After eight games, the Bucks are already a quarter of a way to their win total of last year and sit at 4-4 before their matchup in Orlando tonight. With many positives to build off of, the biggest challenge ahead seems to be who to play. With many options at each position, Coach Kidd will be battling the questions of who to play and how much to play them all season long. Currently, all but three (Henson, Marshall and Wolters) have played over 100 minutes on the season and you could even argue Henson should be playing more. With this question looming every game, I thought I would take a look at each player and what they can contribute. The rest is up to Coach Kidd.
GUARDS:
| G | MPG | PTS | AST | REB | |
| Brandon Knight | 8 | 32.1 | 17.4 | 6.9 | 6.1 |
| O.J. Mayo | 8 | 24.6 | 12.1 | 3.5 | 2.6 |
| Jared Dudley | 8 | 20 | 4.5 | 1.3 | 1.6 |
| Jerryd Bayless | 8 | 19.5 | 8.1 | 2.3 | 1.9 |
| Kendall Marshall | 3 | 10.7 | 2 | 1.7 | 0.3 |
| Nate Wolters | 2 | 14 | 4.5 | 1.3 | 1.6 |
Brandon Knight: Under a contract year, Brandon has been playing the best basketball of his career as of late and is clearly looking to get paid this off-season. He leads the team in points and assists and is second in rebounding which is very uncharacteristic for a point guard. With a work ethic and competitiveness that you can't teach, there isn't much to argue against the fourth-year guard except for possessions that begin and end with Knight. Only 22.9% of his 2-point FG's are assisted which indicates that the ball can get very stagnant with Knight creating opportunities by himself. Lineup combinations can factor into this problem but if we are nitpicking at Knights game thus far in the season, that would be the one concern I would have.O.J. Mayo: After a forgettable first year in Milwaukee, Mayo has been the veteran leader every NBA team needs...doing so off the bench as well. He has seemed to embrace the role and help the Bucks lead the league in bench points per game with his 12 points individually. With this kind of start, he will undoubtably find increased minutes in the fourth quarter, even as a ball handler and distributor where he is second on the team in AST% (Percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while on the floor) and enjoying a career high 5.1 assists/36 minutes.
Jared Dudley: Coming off an abysmal year with the Clippers, I was looking forward to seeing a rejuvenated 2011-12 Dudley who shot career highs in field goal percentage (48.5%) and rebounds (4.6) with the Phoenix Suns. With a small sample size that has shown the guard shoot a career low in field goal percentage, I'm not ready to give up on him. He has shown great spurts with the Bucks, including his opening night sequence against the Hornets that helped change the momentum of the game and having a shooter to spread the floor will always be a commodity in the NBA. My personal "most underrated NBA twitter follower" as well. Give him a follow @JaredDudley619.
Jerryd Bayless: Personally, Bayless' signing this summer was a bit of a head-scratcher for me but he has been pleasantly surprising. Like Mayo, he brings a veteran leadership and with a bit of a chip on his shoulder (team-leading 2 technical fouls). He leads the team in True Shooting Percentage (measures shooting efficiency that takes into account 2-point field goals, 3-point field goals and free throws) and currently holds the highest 3-point percentage (41.7%). A capable ball handler and ability to play both guard spots should keep Bayless in the mix on the second unit.
Kendall Marshall: Marshall went from being a first-round bust in Phoenix to starting 45 games for a depleted Lakers team last season in which he was second in the league in AST% (44.3) for players that played more than 50 games. Although he only averaged 8 points and 8.8 assists per game, including two 17-assist games and two 20/15 games, I was extremely excited about the Marshall addition. With all the debate this summer about whether Brandon Knight was a true point guard or off-guard, Marshall seemed to have a niche right from the start as someone who could come in and be a pass-first point guard. Through 8 games and one start (at Detroit), Marshall hasn't been able to crack the rotation and gain chemistry with his new teammates.
Nate Wolters: After playing only ten minutes in his first seven games, Wolters contributed six points in 18 minutes off the bench in Tuesday's victory over the Thunder. Wolters hasn't played enough this season to justify with any stats but he was able to play solid defense and move the ball on offense while Knight got a breather. He will never be able to spread the floor (career 28% 3-point shooter) and before Tuesday night, was the only active player on the roster I was confident wouldn't play. Thanks, Coach Kidd...
FORWARDS:
| G | MPG | PTS | AST | REB | |
| Jabari Parker | 8 | 28.8 | 10.9 | 1 | 5.9 |
| Khris Middleton | 6 | 24 | 9.7 | 1.5 | 3.1 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | 8 | 23.8 | 10.9 | 1.3 | 5.1 |
| Ersan Ilyasova | 8 | 18.3 | 5.9 | 0.8 | 3.3 |
| John Henson | 8 | 12.1 | 3.9 | 0.4 | 2.8 |
Jabari Parker: This post shouldn't need arguments for Jabari and Giannis but to make sure everyone gets a fair shot, their stances will be made. The face of the franchise has had a relatively quiet start to his career by some critics standards but has shown flashes of greatness with aggressive first quarters, using mis-matches to his advantage on the offensive end being able to score in the post or on the perimeter. Arguably his hardest adjustment to the NBA has been his defense. He has been able to hold his own on-ball but when it comes to pick-an-roll coverages and other defensive switches, Parker has left his man wide open on many occurrences. With that said, Jabari is second on the team in minutes and leads all rookies in points and rebounds per game. If all goes according to plan, we will have the 2014-15 Rookie of the Year in Milwaukee.
