Milwaukee Bucks Power Rankings: Rating Every Player Near Season's Halfway Point
Already surpassing their win total from a season ago, the 2014-15 Milwaukee Bucks are a markedly improved team and one that has, for almost half a season, been consistent in terms of their performance on the floor.
Hovering around .500 most of the way, so far, the Bucks have proven they're a team that can compete for a playoff spot and maybe, just maybe, play the spoiler roll if they reach the postseason. But, for now, focusing on continuing to improve and remain competitive, no matter the opponent, is of greatest importance.
In order for that to happen, the players who have played well need to continue that trend. And, for those who haven't, things need to change.
But, almost halfway through the season, who falls into each of those categories?
*All statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference and current through Jan. 8.
The Other Guys
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No. 15: Damien Inglis
With the way Giannis Antetokounmpo has exceeded expectations early in his career, the excitement over Inglis, a young, athletic Frenchman, was there from the minute the Bucks drafted him back in June. However, due to an injured ankle, Inglis hasn't yet seen the court in 2014-15. And, according to general manager John Hammond, he won't see it at all this season. Not surprisingly, he finds himself at the bottom of the power rankings.
No. 14: Jabari Parker
It's probably not fair to place Parker this low given what he did do when he wasn't hurt. The rookie wasn't posting the astonishing numbers that many might have expected, but he was playing excellent basketball and was extremely efficient. In 25 games, the former Duke standout averaged 12.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting at an excellent 49.0 percent clip. After suffering a torn ACL, Parker will miss the remainder of the season, which is a shame given how much he had improved from opening night to his 25th game.
No. 13: Nate Wolters
After a solid rookie campaign, Wolters hasn't seen the court much this season. And while some of that was to be expected with Brandon Knight's emergence a year ago and the signing of Kendall Marshall this past summer, Wolters has appeared in only 10 games thus far. Whatever the reason, it's clear that the second-year man out of South Dakota State has failed to win over head coach Jason Kidd to this point. Now, with the imminent signing of Kenyon Martin, it appears as though the Bucks will waive Wolters.
No. 12: Kendall Marshall
Marshall hasn't been bad when he has seen minutes, but that's the problem: He hasn't seen consistent playing time. Though it hasn't been as drastic as early in the year, it's still somewhat of a rarity to see him on the court for more than 20 minutes in a game. It's hard to determine whether his lack of playing time is influencing his play or vice versa, but the Marshall from 2013-14 has yet to emerge. Hopefully that changes during the season's second half.
No. 11: Johnny O'Bryant
The rookie power forward didn't see any action until Parker went down with his ACL injury, but since then, O'Bryant has started nine games for the Bucks and has performed quite well in a few of those. He scored 12 points against the Atlanta Hawks on Dec. 26 and, more recently, tallied 10 points against the New York Knicks. He's definitely not a polished product, but with more minutes, O'Bryant may be able to provide Milwaukee with a reliable scoring option off the bench and in the paint.
No. 10: Larry Sanders
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Larry Sanders hasn't exactly bounced back from a tumultuous 2013-14 season.
The big man has appeared in 27 games, averaging 7.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 21.7 minutes per game. Additionally, he's racking up 3.9 fouls per game, which does nothing to increase his value.
And while, for the most part, he has been healthy, it just hasn't translated in a whole lot of growth.
Sanders has taken a step back as a defender and hasn't progressed in the slightest on the offensive end. He's still, of course, the same on-court presence that he always has been, but when that doesn't translate to an improvement in play, it's not very beneficial.
More recently, it was reported that Sanders was contemplating retirement, a report that his agent emphatically denied.
Sanders has been decent when on the floor, but it's still hard to accept this level of play when he's being paid $11 million per year.
No. 9: John Henson
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After missing a good stretch of time because of injury, John Henson is back on the floor and providing the team with a much-needed presence in the paint on offense and defense.
With Larry Sanders missing time recently, Henson has stepped front and center and given the Bucks a bit of a spark.
Since returning to action on Dec. 26, the lanky power forward is averaging 7.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 2.5 blocks in just 19.6 minutes of playing time. On top of that, he's converting an outstanding 57.8 percent of his shot attempts.
Part of the reason why Henson isn't seeing major minutes probably stems from Kidd's frenetic rotations. However, with Henson seemingly playing so well, it's a bit confusing as to why he isn't logging more minutes.
Hopefully that changes.
No. 8: Jerryd Bayless
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Jerryd Bayless is a fiery competitor who has turned out to be a solid acquisition for the Bucks.
During the 36 games in which he has appeared, Bayless is averaging 7.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists while connecting on 44.5 percent of his field-goal attempts.
And while those numbers are nothing to write home about, he provides a spark off the bench that few others can.
The veteran guard averages 21.0 minutes, which, given the lack of playing time Kendall Marshall gets, is slightly discouraging. However, his energy and willingness to get after it on defense may be the reason behind that.
Whatever it is, Bayless has stepped in and done his job through the first half of the season. As long as he continues to give the Bucks some production, his minutes should remain steady.
No. 7: Ersan Ilyasova
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Injuries have once again become a problem for Ersan Ilyasova in 2014-15, but, when he has been healthy, he has shown some signs of returning to his form from a few years ago.
In 20 games, the Turk is scoring 9.8 points per game while hauling in 3.8 rebounds and hitting 48.8 percent of his field-goal attempts.
And even though those numbers—including his playing time—aren't where they were, for instance, during the 2012-13 season, he is slowly but surely getting his feet back underneath him.
