Alternate 2013 NBA Draft: Milwaukee Bucks Select…
By Adam McGee
Nov 14, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Shane Larkin (0) dribbles towards the hoop against the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Nets 107-99 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Shane Larkin
This was another pick that was particularly in vogue ahead of the draft. For months, many draft experts had the Bucks pegged to select Miami guard Shane Larkin, and as the draft edged ever closer the feeling for many was that Milwaukee was almost certain to pick a guard.
Larkin has had an unspectacular start to life in the NBA, but has now seemed to carve out a niche for himself as a solid backup point guard, currently getting good minutes due to the fact that he plays for the Brooklyn Nets.
If selecting Schröder would have altered the future look of the team going forward, Larkin would have caused the team to head in totally different direction. His size was a problem heading into the draft, and one that Larking himself acknowledged during his workout with the Bucks.
Speaking to Eric Buenning for Bucksketball at the time, Larkin gave the following thoughts on his game and Milwaukee on the whole:
"Just because of my height, I have to be a great athlete to play in the NBA, and just showing my athleticism will put me in a good spot on draft night…if you can play basketball you can play basketball. I didn’t expect it to be like this up here in Milwaukee, but it’s a great city. They say it’s a lot like Chicago but with less traffic. Can’t complain about that."
Drafting Larkin ultimately wouldn’t have moved the needle in any way, and that’s a thought that doesn’t really bear thinking about.
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