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Ranking the Roster 2016: The Results

It's over! After some intense rounds of voting, Bucks Island has finalized the list of which current players are the most valuable.

By Mitchell Maurer
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

While this series included a few surprises, the finale had anything but: Khris Middleton takes third place, Jabari Parker is our runner up, and the incomparable Giannis Antetokounmpo is the most valuable Buck!

Let's start off with the easiest part of this whole thing: There hasn't been a player quite like Giannis in Milwaukee for decades, and you can probably count on two hands the number of players since 2000 that have the same (or higher) ceiling that Giannis has been reaching towards. He's special, he's productive, he's 21 years old, and barring any unforeseen catastrophe he's going to be a Buck for at least the next five years. There's a reason Giannis only received 2% of the final vote (and the Brew Hoop community still will never forgive those voters).

The decision between ranking Middleton and Parker as the second-most valuable Buck is far more contentious. Middleton is still young (25) and was easily the Bucks' best player last season from start to finish. Furthermore, Middleton is not only a perfect fit on the Bucks roster, but he's seemingly a perfect fit on ANY roster, given his ability to shoot from outside, score inside the arc, create plays for teammates, and demonstrate versatility on defense. And not only all of that, but Middleton is still under contract on a very team-friendly deal signed last summer.

What's the downside? Unfortunately, we all found out when the news broke that Middleton tore his hamstring, and that he would likely miss most (if not all) of the 2016-17 NBA season. Through no fault of his own, that injury severely hampers Middleton's value, since there's no guarantee that he will be able to return to form in a year's time, much less improve on the development we witnessed in 2015-16. Simply put, it sucks for literally everybody involved, and we all certainly hope that his treatment and rehabilitation goes well.

Jabari Parker, having returned from a major injury of his own, steps in to fill the void that Middleton leaves, and early returns are promising. While he does not offer nearly as much on defense, Parker is far more dynamic scoring the basketball from everywhere on the court inside the three-point line (and even that part of his game is coming along!), and has a chance to display the same type of surprise development that we saw from Middleton last year: handling the ball more, creating more plays for teammates, pressuring the defense in transition, and hopefully improving his defensive acumen by literally any amount. With two years left on his rookie contract, Parker will remain über-cheap for the next two season before any future extension kicks in, and at 21 years old has tons of time to prove that the hypothetical big money deal is worthwhile.

(Unnecessary reminder: this annual exercise has us count down the most valuable players from a roster-building perspective, not just who is going to be the best player next year. Some of the key factors that go into a player's value that we encouraged readers to consider: past productivity, future potential, contract, age, personality, fit, etc.)

2016-17 Brew Hoop Value Ranking Results

  1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
  2. Jabari Parker
  3. Khris Middleton
  4. Thon Maker
  5. Matthew Dellavedova
  6. Greg Monroe
  7. Mirza Teletovic
  8. Miles Plumlee
  9. John Henson
  10. Tony Snell (Michael Carter-Williams)
  11. Malcolm Brogdon
  12. Michael Beasley
  13. Rashad Vaughn
  14. Jason Terry
  15. Steve Novak

Overall, I look at this list and I don't have any major gripes with the rankings. I still contend that Rashad Vaughn should be higher, as should Malcolm Brogdon, and one (or both) of Henson and Plumlee should be way lower. More importantly though, I look at this list and I feel very good about the Bucks' future. The core trio is set, and there are a solid stable of role players auditioning for the chance to be a part of the Bucks' supporting cast when the team is back to full-strength and ready to make a run at the playoffs. This season might be a disappointment in the short-term, but things are the brightest they've been for the Bucks in a long time.

So while this exercise has concluded, we certainly don't want to stop talking about value! Which rankings do you agree with? Which ones surprise you? What sort of expectations do you have for the future? Let us know in the comments, and the Ranking the Roster series will return next summer!

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