Bucks Stock Market: Starters Faced the Music

This preseason has looked like a warning for the rest of the league.

Welcome back to the Bucks Stock Market! This is a completely fake market that tracks player stock “movements” following the conclusion of each game.

The Milwaukee Bucks took on the Utah Jazz in their penultimate preseason game that was only available to Milwaukee-area viewers through the Bucks’ website, for some reason. Mike Budenholzer stuck with his main guys for longer than the previous outing, with Giannis seeing a shade over 20 minutes, and Grayson, Brook, Jrue, and Khris all crossing the 24 minute threshold. Though still without Donte DiVincenzo, Bobby Portis, and Semi Ojeleye, the first half of this game looked reminiscent to a regular season rotation. Let’s get into the movements!

Giannis Antetokounmpo📈

It feels like the start of every Bucks season for the last five or six years has brought with it the anticipation of Giannis and his jumper, and whether or not this is the year that it is fluid. Folks, this might be the year. His outing against the Jazz felt like the perfect culmination of power and finesse as he was finding his way to the rim with aggressive finishes while also setting up midrange jumpers as counters from contact initiation. I don’t want to get too hyped, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is set up for a Pantheon season.

Rodney Hood📉

I was tempted to have Hood as a push for this game solely because it was the first time we got to see him play as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, but it was not the prettiest debut. He missed every shot and just looked lost out there, which is fair given it was his first action with this team! He will have many opportunities to get back to his former self, but this game was not the best start.

Khris Middleton📈

He has flown a bit under the radar given how dominant Giannis has looked, but Middleton has seemed to find his rhythm immediately, which is big news for Khris! He has had problems in the past adjusting to game speed at the season’s onset, but his busy summer likely allowed him to stay warm and get ready for an All-NBA season.

Sandro Mamukelashvili📉

After looking like he has a chance to crack the regular season rotation in his few preseason games, his outing against the Jazz left a lot to be desired. His shot wasn’t falling at the same clip it had been and he found himself lost in defensive rotations.

The Bucks will have their final tune-up opportunity on Friday October 15th in Fiserv Forum against the Dallas Mavericks.