Milwaukee Bucks: Player Power Rankings (Dec. 15-Dec. 21)

With two tough back-to-backs, the Milwaukee Bucks finished this week .500, and on the whole had a solid week. Let’s take a peak into another Player Power Rankings.

Dec 21, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker (12) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 113-102. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Week In Review (2-2)

W: Chicago Bulls, 97 @ Milwaukee Bucks, 108

W: Milwaukee Bucks, 95 @ Chicago Bulls, 69

L: Cleveland Cavaliers, 114 @ Milwaukee Bucks, 108 OT

L: Milwaukee Bucks, 102 @ Cleveland Cavaliers, 113

Milwaukee Bucks Tweet of the Week:

#SagerStrong Forever pic.twitter.com/XG2HGHkIaV

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) December 16, 2016

Despite an overall very strong showing by the Bucks this week, they did finish with a rather disappointing 2-2 record. Although winning games against the defending champions is far from easy, the team had their chances to snag one of those games, especially the first battle. On the other hand, the team was outstanding in their games against the Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls are definitely a border battle and a division rival, and the Bucks absolutely dismantled them in back-to-back games. This was a very good week for both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker, but it is hard to argue with Malcolm Brogdon as the man who found his way onto a lot of highlights.

The “President” took his savvy, steady play and took it to a whole new level with some posterizing dunks that led to a massive social media reaction.

Although it seems like Joel Embiid has a strong lead in terms of the Rookie of the Year voting, but maybe these highlight plays by Humble Moses will open up the league’s eyes towards the outstanding play of the former Virginia Cavalier.

2-2 is not something that the Bucks should be enthused about, but it is not a week that should be looked down upon either. And to sum up the play of each player, let’s enter another rendition of the Player Rankings!

Dec 7, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Michael Beasley (9) during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Milwaukee won 115-107. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The DNPs

Despite a few added minutes in the last battle with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the DNPs still stand as normal, with the new addition of Michael Beasley, who sat out the week with injury. In their limited time, however, a few guys stood out.

In eight minutes, Thon Maker was able to do a lot of positive things. He made his only attempt from the field and was 1/2 from the free throw line. Also in this time, he gathered three quick rebounds and swatted two shots.

As for Rashad Vaughn, he chucked up seven shots in 16 minutes, connecting on three, including a very solid 2/3 from behind the arc. Although his minutes have seen a drastic decrease, Vaughn seems to have found the range from deep this year in comparison to last.

Michael Beasley

Last week: DNPLast rank: 7

Steve Novak

Last week: 2 GP: 3.0 mins/0.0 pts/0.5 rebs/0.0 astsLast rank: NR

Miles Plumlee

Last week: 2 GP: 8.0 mins/2.5 pts/0.5 rebs/0.5 astsLast rank: 13

Rashad Vaughn

Last week: 2 GP: 10.5 mins/4.0 pts/1.5 rebs/0.5 astsLast rank: 12

Thon Maker

Last week: 2 GP: 6.0 mins/2.0 pts/2.5 rebs/0.0 astsLast rank: 11

Next: 9. Jason Terry

Dec 16, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Jason Terry (3) handles the ball defended by Chicago Bulls forward Doug McDermott (11) during the second half at the United Center. Milwaukee won 95-69. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Jason Terry

Last week: 4 GP: 15.3 mins/2.8 pts/1.0 rebs/2.3 astsLast rank: 10

It’s hard to say that a player with as low of a usage rate as Jason Terry has been bad, so do not think that his landing at the #9 spot this week as indicative of poor play. In fact, Terry had a fairly solid week, connecting on three of his eight attempts from three-point land and dishing out a fair number of assists. Next: 8. Matthew Dellavedova

Dec 21, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Members of the Cleveland Cavaliers including forward Richard Jefferson (24) and forward LeBron James (23) mob Milwaukee Bucks guard Matthew Dellavedova (8) as Dellavedova receives his championship ring before the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Milwaukee Bucks during the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Matthew Dellavedova

Last week: 4 GP: 28.8 mins/4.8 pts/2.0 rebs/5.0 astsLast rank: 9

In total, Delly was flat-out solid this week. Nothing spectacular, but just all-around consistent play, even when matched up against his former team in the Cleveland Cavaliers. He limited his shot selection which opened up for a much bigger role for Jabari and Giannis, who often times take the floor with him. He was second on the team in assists this week, second only to Giannis, despite his horrendous shooting from behind the arc (3/12). His play can definitely improve, but he seems to have settled into his role as part of a solid duo at point guard. Next: 7. Tony Snell

