Tyler Herro isn’t buying the outside noise around the Milwaukee Bucks, and he made that much clear over the weekend.
Speaking to reporters at his basketball camp, Herro laid out the mindset he expects from a team plenty of people have already written off. The message was direct: the Bucks aren’t walking into this season thinking small.
"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."
Herro added that he has "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."
That confidence matters because the Bucks are entering the season with plenty of skepticism attached to them. They’ve been slotted 30th in a number of NBA power rankings, and the common view is that the team has slipped after trading away its superstar. But Herro’s stance is that Milwaukee has more to work with than the national buzz suggests.
The roster still has real talent. Herro is an All-Star.
Myles Turner remains a skilled two-way big man. Ryan Rollins is close to becoming a legitimate dual threat.
And most of the young players on the roster are expected to take another step forward.
There’s also a new voice on the sideline in Taylor Jenkins, who arrives as a significant upgrade over Doc Rivers. That gives Milwaukee a foundation that looks sturdier than the broader conversation around the team would indicate.
The Eastern Conference may be tougher, but the Bucks still have enough to chase a playoff spot. The Play-In is there for the taking, and if the group can survive the early growing pains that come with so many new faces, there’s room for a much better season than outsiders are predicting.
One move could help even more: a sign-and-trade for Peyton Watson, provided Milwaukee doesn’t have to gut the roster to get him. A legitimate forward would fit what this team needs, and Watson could help finish off a roster that’s being overlooked.
For now, though, the biggest takeaway is Herro’s tone. He’s one of the leaders here now, and he’s setting the expectation early. This isn’t a group preparing to accept regression.
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