At the conclusion of last season that ended in a four game sweep in the first round of the playoffs at the hands of the Miami Heat, most Bucks fans knew the roster was going to looks drastically different than the underwhelming squad of 2012. The changes made to Milwaukee's roster were, if nothing else, refreshing. Losing free agents, Monta Ellis, Samual Dalembert, and Brandon Jennings, among others. All while acquiring Brandon Knight, Khris Middleton and a hand full of 2nd round draft pick via trade. Buck's general manager John Hammond also drafted the most intriguing prospect in the league in Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Now granted, no knowledgeable basketball fan pegged Milwaukee to compete for a championship any time soon, but most of us assumed this team would be somewhat competitive. Even with a new coaching staff and 11 new players the fact that this team sits solely at the bottom of the league with a 7-28 record is a bit of a surprise. With teams like Philadelphia, Boston, and Utah tanking on purpose, the fact that the “8th seed or bust” Bucks have a firm grasp on the league's worst record is dumb luck. (For those in the tank for lottery pick camp).
So here Milwaukee sits, seemingly a lock for a top 3 pick with question marks throughout their entire roster. Is Brandon Knight the point guard of the future? Can Larry Sanders keep his head on straight and be the future at center? Can he even justify his new contract? Can Larry Sanders and John Henson play next to each other on the court? What position is the best spot for Giannis Antetokounmpo? With such a deep, talented draft, any player the Bucks take is going to make one of the players listed above (minus Giannis) expendable.
With the clock ticking on the BMO Harris Bradley Center lease, a lot of things need to fall in favor of the Bucks for people in Milwaukee to care enough about basketball to finance a new arena and keep the Bucks in Milwaukee for the long haul. That's easier said than done as this team hasn't been relevant outside of southeast Wisconsin for the better part of twenty years. The Appleton Post-Crescent and Green Bay Press Gazzette don't even write about the Bucks outside of the box score anymore. This is so depressing to write. Ugh.
If you're Herb Kohl, how do you turn this franchise into a consistent winner?