Monday Morning Media Roundup: January 23rd, 2017

A merry Monday morning to everyone out there today! Things haven’t exactly improved for the Milwaukee Bucks since we spoke last Monday, as they find themselves stuck in a five-game losing skid. Perhaps the power of national media attention will rejuvenate the team and lead them to victory. Let’s give it a try, just in case.

This week, we’ve got coverage from sports to entertainment media. Malcolm Brogdon continues to get love, we explore the effect Giannis Antetokounmpo is having on Milwaukee’s relevancy, and much more.

2016-17 Midseason Report Card: Milwaukee Bucks (NBA.com)

We begin by taking a look at NBA.com’s report card on Milwaukee’s season so far. Steve Aschburner breaks down the team in all of its basic components (frontcourt, backcourt, coaching, etc.) There might be some stuff to dispute in there, like an A- overall for frontcourt play, but a lot of his other takes are reasonable enough. Worth a look.

Malcolm Brogdon Is the Bucks’ Steadying Presence — As a Rookie (The Ringer)

This one opens with a Muhammad Ali quote, and keeps the flurry going providing a treasure trove of intriguing statistics and comparisons for you to chew on. The biggest takeaway may be that, even at age 24, Brogdon’s skills have been trending in ways both at the University of Virginia and now in Milwaukee that suggest the best is yet to come.

Bucks' Jabari Parker comes off bench as punishment (ESPN)

That benching of Jabari Parker before Saturday’s game against Miami? We’re starting to get a few more details about what led to it. It began with a team meeting after the loss to the Orlando Magic in which Jabari Parker got a helping of criticism thrown his way by his teammates.

After he spoke up in self-defense, he opened up to media members about what occurred in the locker room. Disclosure of that nature is regarded as breaking team rules, and the players went on to decide his fate: Being brought off the bench in the next game. He is expected to start again this evening against the Rockets, but this is definitely something to keep an eye on.

Milwaukee Bucks Find NBA Relevancy With Giannis 'Greek Freak' Antetokounmpo (Rolling Stone)

Rolling Stone takes a moment to reflect on the path taken by the Milwaukee Bucks when they selected Giannis in the 2013 Draft, and what his ascendancy means for Milwaukee as a whole. The franchise may still find itself stuck in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference, but Giannis’ stardom will continue to put Milwaukee on the map locally, nationally, and importantly, globally.

Sources: Bucks hopeful Khris Middleton back before All-Star break (ESPN)

A bit of sunshine for you as we head off into the week: Things are increasingly lining up to see the return of Khris Middleton (from his hamstring injury) before the All-Star Break. It is safe to assume that he’ll be on a minutes restriction, but it’ll be a pleasure to see him recovered, if only for his own sake. Whether the return of a two-way player of his caliber will be enough to seriously turn around the team’s fortunes remains to be seen, but it’s something to keep an eye on.

And with that, we wrap up this week’s M³Roundup! I thank you profusely for taking the time to swing by, and hope that you enjoy your morning reads before the week begins.

If you see articles that you’d like to see on the next edition of the M³Roundup, please don’t hesitate to send them to me on Twitter, or to post them in the comments section below. Any and all news about Milwaukee is good news, in our opinion!

Until next week, though, happy Monday!