As a small market team, Milwaukee has never been a free agent destination that could attract big names. This means that the NBA Draft is very crucial for the Bucks to construct their roster. After retaining their pick thanks to a lucky coin flip, the Bucks will have the 17th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Without a second round pick this year and limited cap space to sign free agents, the pressure is even higher for Jon Horst to nail this selection.
The Bucks are currently lacking a clear starting-caliber center, but with the 17th pick it is unlikely to find a player that can immediately bring the rim protection and rebounding they need from this position. This need at center could possibly be filled by signing a player with the Mid-Level Exception or by committee as they’ve done this past season. Another issue that the Bucks face is the reality that Eric Bledsoe, Malcolm Brogdon, and potentially Khris Middleton could become free agents next summer. This would leave the Bucks with a very weak backcourt if they are unable to retain these key pieces. Essentially, there are many needs Horst could choose to fill with the 17th pick.
In my opinion, Milwaukee needs to find a player who is ready to contribute to the team immediately. D.J. Wilson, the Bucks selection with the 17th pick last year, spent much of the year with the Wisconsin Herd in the G-League and left many fans wanting more. Keeping in mind team needs and looking at players who will potentially be available to the Bucks, I’ve compiled a list of four prospects who I believe would be a great fit in Milwaukee:
Aaron Holiday | PG | UCLA | Jr.
Height: 6’1” | Weight: 187 lbs | Age: 21
College Career Averages: 14.3 PPG (.45% FG, .422% 3PT, .795% FT) | 3.2 RPG | 4.7 APG | 1.2 SPG
Aaron Holiday is an explosive scorer and competent on-ball defender with the skill set and athleticism to help the Bucks from the jump in the 2018-19 NBA season. A three-year man out of UCLA, Aaron will be the third sibling from his family to join the NBA ranks. His brother Jrue had an incredible postseason with New Orleans while his other brother, Justin, contributed solid minutes to the Chicago Bulls.
Aaron is the shortest of the Holiday brothers at 6’1”, but his wingspan and quickness allowed him to be a competent perimeter defender at UCLA. As you can see from his averages, Holiday has never had a problem scoring the ball. He combines well above average three-point shooting, a solid mid-range game, and the ability to finish around the rim. At nearly five assists per game in college, he clearly has the playmaking ability to be a point guard at the NBA level. However, there are some flaws in his game that make him a post-lottery pick.
During his time at UCLA, Holiday averaged nearly three turnovers a game. Carelessness with the ball is a problem that will only get worse at the NBA level considering the talent level of defenders. Perhaps coming off the bench to begin his career would allow him to face defenders who won’t make him pay as often. Another worry with Holiday is his size. At only 6’1”, he could have issues guarding some of the larger backcourt players in the league and be less effective should Budenholzer choose to follow the trend of switch-happy defenses.
Final Thoughts: Holiday would be a great fit for the Bucks. He would deepen their backcourt and has the potential to become a starting point guard in the league if he can overcome his size and reduce his turnovers.
Donte DiVincenzo | PG/SG | Villanova | Jr.
Height: 6’5” | Weight: 200 lbs | Age: 21
College Career Averages: 10.2 PPG (.469% FG, .378% 3PT, .705% FT) | 4.0 RPG | 2.4 APG | 0.9 SPG
Donte DiVincenzo burst onto the scene during March Madness with an incredible performance in the championship game to help Villanova bring home the title. He enters the draft as one of the most decorated players. He’s a two-time NCAA Champion, made the 2018 NCAA All-Tournament Team, and won the 2018 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player. Although he rarely started at Villanova he was an integral part of this historically successful and efficient team.
DiVincenzo impressed many teams at the NBA Draft Combine and it’s easy to see why. He’s an incredible athlete with the ability to make explosive plays around the rim on both ends of the floor. DiVincenzo blends shooting and playmaking ability with solid perimeter defense. Not to mention, he plays with confidence and toughness that might be unmatched in this draft class. What’s not to love about this guy?
