The Bucks are building a new identity after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Kel’el Ware Bucks experiment is already forcing a lineup conversation. Ware, the 22-year-old 7-footer who arrived from Miami, has given first-year coach Taylor Jenkins a reason to test a two-big look alongside Myles Turner. The early returns are encouraging but unfinished, and they raise a real question for a team that went 32-50 last season: could this pairing become a legitimate option rather than a preseason experiment?
Kel’el Ware Bucks Preseason: Production Backs Up the Hype
Ware isn’t an unknown. Last season in Miami he averaged 11.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 22.1 minutes over 77 games, shooting 53 percent overall and 39.5 percent from three. Milwaukee landed him in the Giannis blockbuster trade alongside Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis, and last April he posted 24 points, 19 rebounds and seven blocks against Washington. Preseason backed that up. He came off the bench against Minnesota for 14 points and 12 rebounds in a 116-97 loss, then started against Oklahoma City and delivered 18 points and 12 rebounds in a 128-126 win after Milwaukee trailed by 24.
The Two-Big Test: Ware and Turner Share the Floor
Jenkins started Ware next to Turner against the Thunder, with Kyle Kuzma sitting out, and the two combined for 37 points. Turner had 19 with two threes and two blocks, and Ware added 18. Rotoworld noted that having a legitimate rebounder next to him seemed to free Turner up. Turner’s range can pull defenders away from the basket while Ware brings rebounding and rim presence. Jenkins has said he isn’t a one-unit coach and will try different combinations. The tactical questions are obvious: two 7-footers must keep spacing and defensive mobility against real scouting reports, and Ware went 0-of-4 from three that night. As noted by Yahoo Sports, starting both players leaves thin depth at center if foul trouble or injuries hit.
Sunday’s Loss Shows the Experiment Isn’t Settled
Jenkins didn’t stay with the experiment long. In Sunday’s 105-90 loss in Charlotte, Ware moved back to the bench and Kuzma started, finishing with 12 points. Ware led the reserves with 10 points, though the bench unit shot just 12-of-40 as a group. Jericho Sims added six points and six rebounds in 15 minutes, and Turner blocked five shots but shot 2-of-7. The night was a reminder that the Ware-Turner pairing and Ware as a sixth man are separate questions for Jenkins, and that Kuzma’s rebound game keeps the starting competition alive.
What Milwaukee Needs From Ware Next
Milwaukee is now built around Tyler Herro, Ware and two lottery picks, so developing young talent matters, and Ware fits that timeline with size, rebounding, shot-blocking and a credible outside shot. Consistency, defensive versatility and sustained shooting remain open questions. A larger role is plausible given last season’s production, but it isn’t guaranteed.
Two preseason games remain. Does Ware start again? How often do the two bigs share the floor? Can he keep protecting the rim and rebounding while giving enough offense? The Kel’el Ware Bucks experiment will have to hold up once opponents have time to prepare for it.
Kel’el Ware Bucks Experiment Could Fix a Big Post-Giannis Problem