2017-'18 Milwaukee Bucks player grades

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO

The bar was set high from the beginning games of the season when Antetokounmpo, coming off his first all-star appearance in 2017, vaulted into the national spotlight with a series of strong performances. Those breakout games, particularly a career-high 44-point masterpiece against the Portland Trail Blazers that included two critical defensive plays at the end, brought national attention along with the belief that he was already primed to become a serious MVP candidate.

As high as that bar was set, Antetokounmpo found a way to meet, if not exceed, expectations. He averaged 26.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game this season while shooting a career-best 52.9% from the field and recording his lowest turnover percentage (11.7) despite a career-high 31.2% usage rate.

Antetokounmpo was unquestionably the engine that made the Bucks go and the numbers back that up. With him on the court, which accounts for 69.5% of minutes during the regular season, the Bucks had what would equate to a top-eight offense and an average defense, resulting in a net rating of plus-2.8 points per 100 possessions. With Antetokounmpo off the court, the Bucks' offensive rating slipped to 108.4 points per 100 possessions, slightly below league average. Their defensive rating also plummeted and at 114.9 would rate lower than the league's worst defense (Phoenix at 112.8).

As a team, Milwaukee finished the season with a negative-0.31 net rating, a number that ranked 20th in the NBA and last among playoff teams. And that was with the positive numbers with Antetokounmpo on the floor. Without him, the Bucks' negative-6.6 net rating would be bottom five in the league and would project to a 20-something win season. 

SEASON IN REVIEW:Progress made but it wasn't enough

RELATED:Team grades

NBA PLAYOFFS:Live scoreboard, box scores, recaps, statistics

On a league-wide basis, Antetokounmpo ranked second in minutes per game (36.7), fifth in points per game, 11th in rebounds per game and ninth in blocks per game. He also attempted the second-most free throws, ranked fifth in player efficiency rating and sixth in win shares.

In the playoffs, Antetokounmpo again carried the Bucks all the way to Game 7 of their first-round series against the Boston Celtics, including a critical 31-point, 14-rebound performance in Game 6.

The league's most improved player and a second team all-NBA selection last season, Antetokounmpo is regarded as a top-five contender for MVP and has a floor of second team all-NBA, with the possibility of jumping up to the first team.

He did all of that while dealing with the death of his father less than a month before the start of the regular season. He also was at the top of every team's scouting report and the clear head of the team and face of the franchise. Antetokounmpo, by the admission of his teammates and coaches, took a step forward as a leader both on the court and in the locker room.

Heading into this summer, growing as a leader and becoming an even more well-rounded player are at the forefront of his mind.

“Right now, all I’m thinking about is how I can be a better leader," Antetokounmpo said. "How I can take control of the game — late, early, set a tone, stuff like that. I know the talent is there, the work ethic is there. Now it’s the simple things that make your team a winning team.” Grade: A

ERIC BLEDSOE

The Bucks made a big splash, trading Greg Monroe and a pair of protected draft picks to the Phoenix Suns for Bledsoe on Nov. 7. It was a move made to add a new dimension to Milwaukee's offense as well as bring in an athletic point guard to put at the front of the team's defense.

On the whole, Bledsoe fit those roles well. He averaged 17.8 points and a team-high 5.1 assists per game while ranking third in the NBA with 2.0 steals per game.

"I thought I did pretty good, man," Bledsoe said of getting acclimated to his new team on the fly. "Coming in getting adjusted, making it to this point. ... Now looking forward to us keeping moving in the right direction.”

His numbers were especially good after the all-star break when he averaged 18.8 points, 6.0 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game, a stretch that included some of his best performances — a 39-point game against the Los Angeles Lakers, a strong finish in New York against the Knicks and a triple-double against the Orlando Magic.

There were some issues, though. Bledsoe's 16.0% turnover rate was the highest among players who appeared in more than half of the team's game this season and clearly the most among starters. That's a number that will need to come down, especially the mistakes in transition.

