Preseason is usually where teams sort through the clutter and hunt for combinations that feel right. For the Milwaukee Bucks, one pairing already looks worth a much longer look: Jericho Sims and Kel'el Ware.
Thrown together against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the two bigs flashed the kind of size, energy and rebounding punch that can change possessions fast. It was enough to suggest Coach Taylor Jenkins has something he should keep digging into.
The clearest appeal is on the glass. Milwaukee was flat-out terrible on offensive rebounds last season, finishing last in the NBA at 8.9 per game. The Los Angeles Lakers were 29th at 9.4, which puts the Bucks’ gap in perspective.
Sims and Ware showed why that number could be a problem the team can actually attack. Early in the first quarter, Gary Trent Jr. missed, and Sims went up over multiple Timberwolves to snatch the board.
On the next Trent miss - “it wasn't his greatest night” - Ware handled the rebound duties. Then the two linked up on another sequence, with Sims corralling an AJ Green miss and kicking it out to Ware for a made 3-pointer.
That’s the kind of playmaking on the margins that can tilt a game. For a Bucks team that struggled to create second-chance scoring last season, two long, explosive athletes who keep possessions alive could become a real nuisance for opponents.
If that pairing keeps working, it also puts Myles Turner’s role under the microscope. With Ware and Sims together, Turner would be on the bench; Milwaukee is not going to run a triple-big lineup. And if the duo keeps producing, Turner’s place in the rotation could shrink, especially with his lack of the same athletic burst and rebounding production - he hauled in a career-low 5.3 boards per game last season.
There’s another layer here, too. The Ware-Sims look has echoes of the Jaren Jackson Jr. and Steven Adams pairing Jenkins often leaned on in Memphis.
Ware fits the mobile-forward mold Jackson filled, while Sims gives the Bucks the sturdier interior presence Adams provided. If Jenkins wants to lean on something familiar, this could be it.
That possibility would only sharpen the pressure on Turner, even to the point that putting him on the trade block before the deadline would seem almost inevitable.
For now, though, the best move is simple: keep running Ware and Sims out there in preseason and see how far the impact goes.
In Other News...
Bucks Just Added A Young Big Worth Watching Closely
The Bucks made a quiet roster move this week by bringing in Johni Broome, a second-year forward who was waived by the Clippers before landing in Milwaukee. To make room, the Bucks moved on from John Butler Jr., a reminder that the end-of-roster churn is already underway as teams sort out which young pieces are worth carrying into the next phase of the season.
Broome gives Milwaukee another big to evaluate up close, and the timing gives the organization a chance to see where he fits before decisions get tougher. Elsewhere around the league, the Thunder also had a roster shuffle of their own, waiving guard Robert McCray V, who is expected to head to their G League affiliate. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Young Guards Already Caught In A Tough Rotation Battle
The Bucks got their preseason started with a first look at the backcourt mix, and for two of the younger guards, the early returns were not especially encouraging. Brayden Burries logged 16 minutes in the opener, while Kasparas Jakucionis did not get on the floor at all, a sign of how quickly the competition is tightening in Milwaukee as the team sorts through its guard rotation.
With established backcourt options expected to soak up most of the minutes, there may not be much room for the younger players to make an immediate push. The coaching staff can always shuffle things as the preseason rolls on, but for now Burries and Jakucionis appear to be fighting an uphill battle for consistent playing time, and every game from here carries a little more weight for their cases. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Face An Opening Night Decision Fans Will Want To Watch
Kelel Wares first preseason look in a Bucks uniform gave the coaching staff plenty to think about. He finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds in 24 minutes, a solid introduction for a player whose size and activity already fit the idea of what Milwaukee could use as it tries to reshape its front line.
Myles Turner remains the veteran option at center, but the debate around who opens games there says plenty about where the Bucks are right now. If the team leans into Wares potential, it would be another sign of a rebuild-minded approach with an eye on the future, while Turner offers the steadier choice for opening night. No decision has been announced, which only makes the situation more worth watching as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]