By the Numbers: What Defines the Bucks Before the Opener

By the Bucks Nightly Desk · Tuesday, September 29

The Bucks sit at 0-0 with the season still ahead, so last season's numbers and this month's roster carry the weight of definition for now. Ratings, payroll and a late surge from two reserves each say something real about this team, and each stops short of predicting it.

Bucks Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Last season

Milwaukee finished 32-50, ending a playoff streak that had lasted since 2016-17. The offense scored 112.2 points per hundred possessions, the defense allowed 118.3, and the net rating settled at minus-6.1. Pace held at 98.3 possessions. Those four figures describe a team that struggled at both ends, not one unit that failed alone.

Final five games last season

Ryan Rollins reached twenty points off the bench four times in his last five appearances, well above his season scoring rate. Jericho Sims averaged 32.6 minutes over that same stretch, 12.9 more than his season average. Both numbers show late-season trust, not a role locked in for the year ahead.

Final ten games last season

Ousmane Dieng averaged 32.2 minutes a night across his last ten games, also 12.9 above his season number. Paired with Sims's climb, it points to a staff leaning on frontcourt depth down the stretch. Neither figure guarantees a spot in Jenkins's rotation now that camp has opened.

This offseason

Milwaukee carries $193.8 million in salary across twenty contracts, over the $165.0 million cap but under the $200.4 million tax line. Tyler Herro's $33.0 million anchors the books, with Myles Turner, Damian Lillard's option and Kyle Kuzma behind him. The number allows more spending without tax penalty, not a promise of further moves.

This month

The roster stands at twenty-one players with an average age of 25.1, after Malique Lewis left the club and Jake Stephens signed. That age places Milwaukee among the league's younger groups, a fact about developmental runway more than immediate readiness. Camp will trim the number further before opening night.

Next Milwaukee opens the preseason October 5 against the Timberwolves, the first game these numbers will be tested against real competition. The regular season begins October 21 at Washington.

What was Milwaukee's net rating last season?

The Bucks finished last season at minus-6.1, scoring 112.2 points per hundred possessions and allowing 118.3.

How much salary are the Bucks carrying this season?

Milwaukee carries $193.8 million across twenty contracts, above the $165.0 million cap and below the $200.4 million luxury tax line.