As is customary this time of year, the Brew Hoop staff gathered around the hearth and debated the merits of each Bucks player this past season. There were some clear standouts and a few performances that left us wanting, but through it all, we broke down each player through five categories on a scale of 1 to 10.
Those categories were offense, defense, improvement, fit going forward and overall season. We’ll provide a brief capsule of that player’s season before diving into the nitty gritty of our debatable grades. Let’s dig in with the roster’s most deficient position first: point guard.
Matthew Dellavedova
Dellavedova Season Stats
Matthew Dellavedova | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS/G |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Matthew Dellavedova | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS/G |
Per Game | 26.1 | 2.7 | 7 | 0.39 | 1 | 2.8 | 0.366 | 1.7 | 4.2 | 0.406 | 0.463 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.854 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 4.7 | 0.7 | 0 | 1.8 | 2 | 7.6 |
Per 36 | 1986 | 3.8 | 9.7 | 0.39 | 1.4 | 3.9 | 0.366 | 2.3 | 5.8 | 0.406 | 0.463 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.854 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 6.5 | 1 | 0 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 10.5 |
Advanced | G | PER | TS% | 3PAr | FTr | ORB% | DRB% | TRB% | AST% | STL% | BLK% | TOV% | USG% | OWS | DWS | WS | WS/48 | OBPM | DBPM | BPM | VORP | ||
76 | 9.4 | 0.501 | 0.404 | 0.18 | 1.4 | 7.2 | 4.3 | 25.7 | 1.4 | 0 | 18.8 | 16.3 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 0.029 | -1.9 | -2.8 | -4.7 | -1.4 |
Synopsis:
Matthew Dellavedova arrived to this team with a clear fit and a simple goal: give us some gritty defense and knock down the 3-point shots Giannis feeds you. His comfort playing with a point forward made it a prime match on paper, and while his contract may’ve been a bit pricey, it appeared he would serve as a competent complement to Giannis’ offensive dominance. Alas, the best laid plans as they say.
Delly started for much of the early going before losing his spot to Malcolm Brogdon after suffering a hamstring injury. They took turns with the starting unit for a spell before Delly became a bench staple. Delly inserted himself a bit much into this team’s crunch time plans early on, entertaining opponents with late-clock floaters. He couldn’t settle into his jumper either, hitting a career worst 36% from deep. His consistent effort can’t be denied, but its value was questionable for Milwaukee this season. Nonetheless, he’ll be around for the foreseeable future barring a transaction.
Staff Grades
Offense | Defense | Improvement | Fit Going Forward | Overall Season |
---|---|---|---|---|
Offense | Defense | Improvement | Fit Going Forward | Overall Season |
3.5 | 3.7 | 0.86 | 3.04 | 3.76 |
Adam: Delly had a rough year. His defense never looked particularly hounding, his shooting regressed, and he took too many floaters after steamrolling into the lane. His screening ability and effort are not in question, but those aren’t the skills modern teams need from their point guards. Milwaukee should hope for an uptick in his shooting next year, if nothing else.
Mitchell: Man, I was really hoping Delly would be what we thought he was going to be. The regression in his shooting was surprising, and I would expect for his accuracy to bounce back next season, but the biggest disappointment is how he didn’t meet our expectations, rather than his own. Delly is a good teammate, and I’d bet that he’s satisfied to take on a bench role rather than a starting job...and it just so happens that we now have witnessed why that would be a better fit.
Gabe: When we first signed Dellavedova, everybody was just groaning at the fact that he was now a Milwaukee Buck. However, I was telling everyone to calm down. Unfortunately, I thought that his 3-point shooting would add some of the outside versatility that the Bucks so desperately needed. Yeah, we all know how that one worked out. At one point in the season, he went on a cold streak that was similar (but nowhere really near) the infamous Greivis Vasquez cold streak. However, if there was one silver lining to fall back on, it’d be his presence in the locker room. He seems to be on Giannis and everybody else’s good side.