Well, as I stated before, he wasn’t a starter for Villanova which could lead one to question his ability to perform against higher level competition. He’s also a streaky outside shooter who could be compared to J.R. Smith. At times, he looks like he’ll never miss, but can have games where you may wonder if he’ll ever find the bottom of the net. Essentially, his biggest flaw is inconsistency in performance rather than effort.
Final Thoughts: Donte DiVincenzo is a guy who I could see adding an immediate scoring and playmaking boost to the Bucks second unit. He has the physical tools and skillset to become a difference maker right away if he plays like he did during the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
Zhaire Smith | SG | Texas Tech | Fr.
Height: 6’2.75” | Weight: 195 lbs | Age: 19
College Career Averages: 11.3 PPG (.556% FG, .45% 3PT, .717% FT) | 5.0 RPG | 1.8 APG | 1.1 SPG | 1.1 BPG
Zhaire Smith is coming off an incredible freshman season that propelled him onto NBA Draft boards. If you watched him play at all this year, you can probably tell why. He was one of the biggest contributors to the success of Texas Tech and showed that he can play at the next level. As one of the youngest players in the draft, Zhaire Smith could become one of the best players out of this class.
Smith is a next-level athlete that can make highlight plays both offensively and defensively. Although he’s a bit small for a shooting guard, he showed that he can guard multiple positions on the court. He’s a high-energy player who brings consistent effort on both ends of the floor which resulted in a college highlight reel that not many other players could match. One of his greatest assets is that he’s still very young and has plenty of time to develop, especially with the help of NBA player development programs.
Zhaire Smith has flaws that are probably a result of his age and development, but they are flaws nonetheless. Besides catching lobs and putting back tip dunks, Smith is offensively very raw. His three-point numbers may look good, but his attempts were limited and he rarely took any that weren’t wide open or lightly contested. Most of his points came around the rim or in transition. If his shot doesn’t develop like NBA scouts hope he could cause spacing issues on offense.
Final Thoughts: Zhaire Smith has tremendous athletic ability and high motor. He will be able to keep up with the pace and explosiveness of the NBA game. Yet, I’m worried about his ability to shoot the 3 and extend the defense. Worst case scenario he is a serviceable defender, but he has the potential to become a solid player in the league should he develop his offensive ability.
Mitchell Robinson | C | Chalmette High School
Height: 7’0” | Weight: 233 lbs | Age: 20
High School Senior Year: 25.7 PPG (.60% FG, .28% 3PT, .59% FT) | 12.6 RPG | 6.0 BPG
Mitchell Robinson was a McDonald’s All-American in high school, but after an incredibly confusing situation decided not to play college basketball. For the past year, he has been preparing his body and working on his game with the hopes of becoming a star in the NBA. For NBA scouts, his decision to not play college basketball has made him tougher to scout resulting in Robinson becoming a sort of unknown figure in this draft.
Robinson has every physical tool to become a dominant force in the NBA. He has great hands, can catch lobs, block shots around the rim, and has quick feet for a guy his size. In terms of sheer physical ability, Robinson can compare to the top players at the forward position in this draft.
One of the biggest problems with Mitchell Robinson is that we haven’t seen him play an actual game since high school. That’s a long time to go without playing basketball against higher level talent. Because of this, many scouts have questions about his basketball IQ and readiness for the NBA game. Going from high school to the NBA has been done successfully before, but does Robinson have what it takes to do it?
Final Thoughts: Robinson is a mystery man, but his physical tools give him the chance to become a dominant rim protector, lob catcher, and rebounding specialist should he prove to be ready to play in the NBA. If you’re the Milwaukee Bucks, you’re putting a lot of faith in a guy you don’t really know a lot about.
It’s not unlikely that the Bucks would choose to go with a player not on this list. In fact, that would be a very Milwaukee Bucks thing to do. That being said, I believe that all of the players I’ve listed have the potential to help the Bucks take the next step this coming year.
