The Milwaukee Bucks have plenty to sort out after a 32-50 season, but one issue stands out as the clearest fixable problem: rebounding.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks going their separate ways, Milwaukee is entering a fresh start under a new head coach and a reshaped roster. That has created some optimism, even with plenty of people projecting the Bucks to land near the bottom. Still, if they can’t clean up the glass, last season’s struggles could show up all over again.
Milwaukee was one of the league’s weakest rebounding teams a year ago. The Bucks had two different lineups that allowed some of the highest opponent rebounding percentages among groups that played at least 250 possessions. The numbers across the board backed that up: Milwaukee finished No. 28 in the NBA in total rebounds per game, No. 19 in defensive rebounds and No. 30 in offensive rebounds.
The personnel turnover doesn’t exactly make the problem disappear. The lineups shown in the graphic are built almost entirely around returning players, with Antetokounmpo the major exception. Milwaukee also added Kel'el Ware, who was part of the lineup that allowed the highest offensive rebound percentage.
Antetokounmpo, who appeared in only 36 games last season, technically led the team with 9.8 rebounds per game. Bobby Portis was next at 6.4, followed by Jericho Sims at 5.5. Now the Bucks have lost their top two rebounders from last season, and their third-leading rebounder was a backup center.
There is at least some reason to think the rebounding can improve. Milwaukee brought in Ware, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakučionis, all of whom were part of a Miami Heat team that ranked third in rebounding and combined for 21.4 rebounds per game. Bam Adebayo, who averaged 10 rebounds per game, played a major role in that success.
Taylor Jenkins will be expected to help change Milwaukee’s identity in that area. His Memphis Grizzlies teams were consistently strong on the boards, finishing fourth in rebounds per game in 2020-21, first in 2021-22, second in 2022-23 and second again in 2024-25. Rebounding was a central part of the culture there and helped fuel multiple high seeds and playoff runs.
Those Memphis teams had the kind of big, physical rebounders that make the whole system work, with Steven Adams and Jonas Valančiūnas each producing double-digit rebounding numbers. The Bucks don’t have that exact type of bruising presence right now, but they do have options.
Sims brings size at 6-foot-10, around 250 pounds, and a 44.5-inch vertical, though he is projected to begin the season as Milwaukee’s third center. Ware is another candidate. He may not be the most physically imposing player, but at 7-foot and after averaging 8.3 rebounds per game across his two NBA seasons, he has been projected for a big leap next season and could help steady Milwaukee on the glass.
For the Bucks to get moving in the right direction after Antetokounmpo’s departure, fixing the rebounding problem has to be near the top of the list.
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AJ Greens Place With The Bucks Suddenly Feels Far Less Safe
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No trade has been confirmed, and Green is not being pushed out the door as this stands. Still, the Bucks are expected to establish an asking price if they start exploring possibilities, which is usually where a quiet situation starts to feel less quiet. For a team trying to manage depth, fit and flexibility all at once, Greens status is one of the more watchable items left on the summer board. [Read more 🡒]