The Milwaukee Bucks' decision to sign Delon Wright this summer was widely considered a solid, if not smart, addition to a team attempting to round back into championship shape.
As the thinking went, Wright’s defense would be an ideal complement to Damian Lillard’s offensive spark. A rangy, 6-foot-5 combo guard with a reputation for fighting over screens and creating deflections, Wright wasn’t quite Jrue Holiday, but he’s as close as you’ll get on a veteran minimum contract.
After appearing in 18 of Milwaukee’s first 21 games, including two starts, Wright has sat on the bench for the entirety of the last four games.
Just as he did in Miami, Delon Wright is having a hard time making an impact in for the Bucks.
As Miami Heat fans well know, as reliable as Wright is defensively, he’s virtually a non-factor on offense. After averaging fewer than five shot attempts and shooting 39.4% overall in 14 games for the Heat last season, Wright has averaged only 2.9 attempts on 32.1% shooting for the Bucks this season.
Spacing is a priority in the NBA, and opposing defenses routinely play off Wright. That cramped the floor for Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo last season and did the same for Giannis Antetokounmpo this season.
With Wright out of the rotation, the Bucks have won three in a row. Coach Doc Rivers has replaced him with the younger Andre Jackson Jr. and A.J. Green, who have soaked up the minutes in the backcourt alongside veterans Lillard and Gary Trent Jr. (who was also moved to the bench in a key decision).
The Bucks have handed more minutes to those young, developing players as the more experienced Wright and Pat Connaughton have been out of the rotation. These decisions have helped fuel Milwaukee’s run to Tuesday night’s NBA Cup title game and a tie with the Heat in the loss column after a rough start to the season.
Wright remains a locker-room favorite among players and coaches, but he struggled to maintain a spot in the rotation for two playoff teams within a year.
The younger brother of Heat favorite Dorell Wright, Delon was excited to sign in Miami after getting bought out by the Washington Wizards in February. Wright played in three straight games before getting benched for the next seven. Injuries thrust him back into the mix in March and in the playoffs, but the Heat opted not to bring him back in the summer.
Wright is a useful player to have in reserve. He’s a veteran who won’t gripe about playing time and can be used as a specialist in defensive possessions. But it’s tough to make him part of a nightly rotation as the league self-selects for shooting as much as anything else.