The Milwaukee Bucks made a significant wager on their depth by dealing two starters in Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen for one in Damian Lillard, even if they may not have fully rebuilt their roster. With Lillard, Pat Connaughton, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Brook Lopez in their starting lineup, they appear to be well-rounded. Their perimeter defense suffered, but Connaughton makes an effort, and they have two candidates for Defensive Player of the Year guarding the basket. Milwaukee’s bench, however, becomes very fragile very soon without Bobby Portis. A great sparkplug is Cameron Payne. After starting the season away from the Phoenix Suns, Jae Crowder was a ghost the previous year.
The Bucks are counting on their young players to become valuable players. In the 2023 NBA Draft, they did select Chris Livingston from Kentucky and Andre Jackson Jr. from Connecticut. Both have lengthy, rangy wings, with Livingston perhaps being a three-and-D type while Jackson Jr. appears to be a connector. MarJon Beauchamp, however, was a first-round pick of the Bucks in the 2022 NBA Draft. It shouldn’t come as a surprise if he starts the season as a regular in the Bucks’ rotation rather than merely being a supporting player.
MarJon Beauchamp had a solid defender’s reputation when he entered the NBA. No matter who it is, being a strong defender at 6-7 and 202 pounds will be extremely valuable in today’s NBA. The Bucks are hope he can develop into the kind of perimeter defensive stopper they are lacking without Jrue Holiday right now. Only 702 minutes were played by Beauchamp as a rookie, but even in those few minutes, he had the appearance of a defensive wing.
For Beauchamp to remain on the court during crucial situations, he will need to use a reliable jump shot. One of the main criticisms of him after G League Ignite was that. Beauchamp hit 32% from three in his rookie NBA season, which included time spent with the Bucks and their G League club. However, Beauchamp demonstrated throughout Summer League that he was more than just a defensive stopper, which is crucial. He made accurate shots and exuded confidence while using the ball to make plays.
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