Dylan: I definitely expected more from Dellavedova over the course of the season: more scoring, more impressive defense, more quickness and more sexy photos. It’s undeniable though that swapping Delly for Jerryd Bayless was great for the team’s chemistry. He brought a veteran presence with playoff experience, which I’m sure helped in ways the stats don’t measure up. The most disappointing part may have been the lack of controversial plays this season, I expected Delly to injure more players. Maybe it’s because he got paid in the offseason, or maybe it’s because — brace yourselves — he was never a dirty player to begin with. Let the conspiracy theories fly, I’ll read ‘em while I drink a lime-adorned Corona.
Malcolm Brogdon
Brogdon Season Stats
Malcolm Brogdon | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS/G |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Malcolm Brogdon | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS/G |
Per Game | 26.4 | 3.9 | 8.5 | 0.457 | 1 | 2.6 | 0.404 | 2.8 | 5.9 | 0.48 | 0.518 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.865 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 4.2 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 10.2 |
Per 36 | 1982 | 5.3 | 11.5 | 0.457 | 1.4 | 3.5 | 0.404 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.48 | 0.518 | 2 | 2.3 | 0.865 | 0.9 | 3 | 3.9 | 5.8 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 13.9 |
Advanced | G | PER | TS% | 3PAr | FTr | ORB% | DRB% | TRB% | AST% | STL% | BLK% | TOV% | USG% | OWS | DWS | WS | WS/48 | OBPM | DBPM | BPM | VORP | ||
75 | 14.9 | 0.555 | 0.304 | 0.198 | 2.8 | 9.6 | 6.3 | 24.4 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 14.1 | 18.5 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 4.1 | 0.1 | 0.7 | -1.1 | -0.5 | 0.8 |
Synopsis:
Malcolm Brogdon outplayed anyone’s realistic expectations for the 36th pick in the draft. He defied not only the second round and five-year collegiate player stigma, but also the dubious track record of John Hammond’s latest second round selections. For a rookie to be a positive impact at all is a rare feat, but it was doubly so for someone with prototypical “red flags” like Brogdon as an older player with doubts about his athleticism. He provided a steadying hand at point guard though, a surprising positional development that started way back in summer league. He posted the lowest turnover rate on the team among primary ball handlers (10.1%) and his pancake flat jumper translated from the collegiate ranks for a 40.4%.
He developed preternatural pick and roll chemistry with Greg Monroe that wound up as the Bucks’ best two-man lineup at plus-179 for the season. He capped off his regular season by dragging Milwaukee to a win in Boston including the game-winning jumper over the airtight defense of Avery Bradley. His playoff performance waned as he looked hesitant to shoot, his turnover rate rose and he generally couldn’t find any of the surprising burst he flashed on some blow-by dunks at the rim. Plenty of room for improvement, but he has a chance to be the Bucks’ best second-round pick since Michael Redd (apologies to The Fresh Prince and fan favorite JOB) and their first Rookie of the Year winner since Lew Alcindor.
Staff Grades
Offense | Defense | Improvement | Fit Going Forward | Overall Season |
---|---|---|---|---|
Offense | Defense | Improvement | Fit Going Forward | Overall Season |
7.58 | 7.18 | 8 | 9.48 | 8.76 |
Adam: I didn’t foresee this Brogdon coming, and I was pleasantly encouraged by his passing ability. I’m curious whether his 3-point shooting will hold up next year too, but this organization needs to hit on some second round picks to keep their roster fresh around the big stars. They certainly did here.
Mitchell: I liked Brogdon before, and I love him now. He is the exact kind of unexpected contributor that the Bucks needed, and despite his lack of in-game quickness (I don’t care what his combine numbers were, he’s slow!), he does the exact job that a PG on a Giannis-led team ought to do. The only way that things could be made more ideal is if the Bucks were able to bring in a quicker point guard that would allow Brogdon to be a secondary creator in the offense; as a primary creator, he was pretty good, so imagine how good things might be if he was working against lesser competition!