Dec 21, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA;Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks guard Tony Snell (21) during the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Tony Snell

Last week: 4 GP: 29.3 mins/7.5 pts/4.0 rebs/2.0 astsLast rank: 8

Maybe Tony Snell is starting to figure out his shot in Milwaukee? Definitely a small sample size of one week, but Snell was 6/11 from deep, including one giant bomb late in the first match-up against the Cavaliers. His ability to knock down spot-up shots will be huge moving forward, even if he does get stuck with tunnel vision from time to time. Yet again, he was near the top of the squad in terms of taking care of the ball, only two turnovers, but this is really starting to become something to expect out of a player who is far from aggressive.Next: 6. Mirza Teletovic

Dec 21, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert (4) shoots over the defense of Milwaukee Bucks forward Mirza Teletovic (35) during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Mirza Teletovic

Last week: 4 GP: 21.0 mins/9.5 pts/4.5 rebs/1.3 astsLast rank: 6

Shooters are going to shoot right? Yes, they are, and that is exactly what Telly does. Teletovic was among the team’s highest volume three-point shooters, and also tied for the lead in made shots from out there. His overall performance is definitely dictated by his shooting from deep, and this week it was a positive impact. Staying steady at #6 for another week is solid for a bench player, and his continued bombs are all the team can hope to see.Next: 5. Greg Monroe

Dec 16, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez (8) is defended by Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe (15) during the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Greg Monroe

Last week: 4 GP: 20.3 mins/8.8 pts/7.0 rebs/1.8 astsLast rank: 3

In four games, Monroe continued to show active play on both ends of the floor. He added two steals and two blocks over the course of the week in addition to his scoring and rebounding, which are so consistent. He was under 50% from the floor this week, which is lower than what the team is accustomed to, but landing himself third on the team’s rebounding list for the week makes up for it.Next: 4. Malcolm Brogdon

Dec 21, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon (13) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 113-102. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Malcolm Brogdon

President Guard

Last week: 4 GP: 23.5 mins/7.3 pts/2.5 rebs/5.0 astsLast rank: 4

He dunked on LeBron James. That should be enough to warrant Malcolm’s presence in the top 5. On top of that, however, he continues to show all that makes him a viable contender for the Rookie of the Year. He was just around 50 percent shooting for the week, even though he struggled to knock down threes. Brogdon has more than exceeded expectations this season and even has some fans that are looking to see him start over Delly in the future. But for now, this is definitely a solid point guard duo in Milwaukee.Next: 3. John Henson

Dec 21, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center John Henson (31) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard DeAndre Liggins (14) during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 113-102. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

John Henson

Last week: 4 GP: 23.0 mins/8.0 pts/7.5 rebs/0.8 astsLast rank: 5

Henson’s steady rise up the Player Rankings this week, as he finds himself in the top 3 this time around. And he definitely deserved it with his play on defense as well as offense. Henson was third on the team in steals (4) and owned the lead in blocks (5) while maintaining a low-usage role on offense. With high usage stars in Jabari and Giannis, this low usage cannot be understated. Although a talented offensive player to an extent, Henson allows for the floor to open up for stars, knowing that they are the focal point of the team.Next: 2. Jabari Parker

Dec 21, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker (12) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 113-102. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Jabari Parker

Last week: 4 GP: 34.3 mins/24.3 pts/5.5 rebs/2.3 astsLast rank: 2

Jabari was outstanding this week. No question about it, Major Cat went out and was in full attack mode, putting up points to the tune of nearly 25 per game. He also hovered around 30 in both games against the Cavaliers, showing his desire to ball out against the best competition in the league. He did struggle at times when guarding LeBron James (going under ball screens), but his overall man-to-man defense was not too bad. Jabari’s major struggles on defense come in rotations, so matching him up with the most used offensive player can actually hide some of his flaws. Also, when including his 4/5 shooting from three in game 4 this week, Jabari was 6/11 from three, another great number.Next: 1. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Dec 16, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) is defended by Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22) during the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Last week: 4 GP: 37.5 mins/26.3 pts/9.8 rebs/5.3 astsLast rank: 1

Minutes: 1st,
Points: 1st,
Rebounds: 1st,
Assists: 1st,
FTM: 1st (and by 24, I might add),
FT%: 1st.

And here’s where it gets even more interesting:

3PM: T-1st.

Watch out, NBA. The Greek Freak is starting to shoot the three with confidence.