Having landed their presumed starting small forward by acquiring Caron Butler from the Suns this week, the Bucks appear to have completed their major moves of the offseason. And it's certainly been a busy summer for Milwaukee — only four players currently on the roster (Ersan Ilyasova, Larry Sanders, John Henson, and Ekpe Udoh) finished the 2012/13 season with the team.
Heading into the offseason, Milwaukee was expected to retain at least one of its big free agent guards (Monta Ellis, Brandon Jennings, and J.J. Redick), but all three players ended up elsewhere. As such, the Bucks will head into next season with an entirely new backcourt, led by Brandon Knight, Luke Ridnour, O.J. Mayo, and Gary Neal. The frontcourt didn't receive as drastic an overhaul, but there are plenty of new faces there too, including big man Zaza Pachulia, and forwards Giannis Antetokounmpo, Carlos Delfino and Butler.
Most of the team's top players, including Ilyasova, Sanders, and Mayo, aren't quite NBA stars, so the roster isn't exactly top-heavy. But it's more balanced and probably features more depth than last year's squad, which earned an eighth seed in the East behind high-volume shooting from Ellis and Jennings.
So what do you think of the new-look Bucks? Are they better than last season's version? Even if you believe they've improved, are they good enough to make the playoffs in the East? The Heat, Nets, Bulls, Pacers, and Knicks look like strong bets for the postseason, and the Pistons, Cavs, Hawks, Wizards, and Raptors should all be in contention as well. Is there enough room for Milwaukee, or are the Bucks headed for the 2014 lottery?
If anything, they squeeze in at that 8th seed like the past few years, but I think some of the younger teams take steps forward.