Bledsoe also had a habit of settling for midrange jumpers early in the shot clock instead of moving the ball or attacking the rim. He was one of the Bucks' best weapons when doing either of those things, but his jump shot wasn't the most efficient form of offense.

Defensively, the Bucks were certainly better with Bledsoe and his ability to make steals was a positive, but at times he displayed head-scratching lapses. This happened in both the regular season and playoffs, with plays that included missed switches or failure to close out on shooters.

At his best, Bledsoe was a clear positive for the Bucks. However, like many players on the team, the consistency wasn't always there. Grade: B

MALCOLM BROGDON

Coming off winning the rookie of the year award last season, Brogdon had an up-and-down season.

He opened the season in the starting lineup for nine games, moved out of it for the better part of two months then went back to getting regular starts in early January. However, that's when injuries started to derail his season.

In late January, Brogdon missed three games due to right calf soreness. Then on Feb. 1, Brogdon went up for a dunk against the Minnesota Timberwolves and barely got the ball over the rim as he suffered a partially torn left quadriceps tendon that would keep him out for more than two months causing him to miss 30 games.

“For me, personally, being injured," Brogdon said when asked what he'd remember about this season. "That always builds growth, that always builds character. It molds me every time I’m injured, not that I’m injured a lot. It’s something that I end up appreciating.”

By the end of the season, Brogdon logged just 48 games, averaging 13.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while upping his overall field-goal percentage from 45.7% as a rookie to 48.5% this season. However, his three-pointers fell less, down from 40.4% to 38.5%, though he did attempt almost one more per game.

Despite the injuries, Brogdon was a key contributor throughout the regular season and into the playoffs. Grade: B-minus

STERLING BROWN

A second-round pick acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers, Brown was the Bucks' most productive rookie this season.

He averaged 4.0 points and 2.6 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game in 54 contests this season, including four starts.

“It was a great year for me," Brown said. "Both on and off the floor I learned a lot, went through a lot. I’m just looking forward to this summer getting better.”

Brown hopes to develop into a "three-and-D" player, spacing the court on offense and defending at a high level and against multiple positions on the other end. He did well in that regard in his first year, making 35.2% of his three-pointers and bringing a jolt of defensive energy and a willingness to take on all challenges whenever he was in the game.

As a rookie, there were times where the speed of the game and the skills of his opponents were too much for him, but Brown set a solid foundation to build on. Grade: C-plus

MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA

Like Brogdon, Dellavedova's season was thrown off by injuries. The point guard missed 15 games spanning November and December due to left knee tendinitis and then missed 29 games toward the end of the season after spraining his right ankle on Feb. 4 against Brooklyn — an injury that had a longer-than-expected recovery time.

The result was the least productive season of Dellavedova's five-year carer as he appeared in just 38 games and logged 18.7 minutes per contest. He never got into a rhythm, putting up the lowest effective field-goal percentage (45.7%) of his career on the way to 4.3 points and 3.8 assists per game. He also had the team's highest turnover percentage at 23.0%.

Dellavedova's Bucks teammates consistently lauded him for his off-court input, especially when he was injured. 

Still, the 2017-'18 campaign was an unlucky and forgettable one for Dellavedova. Grade: D

JOHN HENSON

At the start of the season, it looked like Henson might be buried on the bench behind upstart Thon Maker and Monroe, the team's solid sixth man last year. Instead, Henson played his largest minutes load and had arguably the best season of his six-year career.

Henson showed improvement as a screen-setter, picked his spots well on offense on the way to 8.8 points per game on 57.2% shooting, demonstrated a strong connection with Khris Middleton on lobs and pick-and-rolls, and ranked eighth in the NBA in blocks per game (1.4). He was part of some of the Bucks' best, most used lineups this season.

