D.J Wilson is the hottest topic for the Milwaukee Bucks fan base right now. Wilson’s trajectory with Bucks fans on social media has been bizarre. Last year, fans called him a bust and thought Milwaukee failed another first round draft pick. This year, Mike Budenholzer helped unlocked so many things from Wilson where he took Thon Maker’s spot in the rotation and led to Maker getting traded. That trade paved the way for Nikola Mirotic to come to Milwaukee. Mirotic has taken his minutes. Many are up in arms that Wilson is not playing but there is still time for Wilson to have a moment with this team.

Right now, many Bucks fans are bemoaning that Pau Gasol is getting minutes for Milwaukee. I’d like to offer a contrarian opinion. Mike Budenholzer knows the Bucks are in the playoffs, and while these games matter, they do not matter as much as others did earlier this season. Budenholzer knows what he has with Wilson. He saw it all year. But he does not know what Gasol has left in the tank. It is worth getting him minutes for a couple weeks then reassess his role.

Gasol has not been good for the Bucks. It is clear that the game passed him by. I still think the championship experience is great for a playoff team, and there are reasons to have him on this roster. But it would not surprise me if in the final 10 or 12 games of the year, Wilson starts getting Gasol minutes by the end of the year. The door is not shut on D.J. Milwaukee’s playoff rotation is still undefined and probably will not be clear until the final week of the season. Wilson could definitely have a spot to play some meaningful minutes.

And if Wilson remains on the bench all year, that’s a mark against Budenholzer and maybe a ‘what if’ scenario setting up.

Charlie.