When he is healthy, Ilyasova is a vital part of the Bucks' offense.
As a stretch 4, he can space the floor and give a penetrating guard like Brandon Knight more room to operate.
If he can stay healthy and continue to build on these numbers, the Bucks might be able to deal him at the trade deadline to shed some cap room and acquire some future draft picks.
At least that's the best scenario for both the team and Ilyasova.
No. 6: Jared Dudley
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Jared Dudley's career with the Bucks got off to a very slow start. However, over the past 10 games, Dudley has stepped it up in a big way and proven he can provide this team with scoring and efficient shooting.
Since Dec. 18, Dudley is averaging 11.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists while converting a remarkable 55.7 percent of his shots.
True, you can't expect that from the former Boston College star on a regular basis, but his solid play as of late has given the Bucks another scoring option—and that is something they definitely need.
With a relentless style and willingness to always commit 100 percent, Dudley has really played well lately and has proven he can provide the Bucks with added scoring in a pinch.
Heck, he even went a perfect 10-of-10 from the floor, scoring 24 points, in a Dec. 26 matchup against the Atlanta Hawks.
No. 5: O.J. Mayo
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O.J. Mayo and the term consistent don't really fit with one another, and that's part of the reason Mayo has never quite been able to reach his full potential.
So far, 2014-15 has been another battle against inconsistencies for the former high school phenom.
Mayo's numbers are very similar to the ones he posted last season, but, surprisingly, his growth as a leader has masked some of those deficiencies. And given that the Bucks are a team full of youth, that's not a bad thing.
The shooting guard always seems to meet his teammates out on the court as timeouts are called and he has been visibly more vocal on the floor.
Still, the Bucks are paying Mayo to perform. Given his play to this point, his second season in Milwaukee has been pretty disappointing, especially with the immense talent he has.
No. 4: Zaza Pachulia
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With the frontcourt in a bit of disarray due to Sanders' inconsistencies and injury to Jabari Parker, Zaza Pachulia has really stepped it up and is beginning to assert himself as a legitimate option for the Bucks down low.
On the year, in 22.9 minutes per game, the veteran is averaging 7.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists while converting 47.1 of his field-goal attempts. Those numbers are nearly identical to the ones he posted a season ago, but it's his play as of late that has been most impressive.
Since Dec. 26, Pachulia is posting averages of 11.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 51.4 percent from the floor.
Not only do the numbers look good, but his physical presence on the court is something the Bucks lack when long, lanky big men like Sanders and Henson log minutes. Pachulia isn't afraid to mix it up in the paint and is an excellent passer.
The notion that he keeps up his recent level of play is a bit far-fetched but, as of now, he is a very valuable piece for the Bucks.
No. 3: Khris Middleton
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If Mayo is the poster boy for inconsistency, Khris Middleton may be the definition of steady.
The third-year man out of Texas A&M got off to a slow start in 2014-15, but has since evened things out and seems to be in cruise control once again. Averaging 10.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists on 44.6 percent shooting from the field and a solid 40.6 percent from behind the three-point line, Middleton is both reliable and efficient on the offensive end.
Nothing he does will really wow you, but he rarely disappears from games. And when he gets hot, look out.
And with Parker out for the season, Middleton should get plenty of opportunities to assert himself as one of the team's better options on offense and begin posting even better numbers.
By season's end, don't be surprised if he moves up a spot in these rankings.
No. 2: Giannis Antetokounmpo
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The Greek Freak has made tremendous strides from his rookie season to this point in year two and, the scary thing is, there's a lot more room for him to grow.
Antetokounmpo's stat line, with averages of 12.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 blocks, looks pretty solid in print. However, the unbelievably athletic 20-year-old has hardly scratched the surface when it comes to his offensive arsenal.
With the ability to get to the rim virtually whenever he wants—albeit a bit clumsily at times—he still hasn't developed anything remotely resemblant of a consistent jump shot.
At the rim, he has connected 119 of his 180 field-goal attempts—which is a very good 66.1 percent—but has hit just 40 of his 145 attempts from three feet out to behind the three-point line. In case math isn't your strong suit and you don't have a calculator handy, that's a paltry 27.5 percent.
Antetokounmpo is also playing just 27.8 minutes per game, a number that should increase as he becomes more seasoned.
If, and when, he ever develops a jump shot, he will certainly emerge as the superstar many think he can become.
Until then, at the very least, he's one of the funnest players to watch. Especially when he's doing things like this.
No. 1: Brandon Knight
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Brandon Knight may not be a prototypical point guard, but when he puts up the kind of numbers he has thus far in 2014-15, and the team is competing, it doesn't necessarily matter.
Averaging 18.2 points, 5.1 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals while raising his field-goal percentage to 45.0 and connecting on 40.0 percent of his threes, Knight has stepped into the go-to-scorer role almost flawlessly and is the team's bona fide leader.
And while he isn't exactly the greatest when it comes to distributing the ball—he averages 3.4 turnovers—his scoring has been invaluable and he can break defenses down with a quick first step, which frees up open looks for teammates.
There is certainly room for improvement when it comes to being a "pure" point guard but, at least for now, that isn't of great importance, especially if Kidd plays Knight and Marshall together. Marshall is a better distributor and Knight may be more suited as a 2-guard.
Either way, Knight has certainly impressed to this point and, if the Bucks were a bit better, he might be in the mix in terms of being an All Star.
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