The downsides for Henson were some of the things that have held him back in the past. He's not a physical player inside, which hurt the Bucks in certain games against bigger centers. Henson also wasn't a strong rebounding presence, grabbing just 6.8 per game. He also had a bad back that flared up, keeping him out of the final five games of the team's playoff series.

Overall, though, Henson demonstrated improvement and stepped up with Maker struggling and Monroe gone to anchor the frontcourt, and when he was on the court the Bucks were a better team (positive-4.3 net rating). Grade: B

BRANDON JENNINGS

The 2009 Bucks first-round draft pick returned to the team in March on a pair of 10-day contracts before signing a multi-year contract on April 1.

His first game included a near triple-double with 16 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 12, and 11 days later he had a solid 16-point performance against the Chicago Bulls.

In 14 games with the Bucks, Jennings averaged 5.2 points — nearly half of his total coming in the aforementioned two games — along with 3.1 assists in 14.6 minutes per game. He appeared in just one playoff game for five minutes. Grade: Incomplete

THON MAKER

There were hopes that Maker could parlay his breakout performance in the 2017 postseason into a strong second campaign. He opened this season the same way he ended the last — in the starting lineup. However, that lasted just seven games as he struggled to score, make an impact defensively or collect rebounds.

Those issues plagued Maker throughout the regular season. His numbers regressed in Year 2 as he finished the regular season averaging 4.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.7 blocks while shooting 41.1% overall and 29.8% on three-pointers.  He struggled to find his spots on offense and wasn't physically strong enough to battle inside. On defense, Maker often looked unsure and out of place.

By March and April, Maker found himself out of the rotation, sitting out eight of the team's final 21 games and averaging just 11.3 minutes in the 13 games he did play.

Maker's saving grace, though, was a monster performance in the playoffs. After playing just one minute in Games 1-2, Maker exploded in Games 3-4 with a combined 22 points and 10 blocks in 55 minutes. He went on to start Games 5-6 and was a main reason the series lasted as long as it did.

Yet again, the challenge for Maker next season will be to turn his playoff success into consistency in the regular season. Grade: C

KHRIS MIDDLETON

Before he was fired as coach of the Bucks, Jason Kidd used to call Middleton the team's security blanket, which is a perfect description for what Middleton brought to the table.

Middleton played in every regular season and postseason game, providing the highest level of consistency on the roster in both his availability and his output. He scored in double figures in all but seven games on the way to a career-best 20.1 points per game. Along with his scoring, Middleton averaged 5.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

He did all of that while playing the second-most minutes in the league (2,982) and was often asked to play the power forward position instead of his usual spot on the wing.

Though his scoring and overall shooting numbers were up, Middleton's three-point percentage dropped precipitously. A career 40.4% shooter entering this season, Middleton made just 35.9% of his tries this season.

He made up for that in the playoffs, though, as he shot the lights out against the Celtics. Middleton went 67 of 112 (59.8%) overall in the seven-game series, including making 25 of 41 (61.0%) three-pointers on the way to scoring 24.7 points per game. Grade: A-minus

SHABAZZ MUHAMMAD

Muhammad joined the Bucks as a free agent on March 4 in a move made to add bench depth. He appeared in 11 of the team's final 19 games, averaging 8.5 points and 2.8 rebounds while offering a burst of aggressive offense off the bench.

He gave the Bucks some life in Games 2 and 5 against the Celtics, contributing 11 points in each of those games.

This summer, Muhammad will be an unrestricted free agent and the Bucks will need to decide if his short time with the team was enough to merit bringing him back. Grade: Incomplete

JABARI PARKER

After a year of rehabbing his second torn left anterior cruciate ligament in three seasons, Parker made his season debut on Feb. 2. He went on to play 31 regular-season games, averaging 12.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game.

Parker's explosiveness and bounce were back right from the outset as he consistently attacked the basket and soar for dunks. He also showed that his three-point stroke had improved during his rehab, hitting 38.3% of his tries from long range. He still looked like he needed time to fully fit back into the offense, but Parker has valuable one-on-one skills.

