The Bucks are moving fast to turn a brand-new roster into an actual team, and Myles Turner just gave that process a summer boost in Austin, Texas.
Turner hosted a minicamp in Austin, which is about three hours from his hometown in Bedford, and the goal was simple: get the group together before the season starts. He shared clips from the gathering on X and Instagram, giving a look at what the team was doing in the Lone Star State.
The videos showed players making pizza, playing pool, golfing, trying on cowboy hats, riding on a boat, hanging out at Turner’s home and, of course, working out at St. Edwards University.
That kind of get-together matters even more for a Milwaukee team that has been turned over in a hurry. This offseason brought one of the biggest trades in recent history, with the Bucks sending franchise superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis and three first-round picks.
Milwaukee also added two first-round selections in the NBA Draft, including one from Miami. The Bucks drafted Brayden Burries with the No. 10 pick and Nate Ament at No. 13.
When a roster changes that much, chemistry stops being a buzzword and becomes the whole assignment. Milwaukee learned that the hard way last season, when it finished 32-50 and never really found a rhythm. There were stretches where the lack of connection showed plainly on the floor.
“We’re not playing hard,” Antetokounmpo said last season after a 122-102 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. “We aren’t doing the right thing.
We’re not playing to win. We’re not playing together.
Our chemistry’s not there. Guys are being selfish, trying to look for their own shots instead of looking for the right shot for the team.
Guys trying to do it on their own.
The Bucks also stumbled down the stretch, losing four of their last five games. Three of those defeats came by at least 18 points, another sign of how rough things got during the season’s final stretch.
Herro has already been talking about the mindset inside the new group. Earlier in August, he hosted his annual youth basketball camp in New Berlin, Wisconsin, and said the Bucks are coming in with something to prove.
#Bucks Tyler Herro is excited to set a nice culture in Milwaukee:"I probably have the biggest chip on my shoulder I've had in my career... obviously there's gonna be people who probably don't think we're going to win many games, but that's the opposite of what we're thinking." pic.twitter.com/j99Kzm3blf
"I probably have the biggest chip on my shoulder I've had in my career, coming to Milwaukee," Herro said. "We all have chips on our shoulders, coach Jenkins himself has a chip on his shoulder. The guys who came into the trade with me, it's not just about me, I think everyone on the team has a chip."
Milwaukee has been projected to be one of the worst teams in the league after moving on from Antetokounmpo, but Turner’s minicamp shows the Bucks are already trying to build something different before the games even start.
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Milwaukees roster changes and coaching staff updates may help create that opening, especially if the new setup gives Dieng more consistent run and a cleaner offensive environment. The biggest question is whether he can turn that chance into better shooting efficiency and more reliable scoring opportunities, because if he does, he could push himself into the conversation as a genuine Most Improved Player type. [Read more 🡒]