Who’s The Third Best Player On The Milwaukee Bucks?
The Milwaukee Bucks have a clear hierarchy at the top of their roster, but their depth muddies the water for the third spot.
When it comes to the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo clearly rules the roost. Behind him, Khris Middleton has cemented his status as the reigning MVP’s second-fiddle following some recent uncertainty. After him, it becomes less clear.
The Bucks, owners of the NBA’s best record, sport the league’s best depth and can punish teams with waves of capable players on both ends of the court. Filling out the rest of their starting lineup beside Antetokounmpo and Middleton is an All-Star candidate (Eric Bledsoe), a Defensive Player of the Year contestant and a former 16-point a game scorer in Wesley Matthews.
Their bench is also deep with starting-caliber players such as George Hill, Donte DiVincenzo, Robin Lopez and Marvin Williams leading the way. Behind them is another wave of guys who would likely see significant playing time on most other rosters.
Every team needs a clear hierarchy of players to ensure everyone knows their roles on a nightly basis. So who is the Bucks’ third-best player?
Candidates
Eric Bledsoe
When looking at raw stats, Bledsoe appears to have a significant edge over the other two guys on this list. He averages more points, rebounds and assists on a per game basis than both Lopez and DiVincenzo.
However, it’s fair to point out he has the second-highest usage rate (26.6) on the team according to Cleaning the Glass. That’s only natural given he’s the team’s starting point guard, but it also ensures the ball is in his hands more often and he’s given more opportunities to make plays than his counterparts.
Bledsoe’s positive games are often overshadowed by his assumed incompetence in big games, most notably the postseason. Still, the strengths are plentiful, as he’s the team’s best driver behind Antetokounmpo and has continued to play individual defense at a high level this season. His outside shooting has also improved this season–a big plus given the Bucks’ five-out offense.
Brook Lopez
The complete opposite of Bledsoe, Lopez’ stats won’t jump off the page at you. In fact, they’ll bore you and make you think he’s nothing more than a complementary player. Truth be told, he’s a pillar in Milwaukee’s historic defense.
Lopez protects the rim better than anybody in the NBA, including Rudy Gobert. If it wasn’t for another elite defensive talent on the squad in Antetokounmpo, his Defensive Player of the Year case would be clean.
His three-point shooting has fallen off the earth this season, preventing him from making an even stronger case. He’s been forced to diversify his game closer to his time with the Brooklyn Nets when he was a post-game stalwart.
Donte DiVincenzo
Okay, this may be going a little overboard, but there’s no denying how good he’s been this season–his first real season in the NBA after missing most of his rookie campaign due to injuries. DiVincenzo has been the defacto starter when Middleton or Bledsoe have gone down with injuries–posting 22 starts this season.
DiVincenzo is a lightning bug off the bench, doing anything and everything necessary to help his team win. He can fly in for rebounds, catch his defender sleeping by cutting to the basket off-ball or predict the opponents next pass and jumping the route to take it back to his hoop for an easy bucket.
His raw scoring has even improved, as he scored in double-digits in the last four games before the NBA’s hiatus. If he can continue that hot run throughout the rest of the season, it will give Milwaukee yet another scoring weapon.
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Verdict
It’s a tough decision with all three candidates making strong cases for their claim as the Bucks’ third-best player. If we skip forward one year, DiVincenzo’s case may be even stronger. He seems to be only beginning to tap his potential as a player and should develop into a regular starter for the Bucks for years to come.
Lopez has every right to be considered for this award. He should be in the top five of everyone’s Defensive Player of the Year ballot. Unfortunately, it’s too hard to ignore his sub-30 percent shooting from downtown. If that number was up even a few percentage points maybe the verdict would be different.
That leaves us with Bledsoe. Bledsoe certainly has his down moments, but he’s a key cog to what the Bucks do on both sides of the ball. Without him, Milwaukee would struggle to generate points around the hoop. He also defends the seemingly endless wave of elite point guards the NBA currently has. He takes the cake as the Bucks third-best player.