Khris Middleton: Within the last week, Middleton has become one of the most discussed Bucks players. After leading the team in minutes played and 3-point shooting (41%) last season, as well as starting the first three games this season, Middleton hasn't even played in two of the last three games. Some have concluded it was because of his career-low 23% 3-point shooting, while Coach Kidd has hinted that his defensive play may be the greatest contributor to lack of playing time. Advanced analytics show that his USG% (estimate of the percentage of plays used by a player while he is on the floor) is third on the team, which is high for someone producing as little as he has been. I hope he is able to concentrate on the defensive end and regain confidence because he was such a bright spot in last years line-up but as of now, playing time surely isn't promised.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: Like Parker, not much can be said against Giannis who currently, but may not by tomorrow, stands at 6'11" and has messed around at the point guard position from time to time. The Greek Freak has looked more comfortable as each game has passed and after not shooting more than 8 field goal attempts in his first four game of the season, he hasn't shot less than 8 in the most recent four (11, 8, 11, 13 respectively). The mis-matches he presents will be evident in every matchup and he is finally showing the confidence to recognize the situation and take advantage of it (e.g. 4th quarter vs. Memphis). Whether that was him taking the opportunity of a slower player guarding him or Coach Kidd taking the initiative to put Giannis in that situation, it paid dividends and only gave the 19-year old that much more confidence. Bottom line: the more Giannis plays, the more fun it will be to watch.
Ersan Ilyasova: Ersan entered his seventh season with the Bucks as the "prototypical stretch-4" that every team desired. With the exception of his 2011 and 2012 campaigns, Ilyasova has done nothing to live up to those expectations. Supposedly coming into the season in the best shape of his life, the power forward has managed to shoot 21.4% from 3-point range (last on the team among players who shot at least five) and has fallen in love with the long two (60% of his field goal attempts coming from outside 16-feet). Given too many opportunities over the past few years, the only logical explanation to play Ilyasova this season would be used to raise his trade value.
John Henson: Henson has become the poster child for the analytics vs. old school style of decision-making. If someone were to never watch Henson play but look at his stats this year: Top-3 in TS%, 2nd in TRB%, 1st in WS/48 (number of wins contributed by a player per 48 minutes), highest field goal percentage per 36 minutes while finished third to the bottom in USG%, you could only wonder how he isn't getting more than 12 minutes per game. Unfortunately, the third year player has been forced to play out of position at center for most of the season and hasn't been able to defend the much stronger post players. Like 3/4 of our team, he was chosen in the draft based on his high-potential and as much as I agree, I would like to see him continue to get more minutes to find out.
CENTERS:
| G | MPG | PTS | AST | REB | |
| Larry Sanders | 8 | 23.4 | 5.9 | 1.1 | 8.1 |
| Zaza Pachulia | 7 | 17.4 | 5.1 | 1.7 | 3.7 |
Larry Sanders: Although the point production may not be where people want it to be, fans have to be encouraged with the energy and defensive prowess Sanders has brought back to Milwaukee after a year to forget in 2013. As Coach Kidd continues to find ways to hide him on the offensive end, he must improve on staying out of foul trouble (averaging 4.4/game). He has shown glimpses of his 2012 self that caught the league by storm gave his name a whole new meaning (LARRY SANDERS!) by leading the league in defensive rating (89.0) and offensive rebound percentage (16.8%) through eight games. The more we see Sanders on the court, the more we will find out if he is worth being the highest paid player on the team.
Zaza Pachulia: Zaza's second stint with the Bucks has come with mixed reviews. Following an up and down first five games that were highlighted by poor shot selection, Zaza had possibly his best game in the Bucks recent victory over the Thunder in which he recorded 8 points and season-highs in assists (4) and rebounds (10). He will be vital for the Bucks success down the road if Larry continues to get in foul trouble and as his shot selection improves (44% coming from outside 10 feet), he will be appreciated more as a defensive presence and offensive contributor in the pick and roll.
What's Next?
As you can see, there are legitimate arguments for all 13 active players and each one can contribute but figuring out how many minutes each should get is only half the battle. Finding the right combination of players will prove how good of a coach Kidd can be. Shown through a bench that is tops in the league in scoring (46.4 per game), he has done a great job mixing veterans with the young players but there is always room for improvement. As the season progresses, we can't expect to see a team playing 10-11 deep but for the meantime it will be interesting to see if playing time continues to be determined on a game-by-game basis. For those interested in seeing how different lineup combinations have faired this season, click here.
Bottom line: Coach Kidd has a difficult job with a whole new team and so much young talent to develop. While injuries will presumably open spots for guys to fill, we must be patient for players to develop chemistry and play their way into the rotation.
As you can see, there are legitimate arguments for all 13 active players and each one can contribute but figuring out how many minutes each should get is only half the battle. Finding the right combination of players will prove how good of a coach Kidd can be. Shown through a bench that is tops in the league in scoring (46.4 per game), he has done a great job mixing veterans with the young players but there is always room for improvement. As the season progresses, we can't expect to see a team playing 10-11 deep but for the meantime it will be interesting to see if playing time continues to be determined on a game-by-game basis. For those interested in seeing how different lineup combinations have faired this season, click here.
Bottom line: Coach Kidd has a difficult job with a whole new team and so much young talent to develop. While injuries will presumably open spots for guys to fill, we must be patient for players to develop chemistry and play their way into the rotation.
