Milwaukee Bucks Must Limit The Minutes Of Their Free-Agent Signings
By Joe Kiemen
The Milwaukee Bucks signed two free agents this past off-season. Down the stretch, both of them should remain on the bench.
As the Milwaukee Bucks make their push towards the playoffs, Jason Kidd will have to be on his game just as much as his players. With Jabari Parker being out for the season and Khris Middleton still working his way back, the Bucks coach has little room for error in the lineups he creates.
One of Kidd’s strategies has been to more evenly distribute his talent in hopes of maintaining a strong bench. Greg Monroe and Malcolm Brogdon have taken advantage of facing the opponent’s second unit. However, when this decision puts a weaker starting five on the court, it’s time for a change.
Based on his poor play, Matthew Dellavedova should be removed from the starting lineup and have his minutes drastically reduced. When the Bucks signed the point-guard, they expected solid defense and a high three-point shooting percentage. Thus far, Dellavedova hasn’t lived up to these expectations. On the season he is shooting just 35% from downtown and 38% overall.
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While most of his shots come from behind the arc, at times Dellavedova sends up his signature “floater.” The Bucks would be better off if he took this out of his arsenal and focused on distribution.
If Jason Kidd fears that replacing him would disrupt his bench unit, he could give Giannis Antetokounmpo the point guard duties. This would pair him with both Tony Snell and Khris Middleton. The more shooters on the court, the more effective Antetokounmpo becomes.
Mirza Teletovic
Much like the signing of Dellavedova, there was a clear purpose behind the addition of Mirza Teletovic. His role with the Bucks would be to come in and space the floor with his shooting. While Teletovic has certainly taken his fair share of shots, it hasn’t translated to consistent makes. One reason he is shooting just 34% is his poor decision making. Upon entering the game, Teletovic often fires away when closely defended or off balance.
Knowing this, Jason Kidd has limited his playing time to just a few minutes per game. Even though reducing his minutes any further would mean not playing at him at all, Kidd should consider making this move.
In his place, Rashad Vaughn should be given more chances to come in a shoot the ball. With more opportunities, his shooting percentage should improve from 34%. While the Bucks would lose some height on the exchange, Vaughn provides pesky defense and a surprising knack for rebounding the basketball.
The Milwaukee Bucks remain in the playoff picture for the eight seed in the Eastern Conference. By limiting the minutes of Matthew Dellavodova and Mirza Teletovic, they can put better playmakers on the floor. This would help their playoff push and put their All-Star player in a better position to succeed.