Mary Langenfeld – USA Today Sports Images
The Milwaukee Bucks made it clear this off-season that they are moving on from the team they had previously constructed. By allowing both J.J. Redick and Monta Ellis to bolt in free agency and agreeing to a sign-and-trade that sent Brandon Jennings out of town, the Bucks are undoubtedly trying something different heading into the 2013-2014 NBA season.
In this time of change for Milwaukee, they are almost certainly going to be relying more heavily on their young and talented frontcourt. They gave center Larry Sanders a contract extension this summer and plan to use forward John Henson much more than they did last season. Despite Sanders being the player getting paid, it’s Henson that might be the more intriguing prospect of the two.
Henson appeared in 63 games as a rookie last season and played only 13.1 minutes per game. Despite his limited role, he showed a good amount of productivity as he still managed to average six points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting a solid 48.2 percent from the floor. He struggled from the charity-stripe, hitting on only 53.3 percent of his attempts, but it wasn’t awful enough to outweigh the positive things he brought to the table.
Especially when he’s paired in the frontcourt with Sanders, Henson has a chance to be a game-changer. With the length and shot-blocking ability of both players, scoring at the rim against the Bucks could be near impossible. He still has developing left to do in terms of his awareness on both ends of the floor and with his offensive skill, but there is no doubt that he has massive potential.
If I’m the Bucks, I’m getting Henson on the floor as much as possible. If that means moving Ersan Ilyasova to the three at times, that’s fine. At just 22 years old, Henson is a bigger part of this organization’s future. The team has to keep him on the floor to let him keep developing. If he reaches his potential, it’ll definitely be worth it.
Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20, add him on Google and like his Facebook page.
