Milwaukee Bucks: Three Moves That Need To Stick

After the injury to Jabari Parker, the Milwaukee Bucks have made several adjustments to their rotation. Will Jason Kidd remain consistent? Or, will the lineup roulette continue?

Milwaukee Bucks fans must sadly face the reality that no matter how Jason Kidd adjusts his lineup, the team is unlikely to make the playoffs. The Bucks month-long slump has taken them to the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference.

With Jabari Parker having suffered his second ACL injury, Coach Kidd lost a 20 point scorer and one of the league’s rising stars. Already, we have gotten a glimpse into the rotations we can expect to see.

One of these adjustments has been giving Thon Maker an opportunity to do more than just start the game. In his previous appearances, Maker came out with the starting five only to disappear for much of the night. Now, Kidd has stuck with him in the first, third and even fourth quarters.

In the team’s victory over Indiana, Maker showed off his ability to stretch the floor along with his usual defensive activity. If he continues to shoot the ball well, the Bucks could use him in the power forward role alongside Greg Monroe or John Henson. This would give Milwaukee a rebounding and shot blocking advantage against most teams.

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Continuing to give Thon Maker substantial playing time should be priority number one for the remainder of the season. The more minutes he plays this year, the better the coaching staff will be able to build on his experiences this off-season.

The second move that Jason Kidd must continue is including Rashad Vaughn in the rotation. For much of the season, Vaughn has been stuck on the bench. At times, he would see the floor for a stretch only to go weeks without action. This inconsistency will only hurt the development of the former first round pick.

While it is easy to declare the selection of Vaughn as a bust, fans must remember he is just 20 years old. Even though statistics clearly show he has not produced, at times the 2nd year player shows flashes of being a scorer.

The remainder of the 2016-2017 season must be his opportunity to prove he is part of the future in Milwaukee. This may mean some nights of going 1-8 from downtown, but his shooting stroke and playmaking ability should lend itself to several 20 point nights. If given a chance.

While Jason Terry provides outstanding leadership and the occasional corner three, he does not help the Bucks long term, unless he goes on to join Jason Kidd’s staff. Therefore, any minutes that previously belonged to Terry should immediately and consistently be given to Rashad Vaughn.

The third move that Jason Kidd must utilize is permanently giving the point guard responsibilities to Giannis Antetokounmpo. As the primary ball handler, Antetokounmpo presents a matchup problem for every team in the NBA.

As the point guard, he becomes much more engaged in the offense which leads to better ball movement and easy looks for shooters. Opposing defenses must devote so much attention to keeping him out of the lane that it is easy to forget about the remaining Bucks.

If the lineup alongside him includes Tony Snell, Michael Beasley, Thon Maker and John Henson, Antetokounmpo has three viable options to stretch the floor. This becomes an even better starting five once Khris Middleton makes a full return.

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Despite being only two games out of the eighth seed, the Milwaukee Bucks should be more focused on developing consistency in their play and rotations. Giving minutes to Thon Maker, Rashad Vaughn and featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo as the point guard should be three moves that Jason Kidd sticks to throughout the season.