Three Reasons Bucks Might Not Be as Bad as Expected This Season

This season will be the beginning of a rebuild for the Milwaukee Bucks. The franchise moved on from star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer, and now the hope is that they find their next face of the franchise soon. 

The Bucks traded Giannis to the Miami Heat and, in return, got three players who could be key contributors this season. Milwaukee got back guard Tyler Herro and forwards Kel'el Ware and Jaime Jaquez Jr. in the deal, and they could provide a lift for this young roster. 

Tyler Herro is the most notable piece the Bucks got back, and he's expected to be the true leader of the offensive attack for the team this season. Last season, Herro only appeared in 33 games for Miami, but he averaged 20.5 points per game. The season before, he was named an All-Star, so the Bucks hope he can return to that form. 

Alongside Tyler Herro are other young guards who could have great seasons in Milwaukee. One of them is Ryan Rollins, who broke out last season and averaged over 17 points per game. Rollins is only 24 years old and could be finding his rhythm as an NBA guard. 

Milwaukee also picked twice in the lottery in this year's NBA Draft, selecting guard Brayden Burries and forward Nate Ament. Both players showed a lot of promise in their single seasons in the NCAA, and each player could be a pleasant surprise for the Bucks. 

Burries has already shown flashes of being one of the better combo guards in the NBA. In the summer league, he took charge of the scoring for the Bucks and made plays that impressed the Bucks' coaching staff. 

In their preseason game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he took control in the fourth quarter for the Bucks and led them to a 128-126 win. Burries scored double-digit points in the period, and he impressed many. 

The franchise brought in new head coach Taylor Jenkins, who was formerly with the Memphis Grizzlies. Jenkins has playoff experience, but he's also been in a rebuilding situation. 

Jenkins' past teams have been intense defensively, and he could be looking to adopt that same mentality for this year's Bucks team as well. He will have his hands full with the number of young players he will have at his disposal. 

It will be interesting to see how the Bucks' coaching staff will be able to fit in playing time for their young core, but each player brings a different element to the team, and it could make them better than most think.