Milwaukee Bucks offseason review: Point Guards

With the basketball Olympics behind us, we have a short break before the Milwaukee Bucks return to the court. It’s the perfect time to analyze the Bucks’ offseason moves position by position.

Using Cleaning the Glass’ positional breakdowns – point guard, combo guard, wing, forward and big – we’ll assess how Milwaukee’s roster pans out in August. (Quick note: These categories don’t always align with traditional basketball positions. For example, Patrick Beverley and AJ Johnson are classified as combo guards, so they won’t be featured in this section.)

Let’s start by taking a closer look at the point guard position and see how it has changed since last season’s finale.

Depth chart at the end of the 2023-24 season:

1. Damian Lillard
2. TyTy Washington Jr. (two-sided)
3. Ryan Rollins (two-sided)

Departures:

TyTy Washington Jr.: Washington Jr. signed a two-way contract with the Bucks last August, but his time on the NBA court was limited. In 11 appearances, he averaged 5.1 minutes and contributed 1.3 points and 0.5 assists per game. Despite some good performances, Milwaukee decided not to bring him back. Instead, Washington Jr. found another opportunity, signing another two-way contract with the Phoenix Suns on August 2.

New additions:

None: Several players could be considered point guards, but fall under combo guards for this drill: AJ Johnson and Delon Wright.

Maintain:

Damian Lillard: Lillard is expected to handle the majority of the point guard duties this season, but his first year in Milwaukee hasn’t gone as planned. Amid a series of coaching changes, a slew of injuries and the personal challenge of being away from his family, Lillard has struggled to find his rhythm. Despite the setbacks, he has made it clear that he is determined to come back stronger than ever.

Ryan Rollins: When the Bucks signed Rollins to a two-way contract in February 2024, they locked him up for two years, a move that ensures he will remain with the Wisconsin Herd through the end of this season – barring any unexpected cuts, of course.

New depth chart:

1. Lillard
2. Rollins (two-sided)

Overview:

There is an undeniable imbalance on the Bucks’ roster. While they have a surplus of bigger wings and forwards, they are woefully thin at the point guard position – something that plagued them last year, especially in the postseason. The Indiana Pacers exposed that vulnerability by applying relentless pressure all over the court throughout their first-round sweep.

Lillard, the only true point guard, averaged 35.3 minutes per game last season — a load virtually unheard of in the Mike Budenholzer era but the lowest of Lillard’s career. Given the current roster composition, that number is unlikely to drop, though Milwaukee would ideally like to keep him fresh and healthy for the playoffs.

Rather than securing a traditional backup player, the Bucks appear willing to replace Lillard with a team when he needs a breather. Expect Wright, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and possibly even Andre Jackson Jr. to take over playmaking duties in his absence. The front office seems confident that this collective approach can effectively complement Lillard’s ball-handling and playmaking duties.