The 2022-23 End-Of-Regular-Season Milwaukee Bucks Awards

With the 2022-23 regular season coming to a close, I made up my own awards and handed them out to the Milwaukee Bucks, who finished the regular season with the NBA’s best record.

In the spirt of participation trophies and Millennials, I made sure every player is at least mentioned as a runner-up in one of the categories, even if I had to get extremely creative with the award (cough, Pat Connaughton, cough). With 12 prizes to hand out, let’s dive right in.

Teammate of the Year: Thanasis Antetokounmpo

This is likely his last season in Milwaukee so I wanted him to end his reign with a bang. You could poll NBA officials about whether he should be on an NBA roster, or you could use common sense to understand why he has a spot at the end of Milwaukee’s bench.

In either case, there hasn’t been a negative peep about his presence in Milwaukee over the last four years. He’s always positive, is the first one to pop off the bench when something happens and is constantly cheering his teammates on. Let’s give him credit for embracing his role and not becoming a distraction in the locker room.

Runner-up: Jrue Holiday

Biggest Surprise: MarJon Beauchamp

I was on the record before the season began that Beauchamp should be red-shirted in his rookie season. He played more than I expected early in the season and performed better than the low bar I set for him as well. Fans were disappointed in his lack of playing time as the season wore on, but he showed enough flashes to believe he could turn into a role player in two-to-three years. That may seem like a disappointing expectation, but the Bucks desperately need a draft pick to turn into a legitimate rotation player. Beauchamp could be on his way.

Runner-up: Serge Ibaka (what did he expect his role in Milwaukee to be this season and why was he disappointed he was the emergency big man?I’m surprised he was surprised.)

Newcomer of the Year: Joe Ingles

Ingles got a delayed start to his Bucks’ career, appearing in his first game on December 19th. However, that was to be expected following his ACL tear last year. It was slow going at first, but he’s turned it on over the last month or so. He’s an excellent playmaker in the half-court, especially as the ball-handler in the pick-and-roll. He’s also shooting a whopping 51.9 percent from behind the three-point line since the beginning of March.

Runner-up: A.J. Green

Most Resilient: Khris Middleton

It’s been a rough 365 days for Middleton. He injured his left knee in the first-round of the playoffs last year and then decided to have offseason wrist surgery on an ailment that was bothering him since the All-Star break. His recovery took longer than expected, as he struggled through the emotional side of not being able to play basketball. He’s suffered a couple of setbacks, including re-aggravating his right knee last week. He continues to fight and is once again trying to get himself right to play for the Bucks this postseason.

Runner-up: George Hill

Most Improved Player: Jevon Carter

Carter came back with a vengeance this season and has proven to be a capable backup point guard. He has a career-highs in effective field goal percentage, assists per game, rebounds per game and points per game. And his defense continues to be tough.

Runner-up: Grayson Allen

Best Midseason Acquisition: Jae Crowder

It was slow-going for Crowder after first being acquired by the Bucks, but he’s finally found his groove. He had a season-high 24 points on Friday night and has re-discovered his three-point stroke, knocking down 11 of his last 20 attempts. That will be huge for the Bucks’ championship aspirations.

Runner-up: Meyers Leonard and Goran Dragic

Best Shooter of the Year: Grayson Allen

Allen’s three-point percentage dipped ever so slightly from last year (40.9 percent to 39.9 percent), but he’s still the Bucks’ most lethal spot-up shooter. He provided excellent spacing as a starter and makes defenses pay for sending too much help to Giannis Antetokounmpo and others.

Runner-up: A.J. Green

Best Chance to Redeem Himself: Pat Connaughton

It’s been a rough year for Connaughton and I tried to fit him into a category somewhere. He’s had the worst season of his career and Milwaukee’s depth is the best on the wing that it’s been under Mike Budenholzer. Connaughton is now battling an ankle injury as well. He’ll have a chance to redeem himself in the postseason, but his leash will likely be short.

Runner-up: Meyers Leonard

Best On-Ball Defender: Jrue Holiday

Holiday is one of the best on-ball defenders in the NBA. He can legitimately guard four positions and do it well. Milwaukee is lucky to have him lead their point of attack defense.

Runner-up: Wesley Matthews

Best Off-Ball Defender: Brook Lopez

When a ball-handler does get by Holiday or someone else, Lopez is there to clean up the mess. He’s a strong candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, as he protects the all-important basket in the Bucks’ scheme.

Runner-up: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Sixth Man of the Year: Bobby Portis

Portis has a strong case to be the Sixth Man of the Year in the NBA if the award wasn’t so heavily favored for guards. He’s done a great job accepting his role off the bench and continues to thrive.

Runner-up: Jevon Carter

Most Valuable Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo

This award was never in question. Milwaukee secured the NBA’s best record this season despite missing Middleton, Ingles, Connaughton and other for significant portions. Antetokounmpo (and head coach Mike Budenholzer) is a primary reason for that. He dominated the competition and continues to remind everyone who the best player in the world is.

Runner-up: Brook Lopez