Welcome to the Fawning or Warning?, a fortnightly feature where I muse on all things Milwaukee Bucks, however explicitly or tangentially related, and determine if they’re worth fawning over or if they’re a warning sign of something going awry.
NBA Lowlights
Just a few weeks ago—and for as long as I can remember—NBA.com enabled fans to see specific clips of every game’s action via its play-by-play section. You could even download these clips—it’s how so many content creators did their thing. Heck, it’s how we’ve
been able to add footage to complement our writing. In a press conference following the NBA Board of Governors meeting in 2025, Adam Silver seemed to embrace it too:
There’s a huge amount of our content that people can essentially consume for free. This is very much a highlights-based sport. So, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter — you name it — any service, the New York Times, for that matter, your content is not behind a paid firewall. There’s an enormous amount of content out there — YouTube — another example, that is advertising-based, that consumers can consume.
Now, it seems, things have changed. Play-by-plays are no longer hyperlinked and other avenues, including accessing players’ “Video and Shot Charts,” like this one of Tyler Herro’s against the Indiana Pacers, are now strictly shot charts (and other data). Why the NBA has chosen this route is unclear. If it’s simply a matter of copyright, that’s completely fair. But that doesn’t explain the sudden change. If it’s a technical issue—the league rebuilding how it stores clips (or something similar)—why do it now, at the start of the season?
Either way, it’s the fan who suffers. Once again.
Verdict: Warning.
Veteran Privilege and Big Problems
Through the season’s first few weeks, Taylor Jenkins has leaned on his veterans as starters. Before the Lakers game, and excluding absences due to injury or rest, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kyle Kuzma, and Myles Turner had started every game—the only players on the team to do so. They also occupy the top four spots in minutes per game, averaging four more per night than the next closest Buck (Ryan Rollins). On the one hand, this is understandable. As the team’s most tested players, they are positioned to fare better against other teams’ best players. Moreover, as the team’s elder statesmen, they are best equipped to demonstrate the on-court skill, intelligence, and habits you want the impressionable younger players to develop. That is, to lead.
At least, they should be.
So far, Herro and Jaquez get a pass. But Turner and Kuzma have been anything but consistently productive starters. Turner has regressed from last season’s lows, shooting just 32.9% from the field and 25.5% from three, and has been far more noticeable for what he’s not doing than what he is. To put it bluntly, he’s labouring out there—and not in the “hard work” kind of way. I won’t even get started on his rebounding. Kuzma has had his moments, including his recent 27-point explosion against the Boston Celtics, but even that was more fool’s gold than anything sustainable—and it didn’t take long before the quality shots that went in became heat checks that didn’t (and cost the team dearly on the other end). Against the New York Knicks, things only got worse; against the Lakers, he shot 2/8, had more turnovers than assists and rebounds combined, and “led” the team in plus/minus at -22.
Compounding the issue, it seems there are rules for some and not for others. Rollins was pulled after his poor play to start the year, moving to a bench role and seeing his court time drastically reduce: 26.0 MPG as a starter versus 18.8 MPG off the bench. Turner and Kuzma, however, have seen steady minutes regardless of how they’ve played. Regarding the latter, with Nate Ament impressing and Ousmane Dieng barely playing (just 75 total minutes in the first ten games)—and both of these guys inarguably a more significant part of Milwaukee’s long-term plans—you’ve got to ask, “Why?” Even with Jenkins’ changeup against the Lakers, it was the younger Jaquez who was shifted to the bench and not Kuzma.
In Turner’s case, the answer is a lot more complicated. His backup, Kel’el Ware, has been just as poor, posting similarly awful shooting splits (.392/.187/.800) and generally looking quite lost out there. Like Turner, who (mind the pun) turns it over 3.6 times per 100 possessions (fourth-worst on the team, per Basketball-Reference), Ware is also turning it over far too often—4.3 times per 100 possessions. Disaster meet disaster. Still, is this reason for Turner to have played 108 more minutes when both have been available?
Maybe the thinking is to showcase Turner for a trade? That’s certainly not working, and I’ve never bought that notion anyway—teams know who and what a 10-year veteran is. Maybe it’s a case of old dogs being unable to learn new tricks but young dogs having that ability (and therefore not getting rewarded until they’ve mastered it)? Certainly, that teaches a lesson. But is it the right one?
Verdict: Warning (alarms blaring).
The Little Things
Close your eyes and breathe—the full inhale/exhale cycle. Three times. Just to release the tension. Then go to your happy place. Is it the same as mine, watching Bucks’ rookies Brayden Burries and Nate Ament? Is Bango there too?
Amidst all the warnings, it’s imperative to find pleasure in the little things. Watching Burries sky for rebounds has been a joy, even if the juxtaposition between his and Turner’s effort on the glass is jarring. Seeing him find confidence in the mid-range against the Celtics was a thing of beauty too. But his positivity isn’t limited to on-court action. Watch closely and you’ll see Burries standing, waving the towel from the bench, celebrating others’ success—even when down 20. Culture building stuff.
Ament’s growth has also been a pleasure. Where he looked timid and uncertain to begin Summer League play, he now looks confident, nailing threes without hesitation—even in the Pat Connaughton variety! He’s also showing growth physically, attacking defenders—like he did against Jayson Tatum and Derrick White (even if the call was overturned)—and, more impressively, using his quicks and length to stay in front of and contest a whole range of offensive players. Like Burries, Ament has also shown signs of the good stuff. After nailing one of those Planet P threes in the second quarter against the Knicks, he pushed Kasparas Jakučionis to Miles McBride to ensure the matchups were right. I’d show you the clip, but…
Verdict: Fawning.
