Rating the Milwaukee Bucks Roster for 2020-21

The Milwaukee Bucks endured a challenging postseason last year, as the top seed in the Eastern Conference fell in just the second round of the NBA playoffs.

Realizing they had to get better, the Bucks made big offseason moves to improve their starting five while also rounding out their bench.

Did Milwaukee do enough to take things to the next level and convince superstar player Giannis Antetokounmpo that they’re committed to winning a championship? Only time will tell.

If you plan on betting on the Bucks (+600 NBA Finals odds at BetOnline) this year, you should make yourself well versed with their roster. Take a look at my Milwaukee Bucks roster analysis for the 2020-21 NBA season before placing any bets.

The Bucks upgraded their starting lineup. Their attempted trade for Bogdan Bogdanovic was an embarrassing failure, but that also just means they hold onto Donte DiVincenzo, who remains a very intriguing prospect.

The core of Giannis, Lopez, and Middleton remains, and the trade for Jrue Holiday gives them yet another proven scorer and defender. It’s also a significant upgrade over the departed Eric Bledsoe.

DiVincenzo’s status is really the only moving piece, but he flashed the ability during the regular season to score and defend at a very high level. It seems he’ll get the chance to prove he should never have been involved in trade talks.

Milwaukee ranked 4th in offensive efficiency last year and also had the league’s best defense. Holiday might make them better in both regards, and DiVincenzo taking his game to another level could help, as well.

The Bucks getting better? Yeah, that’s a scary thought.

The Bucks had one of the best benches in basketball last year, and they lost some key pieces with George Hill, Robin Lopez, and Kyle Korver all leaving town.

Fortunately, Milwaukee was aware of the hit these departures would deliver, and the team was very proactive in making sure their bench remained a strength.

Bryn Forbes, D.J. Augustin, and Bobby Portis all provide scoring off the bench, while Torrey Craig is an elite on-ball defender that will be tasked with shadowing the opposition’s top scorer.

Overall, the Bucks appear to have gotten better in their starting lineup and may also be more well-rounded than ever off the bench.

It doesn’t take an NBA expert to point out that The Greek Freak is the best player the Bucks have to offer.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the league’s back-to-back MVP winner, and last season he strung together sick averages of 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game.

There is a lot to like about Giannis, but it’s probably more fun to just watch him in action.

The Greek Freak got held in check in the playoffs once again, but he was still a dominant force at both ends of the floor last year. He’s a one-man wrecking crew offensively, he crushes the boards, and he even impacts the game at a high level defensively.

If Giannis can keep progressing as a shooter, and his supporting cast can step up and take some of the pressure off of him, defenses will run out of ways to slow him (and the Bucks) down.

Yeah, the guy that the Bucks tried to trade away really is this team’s X-Factor. It sounds silly, but it’s true.

In fact, DiVincenzo was already that guy before the league took a break and entered the Orlando bubble.

He never found his footing when the season picked back up, but prior to that major transition, he was a very nice utility player that could knock down open shots, play great individual defense, and ignite fast breaks.

Take a look at DiVincenzo’s impact in this video.

Seriously, this kid is just scratching the surface of who he can be, and with the added zest of a player scorned, he’s among the NBA players ready to breakout in 2020-21.

With someone as gifted and as disciplined as Jrue Holiday on the team, he may get even better just by watching another highly skilled guard.

The defensive aptitude, athleticism, and shooting are all there for DiVincenzo to make a huge leap this season. He certainly should have a chip on his shoulder, and if he channels that the right way, he just might be the missing link for the Bucks as they try to chase down a title.

The Milwaukee Bucks have won 56+ games in back-to-back seasons. They dominate the regular season with one of the most unstoppable forces in the league, burn you from long range with their supporting cast, and also play incredibly efficient defense.

For some reason, this team hit a wall in the Orlando bubble.

Literally.

It caused them to look in the mirror and make a few much-needed changes.

Getting Jrue Holiday alone provides a massive two-way upgrade and just might be enough to make the Bucks the new favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference. Giannis playing with a chip on his shoulder and a bolstered bench may not hurt, either.

Milwaukee has been a team worth betting on lately, and nothing about their current roster should convince bettors otherwise going into the 2020-21 NBA season.