Best of the Bucks
Journal Sentinel beat writer Jim Owczarski hands out his midseason awards.
The Milwaukee Bucks are 22-14 and in third place in the Eastern Conference, and had an uneven first half of the season with two five-game winning streaks along with a five-game losing streak and a run in which they dropped four of six.
At the halfway point of the season, Journal Sentinel beat writer Jim Owczarski hands out his midseason awards.
Most Valuable Player
Giannis Antetokounmpo
The reigning two-time league MVP has not buckled under the weight of expectation and has in fact added elements to his game. He admitted it took time for him to find comfort in the Bucks' new offense at the start of the year, so it's amazing to think he was “working through” things and still averaged 29 points, 11.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists. Something clicked, too, over the final 17 games of the half. Antetokounmpo averaged 30.2 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.7 blocks while shooting 73.4% from the free throw line.
Defensive Player of the Year
Jrue Holiday
Antetokounmpo has a highlight package of blocks at the rim, but Holiday has been a linchpin from the top down. His ability and confidence in switching off pick-and-rolls has pushed the Bucks' defense to try new schemes, and he has ability to handle players like Ja Morant to Luka Doncǐ ć by himself. He also has his share of highlights, like blocking Paul George at the rim vs. the Clippers and his strip of Morant at the end of Thursday's game. He is second in the league in steals per game (1.8) and has a defensive rating of 107.6.
Biggest surprise
The adjustments
Is it a surprise when someone tells you they're going to do something? It shouldn't be, but I think the fan base wasn't sure if the Bucks truly would make adjustments on offense and defense this season. Mike Budenholzer and Antetokounmpo said in training camp they would, but seeing has been believing. The Bucks re-tooled the roster and offense to better combat the “walls” in front of Antetokounmpo, and they are second in scoring and offensive rating, fourth in shooting and three-point percentage, and 10th in offensive rebounds.
Biggest disappointment
Torrey Craig
This isn't so much about Craig as an individual, but the fact that he's played in less than half the games and averaging just 11.4 minutes when he does. He didn't have his number called in 10 games, missed nine with a broken nose and played essentially garbage-time minutes in four others. He signed a one-year, $1.6 million deal so expectations were not through the roof. But coming in as a noted defender capable of guarding point guards to power forwards, he just hasn't been used in many of those situations. When he does play, results have been mixed. He has a 115.3 defensive rating, which is worst on the team and a defensive win share of 0.017, second worst only to Jaylen Adams. He's also shooting 39.5% from the floor.
Play of the year
There have been more than a few to choose from. Holiday's game-winner against Memphis, Antetokounmpo's closing slam against the Clippers and plenty of great individual efforts – but only one play has set an NBA record.
And that came by rookie Sam Merrill on Dec. 29 in Miami during the Bucks' 14497 victory over the Heat. Merrill made NBA history with 6 minutes, 7 seconds left when he hit the team's 28th three-pointer of the night.
Most underrated player
Bobby Portis
It's had to call a team's sixth man its most underrated, but it feels like he hasn't been recognized enough for shooting 50% from the three-point line and 54.6% from the floor. His effective field goal percentage of 60.9% is the best of those who play regularly. These numbers would be career highs, by far. The Bucks are also a top-10 offensive rebounding team in the first half, and Portis leads them with 1.9 per game.
Most overrated player
Brook Lopez
Coming off an all-defensive team performance in 2019-20, Lopez remains a key element to the Bucks' interior defense and a complement on offense. But this season, his role on defense has changed as the Bucks have incorporated more switching and some zone concepts as opposed to relying solely on drop coverages and funneling players to him at the rim. His defensive rating is 111.0, third worst on the team. He's shooting better but his 10.8 points per game is the lowest of his career.
Most improved
Donte DiVincenzo
The third-year guard is starting regularly for the first time and playing a careerhigh 26.7 minutes per game. The extra time has led to a natural increase and career highs in raw numbers, such as his points (10.3) and assists (3.0) per game, but his three-point shooting has improved drastically. He's making 38.4% of his three attempts – which he's putting up at a far greater volume. Last season he made 33.6%. He's about league average in overall shooting (41.8%) but there is room to grow there, especially since he's shooting just 20% from 5-9 feet and 29.4% from 10-14 feet.
Must improve
The Bucks finally started to see some of what veteran D.J. Augustin can bring when he started in place of Holiday the last six games of the half in which Augustin played (he missed one for the birth of a child). The Bucks went 5-1 in those games. In 26.6 minutes per game, he shot 40.5% from the floor, 35.7% from the three-point line while scoring 6.8 points and handing out 3.5 assists. But prior to that, the 33year-old struggled to find himself and his shot not just in coming off the bench, but also being asked to play off the ball. In his 13th season, Augustin is who he is in many ways but now that Holiday looks to be on his way back to his full-time minutes load, the Bucks need Augustin to get better in the 15-18 minutes he'll go back to off the bench.
Quote of the year
“This is my home, this is my city.. I'm blessed to be able to be a part of the Milwaukee Bucks for the next 5 years. Let's make these years count. The show goes on, let's get it.” – Giannis Antetokounmpo, in a tweet on Dec. 15, 2020 signaling he would sign the “supermax” extension and remain in Milwaukee.
Best dunk
The Bucks have had more than a few this season, especially from Antetokounmpo. There was a Lopez dunk on a lob from Khris Middleton. There was DiVincenzo's slam in Toronto. But when you're a former all-star and your poster provided inspiration to a young Michael Jordan – and you can still get up at 65 years old – that's hard to top. Bucks legend Marques Johnson did just that on Feb. 8 (and safely, too, in his mask).
Best pass
This was probably the hardest of all to choose. There was DiVincenzo's leaping out of bounds, backwards through the legs assist. There was Augustin's halfcourt lob to Holiday. There was Holiday's full-court chest pass to a streaking Antetokounmpo and his baseline slingshot for a three to DiVincenzo.
But the award has to go to DiVincenzo during the Bucks' 125-115 win over Detroit on Jan. 4 at Fiserv Forum. Before he reached halfcourt, DiVincenzo somehow slung a one-handed bounce pass between the legs of Pistons guard Derrick Rose – with everyone running, mind you – to Bryn Forbes. Forbes then finished it off with a layup.