him. He makes $12 million dollars a year, and is not worth much more than $3 million a year. If we weren’t paying him so much, I’d say keep him around as a backup, but let’s try to find a strong post presence for $12 million per year.
Malcolm Brogdon: B
And finally, the reigning rookie of the year. Malcolm Brogdon came back with high expectations from fans. After being named rookie of the year for the 2016-17 season, Brogdon started out the season as the Bucks starting point guard, but after they brought in Eric Bledsoe, he became the Bucks most valuable asset off the bench. Before injuring his quad muscle in early February, Brogdon averaged 13 points per game and shot an efficient 38% from the three point arc. These were some solid stats from a point guard coming off the bench, even though I’m sure he was frustrated that he lost his starting spot. Brogdon made it back just in time for the playoffs and has already hit some big time shots through the first four games. He is being trusted when the game is on the line, and I’m thankful he is, because he is a hard-working young man who deserves to have the ball in his hands at all times.