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Milwaukee Bucks: Who will be the 5th Starter in the Rotation?

By Trevor Bender

CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 13: A shot of the Milwaukee Bucks logo during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 13, 2015 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and condition of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rocky Widner/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 13: A shot of the Milwaukee Bucks logo during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 13, 2015 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and condition of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rocky Widner/Getty Images) /
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With the roster completely overhauled, who will be in the Milwaukee Bucks’ starting rotation?

The Milwaukee Bucks that will take the court in the 2020-2021 season is going to be very different from the one that we saw take the court during the 2019-2020 NBA season. Bucks GM Jon Horst overhauled the roster during this truncated offseason and one aspect of overhauling a roster is that we are then left to figure out what that does to the Bucks’ starting rotation.

I first want to review the depth chart for the 2020-2021 Milwaukee Bucks to get an idea of what the Bucks’ starting rotation could look like.

Point Guards

Jrue Holiday and D.J. Augustin.

Shooting Guards

Bryn Forbes, Donte DiVincenzo, Pat Connaughton, Sam Merrill (unsigned rookie), and Nik Stauskas (pending).

Small Forwards

Khris Middleton, Torrey Craig, and Thanasis Antetokounmpo.

Power Forwards

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, D.J. Wilson, and Jordan Nwora.

Centers

Brook Lopez

Most of these players can play at other positions, so the position they are listed as does not necessarily mean that is the position that they will play or even the position they will defend. I want to be very clear that most of the Bucks’ starting rotation is set, I believe there is one spot up for grabs, and that is what I will focus on in this article. Giannis, Holiday, Middleton, and Lopez are the starters that are set in stone, leaving the shooting guard position up for grabs. So who is best suited for the fifth and final spot in the starting rotation?

Torrey Craig

Craig is the type of player that can come in and fill the role that Wesley Matthews played for the Bucks last season. That role is to have the responsibility of defending the opponent’s best offensive player. The defensive stopper is a role that he is used to having, as that is what Denver asked of him in recent seasons.

Craig and Matthews seem to bring the same defensive edge to their game; Craig, however, does have an advantage over Matthews as he has more versatility on the defensive end. Craig is not the knockdown shooter that Matthews is on the other end of the court, but with the offensive firepower already in the Bucks’ starting rotation, I do not think that will be a big concern for Mike Budenholzer.

If Craig is able to improve his three-point shooting, he will look to be the steal of the offseason for the Bucks. Craig in the 19-20 season shot 29.4 percent on corner three’s while shooting 35.3 percent on above the break threes. Craig’s ability to shoot 35 percent or better from three would help with spacing for the Bucks’ offense, but the reason Craig will be in the starting rotation will be due to his defense. An improvement in his three-point shooting would be an added bonus for the Bucks.

Bryn Forbes

Forbes’ argument for the starting rotation is the exact opposite of Craig’s. Forbes does not bring the defensive prowess that Craig does; he does however, bring the shooting and could bring some real spacing to the Bucks’ starting rotation.

Forbes is a career 40 percent shooter from downtown; he shot 38.8 percent last season. Perhaps more importantly, Forbes shot 39.5 percent on catch and shoot opportunities last year.

If Forbes were to be in the Milwaukee Bucks’ starting rotation this season, his ability to shoot the ball, more specifically as a spot-up shooter, will help the spacing of this offense greatly, which, as we all know, is very important for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Defensively, Forbes leaves a lot to be desired; this is not an area that he excels in.

Is there anyone else?

I think that Craig and Forbes should have first opportunities for this spot as they are both very good at one thing that can benefit the Bucks’ starting rotation. The deficiencies of these two players can be covered up by the top-end talent in the starting rotation. I believe that these two players bring more to the starting rotation than the rest of the depth chart.

We will all see what Budenholzer has in mind for this last spot in the Bucks’ starting rotation soon enough as the NBA season is scheduled to start on December 22, 2020. Are there any other players that you would like to see take that last spot in the starting rotation? Let us know below or on Twitter @DairylandXpress.

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