3 Milwaukee Bucks Lineups We’re Excited To See In The 2022-23 NBA Season

One of the best aspects of basketball is the ability to mix and match skills and players to create the best on-court combination possible. Although Milwaukee Bucks’ head coach Mike Budenholzer doesn’t get too crazy with his lineups, it’s still fun to imagine what he can concoct with a few new players this season.

Milwaukee is returning their core with the hopes of running it back in 2022-23 after a key injury derailed their title defense last postseason. However, they’ve had a few new additions that could make for some exciting lineups this season.

Holiday—Connaughton—Beauchamp—Middleton—G. Antetokounmpo

Let’s call this the Bucks’ Death Lineup.

Antetokounmpo at center lineups have always been exciting to watch. The Greek Freak flies around the court on both ends of the floor and is surrounded by shooters to provide optimal spacing. The second-best Bucks’ lineup in 2021-22 included just that; Holiday—Allen—Connaughton—Middleton—G. Antetokounmpo outscored opponents by 24.6 points per 100 possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass.

Now, swap out Allen for Marjon Beauchamp. The rookie will be an offensive downgrade considering the unknown accuracy his three-point shooting will provide. He’s also a lot less polished on that end than Allen and is a complete mystery at the NBA level. However, his defensive potential promises to be exciting alongside Holiday and Antetokounmpo. He adds extra length, grit, and feistiness to this group. Milwaukee would run out guys between 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-8 to fly around the court, with Antetokounmpo lurking at the rim. If that’s not exciting, I don’t know what is.

It also features the Bucks’ best three players who can compensate for Beauchamp’s weaknesses. Connaughton is also an asset considering his versatility on both ends of the court and willingness to do the dirty work. If Beauchamp doesn’t work with this group, they could swap him out for Allen, Wesley Matthews, or even Joe Ingles when he returns.

Carter—Allen—Connaughton—Mamukelashvili—Portis

Let’s call this the Bucks’ misfits.

I’m not sure if this would produce an on the court product that would positively contribute to wins, but it would be fun to try it out.

Carter can pressure ball-handlers the entire length of the court and make their life a living H-E-Double Hockey Sticks. Meanwhile, Allen and Connaughton provide a bit of spacing and three-point shooting on the wings. Connaughton has talked about taking his game to the next level so I’m excited to see if he can bring a more offensive creation this year.

Mamukelshvili has made positive strides this offseason. Although there isn’t really a role for a fourth big man in the postseason when Portis, Lopez and Antetokounmpo are healthy, Budenholzer would love nothing more than to rotate a capable big in to keep his guys fresh. Portis would provide stability on the offensive end of the court.

Milwaukee would be smart to always ensure they have at least one of their big three on the court at all times, but this could be a cast of misfits that’s worth experimenting with at the end of a quarter or two.

Holiday—Middleton—G. Antetokounmpo—Portis—Lopez

Let’s call this the Bucks’ Jumbo Unit.

We tipped off this article with a small lineup and we’ll finish with a grouping of huge men. At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Holiday would be far and away the smallest human being on the court for the Bucks in this configuration. That’s astounding considering the blend of strength and physicality he brings to the table.

Of course, Antetokounmpo unlocks this entire combination. His ability to slide down to the three and adequately defend opposing small forwards makes this entirely possible. The Bucks would have to worry less about him or Middleton defending quicker players because Lopez will be waiting in the paint for any attempts at dribble penetration. The Bucks did roll out Antetokounmpo, Portis, and Lopez units for 155 possessions in the playoffs and saw them outscore opponents by 3.4 points per 100 possessions, indicating Budenholzer has some appetite for it.