Bucks big man undergoing drastic change during offseason training

Kevin McCormick

Bucks big man undergoing drastic change during offseason training image

At the trade deadline last year, the Milwaukee Bucks brought in multiple new faces to try and bolster the cast of players around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. Ahead of his first full season with the franchise, one of the latest additions is undergoing a massive change in hopes of providing more of a boost. 

In the multi-team deal that landed the Bucks Kyle Kuzma, Milwaukee also acquired center Jericho Sims. The former second-round pick showed promising flashes during his time with the New York Knicks, and now he'll attempt to carve out a role on his new team. Sims appeared in a handful of games following a trade, averaging 2.4 PPG and 4.9 RPG in a limited role. 

Sims is already hard at work in his offseason training, as footage surfaced on social media over the weekend. Not only is he looking to add a three-point shot to his arsenal, but he's undergone a shocking change by shooting with his left hand now. Though it was in an empty gym with minimal coverage, Sims seems to be adapting to this alteration nicely. 

If Sims wants to have a more prominent role on the Bucks, this is the path to doing so. During his time in New York, he thrived as an athletic, rim-running big. However, given Milwaukee's roster makeup, being able to space the floor is essential. With Giannis Antetokounmpo being one of the NBA's most dominant downhill threats, Sims can't be clogging up the lane. 

Seeing that he's never shown an inkling of an outside shot in the NBA, this development could take time for Sims. That said, it would far from be the first time a center quickly added this to their skill set to adapt to the modern game. 

Still with a few months to fine-tune his new shooting stroke, Sims looks poised to be a floor spacer by the time training camp rolls around. 

Kevin McCormick

Kevin McCormick is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. Since graduating from Holy Family University with a degree in Sports Management-Marketing, he has gone on to build a career in sports writing. He primarily covers the NBA but has experience writing about women's professional basketball. Over the years, Kevin has written bylines for 97.3 ESPN, ClutchPoints, Sports Illustrated/On SI and Sportskeeda.