Brew Hoop Summer Mailbag: Asked and Answered (Part 1)

You supplied the questions, we’ve got the answers. Thanks to everyone who left us a bounty of stuff to choose from in the comments. If we didn’t get to yours, don’t fret, we’ll be sure to do another one of these later this month to address any unanswered questions and hopefully some new developments for this squad.

What does a better season from Teletovic mean for the Bucks? (Ham Slamwich)

I think it gives the Bucks a spark off the bench that will be needed, and if he plays with Giannis, that opens up the floor much more for him. Worst-case: his improved play may increase trade value. - Kyle

Will D.J. Wilson or Sterling Brown play a bigger role on the team next year? (LastFirstism)

I think Sterling Brown will play a bigger role on the squad this upcoming season. He fills a position of need and showed out to be a capable defender in the Summer League and throughout college (where he learned from former-NBA champion head coach, Larry Brown). D-dot-J-dot will be a contributor but at a position(s) where the Bucks have enough depth to get by. If Brown is able to come off the bench and defend like a madman while knocking down a couple triples a game, then his role will be bigger and he will have more of an impact than Wilson. - Greg

How many minutes will DJ Wilson play? (oldresorter)

During his Summer League stint, D.J. Wilson showed off a good amount of his offensive versatility. 11.8 points / 5.4 rebounds / 1.4 assists isn’t stop-the-presses impressive, but he showed off the ability to score inside and out while avoiding looking overwhelmed (as many rookies are in Vegas).

That being said, the best way for rookies to see the floor in year one is by contributing on defense. Wilson has a relatively high defensive ceiling, but (as expected) has a ways to go before reaching it. He’s quick for a player of his size, boasts an impressive wingspan, and appears to have good instincts, but struggling on D is a foregone conclusion for most rookies.

I think Wilson will have similar minutes/games played totals as Thon Maker did last season: about 55 games, somewhere around 10 minutes/game. I wouldn’t be shocked to see his minutes end up higher than 10, since the 16.7 minutes/game allotted to Michael Beasley (the role Wilson could fill) isn’t likely to return. I hope that he is able to play more with the Wisconsin Herd, since a player of his skill level deserves game minutes to stay sharp. - Mitchell

Will Thon continue to start all next season and will he remain a token starter or get a more significant role? (LastFirstism)

Given their willingness to run him despite his minimal impact in plenty of games down the stretch of the regular season, I doubt Milwaukee would go back on starting Thon at every opportunity this year. His roster subordinates already have defined roles with Greg Monroe settled in as the sixth man, John Henson overzealously clapping on the bench and Spencer Hawes serving as a backup pick-popper. The only way I see him realistically taking a backseat is injury or an incredibly prolonged slump.

As for serving as a token starter, his minutes should expand significantly beyond the 9.9 he averaged last year. Greg Monroe only averaged 22.5 last year and while I expect that to stay relatively similar, that leaves roughly 16 more minutes to fill at the center position. I would say at least 10 of those minutes go to Thon, with Kidd having to satiate one of the Hawes/Henson benchwarmer brigade with spot-up duty. - Adam

Which underperforming Bucks player has the best prospect of having a good year? Telly, Delly, Henson, Vaughn? (keephopealive)

Mirza Teletovic is the obvious candidate to bounce back in a significant way. He already demonstrated his value last season, where he ended up with disappointing conventional stats but encouraging advanced ones. As Adam wrote back in May:

[T]he Bucks flat out played better while he was on the court, finishing +74 throughout the season. His 3-point propensity provided planet-like gravity and while he wasn’t matched up with Giannis as much as some would like, Teletovic was basically what he was billed as.

Shooters generally exhibit less consistency than we would like, but the nature of the three-point shot forces you to accept inconsistency as part of the territory. Telly is a consistent shooter (career 3PAr: 63.5%) who had a down year in 2016-17; among all 88 players who made at least 100 threes, Mirza ranks 76th in 3PA% (34.1%) and 84th in TS% (51.5%). By virtue of reversion to the mean alone, Teletovic should be better in 2017-18. - Mitchell