The Milwaukee Bucks have a lot of work to do this summer

After the fashion in which the Milwaukee Bucks blew a 3-2 series lead to the Boston Celtics to end their 2021-22 season and squash their back-to-back championship hopes, there is a lot of work to be done this summer and offseason as a whole.

From a fan’s perspective, it will be quite an interesting offseason for the Bucks’ management and front office. There most definitely has to be quite a bit of turnover on this roster as it stands now.

The aging roster must be addressed once and for all, as it is a glaring issue that cannot be overlooked or ignored any longer.

Heading into the 2021-22 season, they had the fourth oldest roster in the league with an average age of 27.9 years. This number probably increased slightly at the trade deadline with the futile acquisition of 32-year-old Serge Ibaka and trading away a young asset in Donte DiVincenzo.

General manager Jon Horst must do a better job this offseason in many areas, one being adding youth and athleticism to a somewhat aging roster. Signing 35-year-old guard Wesley Matthews and recently turned 36-year-old point guard George Hill.

Father time has finally caught up with Hill, as the oft-injured backup point guard was pretty much a disaster when he did play this season, especially in the playoffs. He had no business playing 25 minutes per game in the playoffs, but that’s what happens when your head coach is far too loyal to aging veterans as opposed to younger players such as Jevon Carter.

Local fan favorite Matthews was signed mainly as a public relations move. He still plays tenacious defense and had some shining moments in the playoffs.

With the injury to Khris Middleton for all of the second round, Matthews was forced to move into the starting role at the shooting guard spot.

When a player of his age is exerting an exorbitant amount of energy on the defensive end, more than likely his offensive production and shooting percentage will struggle.  This is precisely what happened with Matthews throughout the majority of the second round against Boston.

The Milwaukee Bucks currently have only two players on the roster under the age of 30 on guaranteed deals for next season, one of which is Giannis Antetokounmpo. This has to be a major concern for management for the 2022-23 season.

There is only so long that Giannis can carry this team on his back, just like he did throughout the entire second round. The Milwaukee Bucks are in dire need of young, athletic role players who can consistently shoot and score.

Other than Giannis, the next youngest player on the roster logging consistent minutes (although not nearly enough plays run for him) is 26-year-old shooting guard Grayson Allen. He has already been in the league for four years now, is an average defender, and a fairly decent spot-up shooter who can create his own shot every now and then.

Point guard Jevon Carter is also only 26-years-old. In very limited playing time this season and during the playoffs, he played like a veteran and was very productive, as opposed to George Hill.

It is mind-boggling and maddening as to why Mike Budenholzer refused to continue to play him after the first two games against Boston. Another rotational player who has shown flashes sometimes, but is extremely inconsistent is 23-year-old small forward Jordan Nwora.

High hopes for Nwora have faded quickly since he was drafted in the second round of the 2020 draft at number 45 overall. This is evidenced by his lack of basketball IQ, inability to play defense, and very poor shot selection.

While he has shown some flashes in two seasons as a spot starter due to injuries, he’s far too inconsistent and really does not fit well on this team, nor in Budenholzer’s style.

The main issue right now for the Milwaukee Bucks is clearly a lack of youth and athleticism up and down the roster. Beyond the core of the Big 3 in Antetokounmpo, Middleton, and Jrue Holiday (the latter two are on the wrong side of 30), there is no real young talent on the current roster.

Hopefully the Bucks can resign both Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton this offseason. Portis is only 27-years-old and Connaughton is 29-years-old.

While both are not spring chickens anymore, neither are south of 30 and are both vital to this team’s success, especially with their playoff and championship experience. Losing one or both in free agency could be devastating.

With the 24th pick in the 2022 NBA draft, the Bucks should maintain the pick and draft a young talent for the foreseeable future. More importantly, they must nail this pick with a player who will grow, develop and flourish into a future role with the team.

For some reason, the Milwaukee Bucks have not drafted well in recent years and do not invest in young talent. It is imperative that this changes moving forward.