As The Dust Settles On Draft Day, Do The Milwaukee Bucks’ Moves Make Sense?

So I was a little bit upset last night. I’ve been going on and on about how great Bobby Portis would be for the Milwaukee Bucks (or any NBA team) for weeks now, whether it be in article form or podcast form, and lo and behold the big Razorback slipped all the way to the Bucks at seventeen overall.

And they passed on him. For Rashad Vaughn. As you can see from the tweet above, I did not agree with the pick last night.

I was already a little on edge though, after John Hammond/Jason Kidd traded the Clippers’ 2017 first round draft pick and the Bucks’ 2015 second rounder for Toronto Raptors’ point guard Greivis Vasquez. As with the Vaughn selection, I didn’t like that move much either when it happened.

I was convinced that the Bucks would move up and snag a top ten prospect, and I think after that didn’t happen it would’ve been hard for me to be excited about any pick in the moment. I can’t lie though, Rashad Vaughn seems to be an awesome player and personality.

I now really like the Vaughn pick. I was wrong last night. I’ll be the first to admit that I tend to hot take things extra hard, and after some more research and thought he’s absolutely won me over, in large part thanks to his great attitude about being a Buck.

So sorry about last night, Rashad Vaughn. My bad. We’ll have to go fishing some time, my treat.

Rashad Vaughn went fishing yesterday for a few hours to relax because he was so nervous about the draft.
— Nick Monroe (@nmonroe) June 26, 2015

The news that DeAndre Jordan is meeting with Milwaukee also helps to ease the pain of passing on Portis, although I’m not sure the Bucks have a realistic chance in signing him, partly due to the $6.6 million owed to Vasquez this season.

If I had to state in one word how I feel about this Vasquez trade right now, it’d be uncertain. If, as many are saying, General Greivis (dopest NBA nickname, hands down) is only here to play backup point guard then I hate the trade. I really do.

And that’s not a knock on Greivis Vasquez, as much as it sounds like one. I think he’s a really talented player, I just don’t put that much stock in upgrading the bench right now in the Bucks’ rebuilding process. I don’t think a championship is in reach this season, so why give up cap space and draft picks to bolster the reserves?

Player	Season	Age	G	MP	FGA	FG%	3PA	3P%	FTA	FT%	TRB	AST	STL	TOV	PTS	ORtg	DRtg
Jerryd Bayless	2014-15	26	77	1717	15.3	.426	3.6	.308	4.1	.883	6.3	6.9	1.8	4.0	17.8	99	104
Tyler Ennis	2014-15	20	33	411	17.8	.361	5.3	.279	0.9	.714	4.3	9.0	2.2	5.2	15.0	83	105
Greivis Vasquez	2014-15	28	82	1991	18.8	.408	9.1	.379	1.7	.758	5.6	7.8	1.2	3.1	20.1	105	110

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/26/2015.

He’s an upgrade over Jerryd Bayless or Tyler Ennis offensively to be sure, although his defense leaves a lot to be desired (comparing a 28-year-old with a long NBA career to rookie Tyler Ennis isn’t fair, but it is true Greivis is more polished) which could be nullified by having him play in Kidd’s great defensive system (hopefully).

But I don’t think a good backup is worth giving up two picks and $6.6 million in a season where the Bucks are meeting with free agents like DeAndre Jordan. His offense off of the bench was sorely needed last season, but the Bucks just drafted Vaughn to help with that too.

So that leads me to wonder…what if Vasquez isn’t here to come off of the bench? That might make this trade a lot more defensible, if Vasquez comes in and excels with the Young Bucks.

Despite his bench role in Toronto, General Greivis has been a starter in the past, including in his highest-ever PER season back in 2013 with the then-New Orleans Hornets. But will Vasquez have a chance to start over incumbent point guard Michael Carter-Williams?

Player	Season	Age	GS	FGA	FG%	3PA	3P%	2P%	FTA	FT%	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
Michael Carter-Williams	2014-15	23	63	15.4	.396	2.6	.235	.428	4.9	.694	5.9	7.4	1.9	0.5	4.2	2.8	16.2
Greivis Vasquez	2012-13	26	78	13.6	.433	3.3	.342	.462	2.1	.805	4.5	9.4	0.9	0.1	3.3	2.5	14.5

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/26/2015.

Here’s a head-to-head between the two using their per 36 minutes statistics, featuring the last season they acted as a full-time starter. Although MCW scored more, Vasquez was far more efficient offensively and also dished a solid two more assists per game than Carter-Williams.

Vasquez’s defense was worse than MCW’s that year, but as with the Brook Lopez argument often used in defending bringing the big man to Milwaukee, it’s certainly possible to cover up one player’s defensive weakness with a superior defensive scheme and other great defenders (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton) sharing the floor.

So, is it possible that the Bucks’ draft day trade results in a new starting point heading into next season? I think so, although I wouldn’t go as far to say it’s likely. I don’t buy the urgency was there to get yet another point guard, and the Raptors didn’t exactly give General Greivis away considering they dumped salary and got two draft picks.

But we’ll need to wait for free agency and the rest of the offseason to really know. One thing is certain–by bringing in both Vaughn and Vasquez, more than one of the guards currently on Milwaukee’s roster will need to be jettisoned by the time the regular season rolls around.

Next: Grading The Greivis Vasquez Trade