Gabe: Malcolm Brogdon is just another example of a John Hammond A+ draft pick. He defied the notion of going with youth in the draft, as he was a four-year player out of Virginia. I really think his development in Tony Bennett’s system prepared him well for the NBA and it definitely showed. He knew when to shoot, and he knew when to attack the rim. Will he progress towards becoming a starting point guard? We’ll likely be able to gauge that more next season, but as of right now, it’s pretty cool that that is a possibility.
Dylan: As a fan of Wisconsin and Virginia college basketball, I was predisposed to love Malcolm Brogdon, and he was a genuinely good player, and better person, for the Bucks this season. The jump shot was the scariest red flag, but he adjusted well and hopefully that 40% mark holds true moving forward as volume increases. Although he distinguished himself as a shutdown defensive player in Tony Bennett’s defense, it didn’t translate perfectly to the NBA where his lack of quickness got the better of him. I’ll be interested to see if after an offseason and another year learning the scheme Brogdon will cement himself as a defensive blanket on the perimeter.
Gary Payton II
Payton II Season Stats
Gary Payton II | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS/G |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gary Payton II | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS/G |
Per Game | 16.5 | 1.3 | 3.7 | 0.364 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 0.111 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 0.538 | 0.386 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 3.3 |
Per 36 | 99 | 2.9 | 8 | 0.364 | 0.4 | 3.3 | 0.111 | 2.5 | 4.7 | 0.538 | 0.386 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 7.3 |
Advanced | G | PER | TS% | 3PAr | FTr | ORB% | DRB% | TRB% | AST% | STL% | BLK% | TOV% | USG% | OWS | DWS | WS | WS/48 | OBPM | DBPM | BPM | VORP | ||
6 | 4.5 | 0.413 | 0.409 | 0.227 | 0 | 14 | 7.1 | 18.1 | 1.5 | 3.6 | 29.2 | 15.8 | -0.3 | 0.1 | -0.2 | -0.074 | -7.3 | 0.6 | -6.7 | -0.1 |
Synopsis:
The Glove’s offspring started his Bucks career with a proper bang, burying a three for his first NBA jumper. Unfortunately, that would be the only three he hit during this season, highlighting the main rationale for why he hadn’t gotten a call up to that point anyway. His defensive tools and alarming athleticism made him a prototypical “toolsy” guy to take a flier on at the end of the year. Unfortunately, learning the nuances of Milwaukee’s scheme on the fly isn’t exactly ideal. With Brogdon sidelined due to a back issue, Payton II got a chance for backup minutes down the stretch, and didn’t flash much beyond that first game. He wound up a -58 in just 99 minutes, and highlighted how fortunate Milwaukee was that neither Dellavedova nor Brogdon missed a considerable amount of time this season.
Staff Grades
Offense | Defense | Improvement | Fit Going Forward | Overall Season |
---|---|---|---|---|
Offense | Defense | Improvement | Fit Going Forward | Overall Season |
2.64 | 3.98 | 3 | 4.38 | 3.56 |
Adam: He has considerable athletic tools for a point guard, but we’ve seen this story in Milwaukee before. If Payton II can’t shoot, let alone create his own shot off the dribble, he won’t have much of a future here. I know he projected well in ESPN’s Kevin Pelton’s projections coming out of the draft, but he won’t get far without improving his shot.
Mitchell: I am willing to give Payton II the time to develop some skills to go with his (impressive) tools. Remember, he was a late addition to the team, so it’s not like he had the benefit of familiarity going into his 2016-17 campaign. If he somehow becomes a 35+% shooter from behind the arc, there will be a home for him in the NBA. If not, then we will move on to the next prospect.
Gabe: For some reason, I barely remember Gary Payton playing at all. I remember covering the game where he connected on his first shot, but every thing else seems like a dream. Maybe I was studying during games he played, I don’t know? I’m not going to lie and say something that makes me seem smart. But nonetheless, the Bucks have high hopes for him, but I don’t think that’ll stop them from yanking the cord on the Glove Project if things go south.
Dylan: I didn’t see a minute of GPII play, but I’ll be interested if the Bucks keep him around to fill out the G-League roster to develop him even further. He’s got the pedigree and physical attributes to contribute in the NBA, but he’ll need to improve. So maybe we’ll see him in Oshkosh.