© Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Report suggests Malik Beasley must not start for the Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks sacrificed depth for star power when they dealt Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen in exchange for seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard. This left the front office with few options to fill the two-guard slot. According to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, while Malik Beasley, the team's current starter, plays solid ball, he may not be the optimal choice for a championship-contending team.
Drawbacks
The Bucks may not have to worry about their quintet if and when their two stars, Giannis and Lillard, finally get it going. For now, the cohesion remains a work in progress, and the team’s 6-4 win-loss record indicates that.
“The Bucks willingly made their roster top-heavy. And if they guessed right on how dominant the Giannis Antetokounmpo-Damian Lillard duo can be (with time, clearly), they won't have any major complaints about their setup,” Buckley wrote.
In Beasley’s defense, the seven-year-pro is averaging 10.3 points while shooting a career-high 46.7 percent from beyond the arc. The former Florida State star was brought in to space the floor with his outside sniping, and he’s doing just that. However, the Bucks could do a lot more damage if they didn’t have a one-dimensional wingman starting.
Porous perimeter defense
Aside from the lack of chemistry, what’s ailing this Bucks squad is their porous defense on the perimeter. Losing an elite defender in Holiday and plugging in two players who are known to be nothing more than cones on defense has really stunted their defensive progress. If the Bucks want to make a deep run, they’ll need to upgrade this part of their game significantly over the course of the season.
“While Milwaukee may reasonably conclude it doesn't have a superior option at the moment, that's less an argument for sticking with Beasley and more a push to go find his replacement,” Buckley added.
