Beasley looks like Bucks' best bet to keep 'Let It Fly' style alive Wisconsin News
Oct 10, 2023; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Malik Beasley (5) walks to the bench during a time out during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
A look at who is trending up and down the past week in Wisconsin sports, including the performance of three Bucks players in the NBA preseason, and the health of a Packers star presumably on the decline.
Malik Beasley, Bucks guard (UP ⬆)
If exhibition games are any indication, Beasley could make a cannonball-sized splash off the bench for Milwaukee this season. The 2016 first-round pick has knocked down 14 of 33, or 42.4%, of his 3-point shots across four preseason contests. He had his sharpest shooting performance in Tuesday’s tilt against the Thunder, going 6-for-11 (54.5%) from downtown and finishing with a game-high 20 points. Beasley, who signed a veteran minimum one-year contract with the Bucks in July, has clipped at least 35% of his 3-point attempts in five straight seasons. He made a career-high 40.2% in 81 games (18 starts) for Denver during the 2018-19 slate, averaging 11.3 points in 23.2 minutes. Beasley lived just below 20 points per game across 37 appearances, and 36 starts, for the Timberwolves in 2020-21. He owns single-game career highs of 35 points (Feb. 1, 2019) and 11 3s (March 9, 2022). He’s the best bet to keep former coach Mike Budenholzer’s “Let It Fly” mantra alive as the Adrian Griffin era takes flight in Milwaukee.
Damian Lillard, Bucks guard (DOWN ⬇)
We’re being extra critical here because Lillard is a superstar and, well, we have high expectations for the seven-time All-Star playing alongside a generational player in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Anyhow, in two games this preseason Lillard has gone 3-for-10 and 2-for-11 from the field. He’s 2-for-12 from behind the arc and carries an overall plus/minus of -6. Is it an ideal start for Lillard? No. But it’s also the preseason, and he’s probably still acclimating to new teammates and a new offensive system. Like we stated, we’re overly tough on Lillard right now because he’s an all-time great scorer – better to get the misses out now.
Aaron Jones, Packers running back (DOWN ⬇)
Jones, dealing with a hamstring injury, returned to practice Tuesday following Green Bay’s bye week. So why the down arrow? Well, we’re not convinced, yet, that Jones is going to play Sunday at Denver due to the Packers adding former 1,000-yard rusher James Robinson to the practice squad. Jones was inactive, surprisingly, for Green Bay’s clash with the Raiders on Monday night a couple weeks ago. He didn’t play in Week 2 or Week 3 either and has logged only 48 snaps and 59 yards rushing on the season. While we’re here, we’ll add that the stock arrow attached to AJ Dillon’s name is pointing down, too. Dillon had his “best” game to date at Las Vegas, carrying 20 times for 76 yards and a touchdown. That, of course, hardly qualifies as a “good game” in the NFL. Dillon is averaging 3.0 yards (holy moly!) on 64 rushes.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks forward (UP ⬆)
The Greek Freak makes basketball look so effortless. Antetokounmpo posted 16 and 18 points in his first two preseason appearances. In Game 1 he sank 7 of 10 shots, swatted two and snatched eight rebounds – in only 15 minutes. He played about 10 minutes more Tuesday night against Oklahoma City and stuffed the statsheet, collecting 10 rebounds and four steals while going 8-for-12 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the line. Ready for a bold prediction? With another elite scorer in Lillard on the Bucks, we’re thinking Giannis improves on his 31.1 points per game from a season ago and runs away with a third MVP award.
Brice Turang, Brewers infielder (DUNNO ��♂️)
We’ll find out around noon Wednesday whether Turang played well enough in his rookie campaign to be named a Gold Glove finalist. In our completely objective opinion (OK, maybe we have the tiniest bias as it would be cool to see a young Brewers player get some love after putting together an exciting debut in the bigs) Turang deserves to be recognized for his fielding prowess. A shortstop in the minors, Turang manned second base for Milwaukee in 119 games, and did so magnificently. The 23-year-old was docked with six errors in 917 innings at second – he committed zero in 126 at short, by the way. Turang had a .986 fielding percentage in the 3-4 hole and paced the NL position group with 12 defensive runs saved above average. He ranked top-10 in assists and putouts among NL second basemen, as well.