However, his defense and the consistency of his effort were often lacking, with the two things going hand in hand. Parker's defense has been a knock against him for years and that didn't change with his return. It didn't help that there were times when after a missed shot or turnover he failed to get back on defense at all, leading to an opportunity for the opposing team and often cutting his minutes.

In the playoffs, Parker barely registered in the first two games of the series and publicly voiced his frustration ahead of Game 3, saying that he felt he had earned more playing time and more of an opportunity.

"I think he was just really excited and when he didn’t get the opportunities that he wanted because of the excitement, because he wanted to contribute to his team, he got frustrated and so he had a moment of frustration," Bucks general manager Jon Horst said. "He was a young player with a moment of frustration. Look at the way he handled it."

The way Parker handled it was by combining strong, defense with his already impactful offense to help turn the tide of the series in Games 3-4. Those contests provided a glimpse of what Parker could be as he efficiently put up 17 and 16 points, was aggressive in grabbing rebounds and bowed up on defense.

His play remained at a high level for the rest of the series, though not at the same all-around level as Games 3-4. Now his challenge will be to do that over the course of a full season. As a restricted free agent, the Bucks will have to decide if they want to bring Parker back and at what cost. Grade: B-minus

TONY SNELL

Last season, Snell was one of the major surprises for the Bucks. Acquired just before the season started, he became a dependable starter and sorely needed three-point threat. Seizing the most of his opportunity netted Snell a four-year, $46 million contract during the off-season.

With a solid season and a big payday under his belt, the expectation rose for Snell. Overall, he didn't meet them.

Snell's numbers fell in his second season with the Bucks as he faded into a lesser role over the course of the campaign.

He again topped 40% shooting from three-point range at 40.3%. That was just a hair under last year's conversion rate (40.6%), but it came on fewer attempts. With Snell's impact strongly tied to his three-point shooting, the decline in attempts spelled a drop in overall output as he averaged just 6.9 points in 75 game (57 starts) this season.

Defensively, Snell wasn't as impactful as last season, which combined with his lessened offensive output meant it was harder to find time for him on the court. In the playoffs, Snell averaged 2.7 points in 19.1 minutes per game, including missing all 10 of his three-point attempts in Boston. Grade: C-minus

JASON TERRY

Playing in his 19th season, Terry played the role expected of him as veteran voice on the bench and someone who could provide stability in a limited role. 

Terry played just 51 games and about 500 minutes fewer than in the 2016-'17 season, taking on a smaller role and making less of a statistical impact. After shooting a blistering 42.7% on three-pointers last season, Terry's long-range shooting cooled off to the tune of making 34.8% of his triples.

Overall, the team had a positive net rating with Terry on the court and Milwaukee's younger players benefitted from his voice and leadership. He plans to play a 20th NBA season and hopes to see things through with the Bucks. Grade: C-plus

D.J. WILSON

Milwaukee's first-round draft pick spent most of his rookie season watching and learning . He played a total of 71 minutes in 22 games, scoring 21 points on 16 shots. Grade: Incomplete

TYLER ZELLER

The 7-foot center joined the Bucks in early February in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets. He immediately added much-needed frontcourt depth and physicality to the Bucks' crop of centers.

Zeller fit in well, averaging 5.9 points and 4.6 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game over 24 contests during the regular season. He had a knack for positioning himself into the right spots to catch passes inside for easy baskets and gave the Bucks a big who could bang a bit in the post, especially on defense.

One of his best games came on March 4 against the Philadelphia 76ers as he scored 11 points and flummoxed 76ers center Joel Embiid for a stretch. But there was a downside, when Zeller threw down a dunk and was fouled hard by Embiid from behind, falling hard on his back and side. He was followed by back, hip and rib soreness after that and missed five of the Bucks next nine games. Grade: C