How do the Milwaukee Bucks look in training camp?
The Milwaukee Bucks enter a new era this year, one that doesn’t feature Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks aren’t expected to be a playoff contender as they build towards the future with young players like Ryan Rollins, Nate Ament, Brayden Burries, and Kel’el Ware.
Milwaukee also welcomes a new coach, hiring Taylor Jenkins after Hall of Famer Doc Rivers and Milwaukee parted ways.
Jenkins didn’t coach in the league last season after being fired by the Memphis Grizzlies with just nine games remaining in the 2024-25 season, despite having a 44-29 record.
Jenkins rebuilt the Grizzlies into a two-time division winner, though the team didn’t find playoff success, losing in the first round two out of three trips.
Taylor Jenkins Speaks
The Bucks opened camp this week, and Jenkins is already excited with what he sees from the group.
Jenkins says the guys came in hungry and believes they had a hunger all summer. “They’re trying to do it together,” he said.
He noted that guys do have individual goals, but they have coached each other up and stuck together, whether it was warming up, drilling, or scrimmaging.
Jenkins said he thought the energy was great, but he was never going to be satisfied and that he’ll continue to hold them to a high standard. He believes the team will continue to get better as they move forward.
What To Expect From Milwaukee
On paper, the team has a lot to like from an individual perspective.
Tyler Herro could be in for his biggest scoring season ever as the lead creator, Jaime Jaquez Jr could be in for a leap as a starter after being one of the best bench players in the league, Ryan Rollins took a leap last year and will find more opportunities this season, Ousmane Dieng will continue to get opportunities to grow, Kel’el Ware has all the potential to be a two-way force, Nate Ament and Brayden Burries come in highly touted as lottery picks in the 2026 draft.
The team has to come together and prove they are the sum of their parts, as they no longer have that one player who can carry them to wins as they had with Giannis. Instead, they’ll have to buy in for each other and play the way Jenkins wants them to play.
Jenkins had success in rebuilding Memphis. The task with Milwaukee will be tougher, but he’s the right man for the job.
