Bucks Zone

NBA scout predicts the Milwaukee Bucks may struggle against Boston, Cleveland, Detroit and Indiana

An NBA scout has some bold takes involving the Milwaukee Bucks.

Jonas Panerio

© Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports
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The addition of seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks has experts placing the team as the favorites to win it all. However, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix spoke to several NBA scouts, with one saying that the Bucks may have some trouble matching up against teams that feature a lot of athleticism, especially in the NBA Playoffs.

Glaring lack of athleticism

The scout may have a point. After all, Lillard, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez—three of the team’s starting five—are already getting up there in age. Although the team picked up some young prospects in the NBA Draft, it’s safe to say those players have a long way to go before they’re ready to perform consistently at the NBA level.

“They really lack a ton of athleticism,” the unnamed NBA scout said.

“They have gone with these big rosters. All those bigs make them super slow,” the scout added.

The NBA scout went on to say that the Bucks may encounter trouble defending Boston, which has the All-Star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The same goes for Cleveland, which has Donovan Mitchell and two athletic big men in Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, and Indiana, whose young core includes Myles Turner, Tyrese Haliburton, and Bennedict Mathurin.

Lean on Giannis

All this means is the Bucks will have to rely more on Giannis to cover up their deficiencies on both ends of the floor.

“Giannis is always going to give Milwaukee an edge. He’s the type of guy that, with a cast of role players around him, is always going to have a chance,” the scout remarked.

“Giannis is still MVP-level great. His ability to score because of versatility offensively and pure force, and his interchangeability at positions, is what makes him so damn tough. One minute you have to guard him like he’s a five, the next minute, they’ve got a five out there and all shooting, and he’s playing LeBron. He’s just a beast.”

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Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO