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Frank Kaminsky, Revisited

By Antony Ludwig

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Mar 1, 2015; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Frank Kaminsky (44) returns to the bench during the game with the Michigan State Spartans at the Kohl Center. Wisconsin defeated Michigan State 68-61. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

A few weeks ago, I covered both Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky in my weekly NBA draft prospect report. In that piece, I made it pretty clear that the Bucks have no use for Sam Dekker since they’re stacked at the wing. Since then, however, my desire to see Frank Kaminsky in double green (that’s my preference for the new color scheme, and I’m sticking to it!) has only grown. The more I think about a potential fit between Frank and Bango (awesome buddy cop show, btw), the more I love it. I’m pretty much getting daily kool-aid transfusions at this point.

First, let’s get to the glaring problem with drafting Kaminsky at putting him at the center postition, which I think the Bucks should do – his poor defense. Kaminsky is not a rim protector, in any sense of the word, a problem which would presumably only be amplified by playing him next to Jabari Parker, another subpar defender.

However, the Bucks currently have the second-best defense in the NBA, according to a vast and uncompromising array of enigmatic metric stats (I take my fellow nerds’ word for it), and that’s with Ersan Ilyasova and Zaza Pachulia manning the frontcourt. Please tell me how Jabari and Frank could possibly be any worse than those two guys stomping around in cast iron shoes. Kaminsky doesn’t defend well, but he doesn’t clog up the paint either. I don’t believe he’d be a liability, he’d just be average.

“I have no doubt in my mind that I would have been drafted. I believe that one day I will be put on an NBA roster, but that doesn’t happen right away for most people. Especially for a 7 foot white kid with average athleticism.”

So we’ve established that having an ent with hands of stone playing center has not sank the Bucks’ team defense. Kaminsky playing center would not be pushed around any more than John Henson does, and the Bucks lineup is at its most offensively efficient with Henson on the floor and playing the five.

Honestly, these defensive misgivings are really the only reason to downgrade Kaminsky from a lottery-caliber player to the mid-to-late draft slot he’s in now (for now). The Bucks are the perfect team to cover for his (and Jabari’s – stay hype, folks!) weaknesses.

When we talk about Frank Kaminsky, though, our conversation needs to focus on his offensive skill set, which is considerable. His toolbox in the low post is packed to the brim, as he’s able to convert from either hand and from either block. He’s a dynamo from mid-range, with a pick-and-pop game that brings something to the table that the Bucks don’t have anything close to at the moment.

Additionally, he’s got three-point range. As a big. If you’ve watched the Bucks play a game this season, especially after the Brandon Knight trade, you’ve definitely noticed how sorely this team needs a reliable three-point shooter in the starting lineup beyond Khris Middleton. Frank Kaminsky in a Milwaukee Bucks uniform would open up so many things offensively that the Bucks don’t have now that it’ll make up for his own defensive lapses and then some.

Mar 1, 2015; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Frank Kaminsky (44) works the ball against Michigan State Spartans forward Matt Costello (10) at the Kohl Center. Wisconsin defeated Michigan State 68-61. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

Another thing that’s been stewing in my mind since I wrote that prospect piece has been, just which active player would I compare Frank to? I ran through Pau Gasol. I tried out Ryan Anderson (blegh). I heard ‘very poor man’s Dirk’. (Yes, I’m aware what they all have in common – just wait)

When all is said and done, when I see Frank play, I’m reminded most of Chris Bosh. Bosh was much more of a banger when he first came into the league, and that’s obviously not Frank. Bosh has really reinvented his game in the last five years though, due to a combination of his role shifting dramatically on going from Toronto, where he was the alpha dog, to Miami where he was the third option, and the changing face of the modern NBA, where every big man who wants to be somebody needs at least a halfway decent jumpshot.

Nowadays, Bosh is a midrange specialist who’s deadly in the pick-and-pop and who can step out beyond the arc to keep defenses honest. While he doesn’t protect the rim, he still pulls down quite a few rebounds. Just like Frank.

Frank Kaminsky during practice before the 2015 NCAA Tournament at CenturyLink Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

Bosh (1) warms up before the first half of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

When Bosh played in Miami, he had two ball-dominant wing players to create bubbles of space which allowed him to hammer down a billion midrange shots. Sound familiar?

Ultimately, Kaminsky is not a franchise-altering talent. That’s why it’s even possible he falls to the Bucks in the draft (although it’s looking more and more like they’d have to trade up to get him), and that’s why he’s a good fit. He won’t command as much long-term money as some other options, which allows him to fit right in as a complementary player.

I’ve established how his defensive lapses can be hidden and minimized, I’ve shown how his offensive skills can be integrated into a starting lineup already flush with talent.

All that’s left is for John Hammond to pull the trigger.

Next: Bobby Portis: Putting The Power In Power Forward

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