Bucks 2033-34 Pre-season Presser
Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2020 9:44 am
I feel like I come up here every season talking about how the previous season was a whirlwind, good or bad chaos flying around. Well last season we had the highest of hopes, but then injuries to numerous players out front, specifically a 2-3 sim injury for De'Aaron Fox, really put our team behind the 8-ball after feeling like we should have run away with our division based on pre-season projections and media conversations. Maybe we read too much good press and got a big head. Everyone shares a piece of the blame pie for that one I suppose... but then the tension started to thicken between the front office and De'Aaron Fox. De'Aaron is by far one of (if not) the best players in this league, and well... we just felt like he was settling. His drive that we loved and saw for numerous seasons had dissipated. So we started shopping him around quietly... and then he found out. It got ugly... but in the end, it worked out for both parties. He got a new home on a team that is loaded with potential... we got a great return for him and some truly foundational pieces in Justin Rodriquez and Chadwick Dangerfield.
Coming into last season we were fortunate enough sign Josh Schumann in UFA, and being able to pair a phenomenal scorer and athlete like Justin Rodriquez with him is just perfect for us. Dangerfield has the ability to really because a premiere floor general in the league if he continues to grow into his abilities. During the season, we also discovered Bertram Pugh on waivers after he had been cut by the Spurs. He was a huge surprise for us, and honestly had a legitimate stake in the Rookie of the Year race had he been playing for us a month or two sooner. We capitalized on our expiring players older vets, acquiring picks and cash to become more liquid as an organization as well. These would pay off very soon.
In the end, we finished with the 5th worst record in the league, as it was a big growing experience for the young core. This led to us getting the 6th overall pick in the draft, where we selected Peter Harker. We traded back into the draft to grab the #9 and draft Zylan Cheatham. We were pretty happy to have this depth in our wings, but with training camp looming and insurance only protecting a select few, we as an organization started to wonder if now was the best time to strike... while we had capspace and attractive assets. We attached a future 1st to Thomas Edison to clear more space, and then, after striking out in RFA, hit a home run on the trade market in trading Harker and Cheatham to the Timberwolves for Ja Morant. We've been enamored with him for a while, and he's such a great addition to this squad.
In free agency, we brought back Pugh and Paris, but our big time addition was Derick Hunter, a shot-blocking monster in the paint. We look forward to having his dominating presence anchoring us down low. We filled out the remaining roster spots after training camp, notably the return of a couple familiar faces: Wilburn Clark and Todd Dearing.
It's truly an exciting year ahead of us. After the turmoil of last season, it feels like we've already turned the page to a new chapter in our storied franchise's history book.
Coming into last season we were fortunate enough sign Josh Schumann in UFA, and being able to pair a phenomenal scorer and athlete like Justin Rodriquez with him is just perfect for us. Dangerfield has the ability to really because a premiere floor general in the league if he continues to grow into his abilities. During the season, we also discovered Bertram Pugh on waivers after he had been cut by the Spurs. He was a huge surprise for us, and honestly had a legitimate stake in the Rookie of the Year race had he been playing for us a month or two sooner. We capitalized on our expiring players older vets, acquiring picks and cash to become more liquid as an organization as well. These would pay off very soon.
In the end, we finished with the 5th worst record in the league, as it was a big growing experience for the young core. This led to us getting the 6th overall pick in the draft, where we selected Peter Harker. We traded back into the draft to grab the #9 and draft Zylan Cheatham. We were pretty happy to have this depth in our wings, but with training camp looming and insurance only protecting a select few, we as an organization started to wonder if now was the best time to strike... while we had capspace and attractive assets. We attached a future 1st to Thomas Edison to clear more space, and then, after striking out in RFA, hit a home run on the trade market in trading Harker and Cheatham to the Timberwolves for Ja Morant. We've been enamored with him for a while, and he's such a great addition to this squad.
In free agency, we brought back Pugh and Paris, but our big time addition was Derick Hunter, a shot-blocking monster in the paint. We look forward to having his dominating presence anchoring us down low. We filled out the remaining roster spots after training camp, notably the return of a couple familiar faces: Wilburn Clark and Todd Dearing.
It's truly an exciting year ahead of us. After the turmoil of last season, it feels like we've already turned the page to a new chapter in our storied franchise's history book.
