Nos 10-12, Trying To Crack Playoff Rotation

The Milwaukee Bucks are incredulously entering the fifth year of the Mike Budenholzer era which also means they are entering their fifth year of being a legitimate NBA Championship contender. It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago when they were annually competing for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Budenholzer helped put the Bucks over the edge and turned them into a perennial contender. That means the regular season carries far less importance and is more about getting guys ready for the real season—April through June. The three guys on today’s ranking are at opposite ends of that spectrum. Two of them are just trying to survive the grueling season with enough left in their tank to make a positive playoff impact. Meanwhile the third dude will be trying desperately to prove himself and get his feet wet in the NBA.

12: George Hill

Jersey no. 3: 6-4, 188 pounds, guard

I’m not as low on George Hill as many fans seem to be. Yes, he had a horrible, no good, awful 2021-22—that’s impossible to ignore. His shooting percentages and scoring was down across the board and he suffered a neck injury that limited his effectiveness once he returned in the playoffs. His return also pushed Jevon Carter to the bench, drawing a strong ire from the fans.

As Hill continues to recover from a back injury this summer, his outlook is ambiguous. There hasn’t been much information released about how serious his injury is and whether it required surgery. He’s also entering his age 36 season which further complicates the situation. If Jevon Carter can continue to play the way he did in the postseason and during his tenure in Milwaukee, Hill should be a solid no. 3 point guard. He can still defend multiple positions and knows his role on this team, something that carries an underrated value.

11: Marjon Beauchamp

Jersey no. 0: 6-6, 199 pounds, wing

Fans got a nice taste of what Marjon Beauchamp brings to the Bucks during his solid Summer League debut. He shot the ball a lot better than anyone expected and had a couple of spectacular defensive plays. If he can continue that shooting stroke and make strides on defense throughout his rookie campaign, he may be able to carve out a regular season role for himself.

What stood out the most to me, however, was his attitude. He doesn’t take crap from anyone and takes it personally when someone scores on him or things don’t go his way. That’s the type of perspective this Bucks’ team is built around and I believe Beauchamp will fit right in given his level of competitiveness. He still has a long ways to go to earn playing time, but the tools might just be there for him to get a regular spot in the rotation.

10: Wes Matthews

Jersey no. 23: 6-4, 220 pounds, wing

With Beauchamp remaining unproven at the NBA level and Wes Matthews coming off a resurgent season, I decided to rank the veteran ahead of the rookie (that could quickly change if Father Time catches up to Matthews and Beauchamp shows more of his Summer League skills).

Matthews was basically the Bucks’ P.J. Tucker replacement last season, defending the opposing team’s best perimeter player throughout the playoffs. He dogged them and made them work on every possession. However, he just doesn’t have as much skill, size, or strength as Tucker and gave up a couple of big games as a result. The resurgence was nice to see after it looked like Matthews’ NBA career was coming to a close. We’ll see how much he has left in the tank this season and how Milwaukee plays it during the regular season and with a hungry rookie at the same position behind him.