Welcome to the 2017-18 edition of the Young Bucks Tracker. This year, we're taking a different tact. With Milwaukee now having a G League franchise, the Wisconsin Herd, each Thursday we'll either track the progress of the players who might be of help to the Bucks in the future or a current member of the Milwaukee roster. We'll also give updates on the other young players from the previous week.
This is the 5th edition of the 2017-18 Young Bucks Tracker.
SPOTLIGHT ON …
Guard Sean Kilpatrick
Kilpatrick, who turns 28 on Jan. 6, isn't the usual player we spotlight here in the tracker nor is he a typical player signed to a two-way contract.
Undrafted out of Cincinnati in 2014, Kilpatrick came to the Bucks with 121 games of NBA experience, having played for Minnesota, Denver and Brooklyn.
Last season with the Nets, he averaged 13.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 rebounds in 25.1 minutes over 70 games, but this year he had slipped in Brooklyn's rotation and was waived when the team acquired Jahlil Okafor and Nik Stauskas.
With Gary Payton's 45-day limit on his two-way contract reached, Milwaukee had an opening and signed the 6-foot-4 shooting guard. Kilpatrick quickly showed the offensive juice he can provide. Days after signing with Milwaukee, Kilpatrick made his debut and had five points -- on 2-of-3 shooting -- three rebounds and two assists in just over 10 minutes of playing time, and also was a plus-5 in box score plus/minus.
Kilpatrick followed that up the next night with 11 points (on 5-of-9 shooting), four rebounds, two assists and a plus-1 in 15 minutes.0.
These games are on part with what Kilpatrick has done in his career, the ability to add a little scoring punch. He's averaged 18.8 points per 36 minutes with a 54.4 percent true shooting percentage in his time in the NBA, and can help his cause from the foul line, where he's made 86.1 percent of his attempts.
Milwaukee hasn't sent Kilpatrick to the G League yet and it remains to be seen if the guard can convert his two-way deal into a standard contract or, like Payton, be gone after 45 days. More offensive games like the above two and the Bucks will be faced with a tough decision.
BUCKSHOTS
-- The legend of Giannis Antetokounmpo keeps growing. Not only is he on a long 20-pont scoring streak, but also has made at least five free throws in each of his last 19 games, the longest active streak in the league as well as the longest in Bucks history. In addition, entering Thursday's game, Antetokounmpo is averaging 30.2 points and 10.8 rebounds while shooting 54.0 percent from the field. Since 2003, he'd be just the fifth NBA player to average 30+ points and 10+ rebounds while shooting 50 percent or better in any month (minimum 10 games), joining New Orleans' Anthony Davis (November 2016), the Clippers' Blake Griffin (February 2014), Minnesota's Kevin Love (December 2013) and the Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal (March 2003).
-- Malcolm Brogdon is on another double-digit scoring streak off the bench, having done so in five straight games.
-- In the Wisconsin Herd's two games last week, guard Xavier Munford poured in 36 points in one and 26 in the other.
-- Forward Joel Bolomboy, who is on a two-way contract, had games with 12 and 14 rebounds for the Herd. In the latter, he also scored 20 points.
