With the NBA offseason firmly in its dullest stretch, the Milwaukee Bucks are hard at work refining their games for the upcoming season. And why should we be any different?
Starting with Nate Ament and continuing in alphabetical order, Dairyland Express is taking a player-by-player look at specific goals for everyone on the Bucks’ roster. Make that two goals: one realistic and one ambitious.
Brayden Burries is up next.
The 10th overall pick was one of the breakout stars of the Las Vegas Summer League, quickly raising expectations for his rookie season. Here are two goals for Burries as he prepares for his first year in the NBA.
Realistic goal: Average 10 points and 5 assists per game
One of the biggest challenges for new Bucks head coach Taylor Jenkins may be figuring out his guard rotation.
He has Tyler Herro, Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr. and Burries, all of whom need opportunities with the ball in their hands. There are also guys like Gary Trent Jr., A.J. Green and Kasparas Jakucionis who could soak up minutes and opportunities off the ball.
Still, Burries should be near the top of the list of players Milwaukee prioritizes. His age, draft status and place in the franchise’s future make his development too important to push aside.
Burries averaged 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game in the Las Vegas Summer League, dramatically raising expectations for what he could accomplish as a rookie.
His scoring output won’t be that high during the regular season. Milwaukee has too many offensive mouths to feed for Burries to dominate the ball as he did in Vegas. Still, he showed he can score at all three levels thanks to an intriguing combination of quickness, strength, and touch.
The more difficult part of this goal may be reaching five assists per game. Burries averaged only 4.3 assists in Summer League and 2.4 during his lone collegiate season.
However, he’ll also be surrounded by better finishers and shooters than at any point in his career. A dump-off to Myles Turner or Jericho Sims around the rim here, or a kickout to sharpshooters like Green and Herro there, should give him plenty of opportunities to rack up assists.
A 10-point, five-assist rookie season wouldn’t generate many headlines around the NBA. For Milwaukee, though, it would be an encouraging sign that Burries can develop into one of the foundational pieces of the post-Giannis era.
Ambitious goal: Earn NBA All-Rookie First Team honors
I’m not gonna lie: I was tempted to make Rookie of the Year Burries’ ambitious goal.
That feels a little too far-fetched given a loaded rookie class headlined by AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson. Still, Burries has a legitimate opportunity to establish himself as one of the five best rookies in the NBA.
Voters disregard positions when selecting the All-Rookie teams, which could work in Burries’ favor. He won’t have to directly compete with guards such as Peterson or Darius Acuff Jr. for a limited number of backcourt spots.
More importantly, Burries should have plenty of opportunity to build his case.
Milwaukee has every incentive to get him on the floor, and without an established lead guard outside of Herro, Burries should also get chances to operate with the ball in his hands. If the scoring translates, the playmaking takes another step and his Summer League defense carries over, he has the type of well-rounded game that could attract All-Rookie votes.
Making the First Team would require Burries to exceed already-rising expectations. After what he showed in Las Vegas, though, that possibility suddenly doesn’t feel quite as ambitious as it did on draft night.
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