Signing veteran guard Delon Wright to a minimum-salary contract over the summer was viewed as a savvy free agency move for a Bucks team facing serious roster-building constraints. However, Wright is off to a slow start in Milwaukee, having fallen out of the rotation entirely just a couple weeks into the season. He’s been a DNP-CD in each the past three games.
“I mean, it wasn’t really a conversation – they kind of just did it,” Wright said of being benched, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription required). “It’s their decision. I can’t really be too mad at it. It is frustrating but I’m trying to stay ready. It’s a long season.”
Wright, who is in his 10th NBA season, is playing for his ninth different team, so he’s gotten accustomed to having to make a good first impression. He suggested that sometimes it takes a little longer for a new team to figure out how best to utilize him.
“This is not the first time it’s happened to me,” Wright told Owczarski. “Especially with a new coaching staff, they’re not really fully aware of what I do best. They have an idea, but once I get into a rhythm, once I get really acclimated with the team then I’ll be able to be utilized more. Right now I’m just like a three-and-D guy, just play defense and just move the ball. Once I get more acclimated and they get familiar with me it’ll be different for me. But, just have to stay ready, build my confidence back up and wherever (the minutes) is at, be more confident, be more aggressive.”
Two-way guard Ryan Rollins, a 2022 second-round pick who is on his third NBA team, has taken Wright’s spot in the rotation for now and is looking to take advantage of a rare opportunity for regular minutes. While the veteran Wright hopes to eventually earn those minutes back, he recognizes that he has to be supportive of his younger teammate in the meantime.
“I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer. I don’t want to have my energy affect anybody else,” Wright said. “So, I just have to try to stay as engaged as I can, even though it sucks that you’re not playing. I have to encourage Ryan, because he would do the same when he wasn’t playing, cheering me on. I have to make sure to be a good teammate and try to continue to just work. My time will come back around. You never know what can happen in a season.”
Here’s more out of Milwaukee:
- Second-year wing Andre Jackson, who has started the Bucks’ past three games, logged just four minutes in the second half on Sunday after playing 18 of 24 first-half minutes. What was the thinking behind that usage? “I thought the way (the Celtics) were helping off of him was really affecting our offense, especially from the second quarter on,” head coach Doc Rivers explained (Twitter link via Eric Nehm of The Athletic). “He’s gonna be a good player for us. We gotta still work with him about what to do when that happens. When you watch the tape, his guy was on the other side of the floor sometimes, double-teaming. They didn’t care where he went. And we gotta make sure we put him in the right spots.”
- Lori Nickel of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel considers what to make of the Bucks’ disappointing 2-8 start, suggesting Milwaukee has lost its identity as a “hustle team” as its roster has aged.
- Michael Pina of The Ringer evaluates whether the idea of a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade is realistic, noting that the Bucks look pretty far away from being the sort of title-contending team the two-time MVP wants them to be. Pina doesn’t anticipate an in-season deal, but won’t rule out the possibility of something happening next summer and makes the case that the Rockets would be an intriguing trade partner for Milwaukee.
- In case you missed it, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown expressed annoyance with Antetokounmpo following Boston’s win over the Bucks on Sunday.
Bucks have a good stretch coming. Time to right the ship. Next 12-15 gms. They can get back to over .500. Then we can stop all this trade Giannis bs.
NBA writers have no integrity.
A serviceable Middleton will be a boon for the BUCKS.
The BUCKS will be okay ……. like I said, Doc is a good regular season coach.
In his prime, he was.
He’s worse now.
Yeah.
But just okay.
Switch all the players positions. At least 6 players are out of position. This should be easy. You could start Portis at PF, Giannis at SF and Middleton at SG.
Or just start Prince at SG. Stanley Umude is just sitting there at SG
Waive Rollins n sign a young big on a two way and maybe fire Doc
Saying that Giannis isn’t a power forward is impossible to take seriously, I’m sorry. He and Portis are both PFs, which is part of the reason why lineups with both him and Giannis in it have performed so poorly thus far. -15.3 points per 100 possessions on the year so far, and that’s not a new development (though it is a new low). Third-worst 2-man combination last year, second worst the year before that. While they have worked better at some points in the past, the issues that come with both of them on the floor are deep-seated.
Bro do you remember when Giannis was drafted? Was he a PF?… No. Not for another 5 years. I understand you are new at basketball but please bro you need to stop. Just because this modern age of basketball plays small ball doesn’t mean it’s right.
Next you will tell me Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett played C their WHOLE careers
Yes Giannis can play PF but should pretend PFs such as LeBron and Tatum …..nope
Yes we understand you think like everyone else thinking you need five 3pt shooters on the court at the same time which is stupid
Plus I don’t care about fake stats in this garbage era
Waiting for a response Eon…
Rollins is a bad omen. Bad karma having him around. Bucks will win nothing. I said this at the beginning of the season