The Milwaukee Bucks continued their draft workouts bringing in six more prospects for a closer look, most notably including Maryland point guard Melo Trimble.
The Milwaukee Bucks continued their pre-draft workouts on Thursday, as another six potential draft prospects were the visitors to the team’s practice facility.
Having worked out six seniors on Wednesday with five of them being forwards, there was a slightly different feel to the players in attendance on Thursday.
Once again, the workout didn’t include anybody who could be considered as a sure-fire first round talent, but they did analyze the play of some potential second round steals.
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Four of the six players working out in this session were guards, while only two of the group had completed their senior year.
That meant that on the whole, the majority of the group have big decisions to make on their future and whether they remain in this draft class or return to college. That included Melo Trimble who has been wrestling with that decision more publicly than many of this year’s prospects since the NBA Combine.
Who worked out and what do you need to know? Let’s help you to get some answers.
Next: Melo Trimble
Melo Trimble
Guard – 6’3″
Once projected as a player who could have been picked as high as the end of the lottery, Melo Trimble was the highest profile figure in attendance on Thursday, even if his stock may now be lower than some of those who worked out with him.
Trimble failed to impress at the Combine, and was reportedly singled out by many scouts and executives who were in attendance in Chicago as a player who could benefit from returning to college for a third year.
After an impressive freshman campaign, Trimble regressed significantly in most major categories across the board as a sophomore. Notably he went from someone who looked capable of being a silky three-point shooter at 41 percent from deep as a freshman to a player who attempted a greater volume of threes and only made 31 percent as a sophomore.
Teams may have been less perturbed by that drop off if not for concerns over how Trimble will fare physically as a pro. The 21-year-old showed some defensive potential with the Terrapins, but that may not hold up against bigger and more athletic players.
Trimble is rare in being a prospect with a wingspan shorter than his height, in his case measuring in at only 6’2″ at the Draft Combine. Height isn’t always an issue but length often helps to combat that.
Next: Tim Quarterman
Tim Quarterman
Guard – 6’6″
One of Ben Simmons’ more talented teammates at LSU this season, Tim Quarterman may be hoping to emulate Johnny O’Bryant by becoming a second round selection for the team out of LSU.
Quarterman is a long and rangy guard with good explosiveness, who likes to get involved offensively. When he’s on-song his style can help to break the opposition’s back, when he’s off he can become a glaring liability.
The Georgia native specializes in aggressive dunks that show off his athletic ability, but is also a streaky shooter who is unafraid of firing away from distance.
In that sense, Quarterman is far from convincing as a shooter although he has improved significantly with each passing year since he landed with LSU. Having started as a 20 percent shooter, he shot 31 percent as a sophomore, before recording 34 percent on a career high attempts total in his junior year.
He might be best served by taking another year to see if he can make even bigger strides to improve his shooting and his overall game before testing the draft waters again.
Next: Ron Baker
Ron Baker
Guard – 6’4″
A key figure in the success of the Wichita State Shockers in recent years, shooting guard Ron Baker has completed his senior season and is now aiming to move on to the pros.
The odds would seem to be stacked against him, but Baker has already defied what many expected from him to get this far.
A natural sportsman, Baker was a three sport athlete in high school but received very little interest from major programs upon choosing basketball as his priority. Instead, he paid tuition in his freshman year as he carved out a role for himself as a walk on with the Shockers.
Baker’s role and production increased with every year in his time with Wichita State. Lacking explosiveness, shooting became his forté, where Baker posted shooting splits of 43/37/80 for his four years in college.
A highly intelligent player, if given the opportunity, Baker could find a way to contribute in the NBA, D-League or Europe.
Next: Anthony Barber
Anthony Barber
Guard – 6’3″
Better known as “Cat” to many, Anthony Barber put together a colossal junior year with NC State that could ultimately see him rewarded with a spot on an NBA roster.
Having had a pretty pedestrian first two seasons with the Wolfpack, Barber made a big leap this year which earned him well deserved recognition as a First Team All-ACC selection.
Barber’s scoring tally of 23.5 points per game was even enough for him to finish seventh in the country in scoring.
That scorer’s touch combined with his breakneck acceleration makes Barber a prospect who could surprise by making a truly meaningful impact at the pro level.
For the Bucks there would have to be concerns over the manner in which he has played through college this season as something of a one-man offense, but if they can be convinced that his skills can translate effectively into a team concept, he may be a risk worth taking.
Next: Anthony Gill
Anthony Gill
Forward – 6’8″
Having completed his senior season with Virginia, Anthony Gill moves on from his college playing days off the back of a strong finale.
It’s not that Gill’s final season was all that eye-catching, although it was the best of his four years in college, but the manner in which Gill stepped up in the Cavaliers tournament run won’t have hurt his stock moving into the professional ranks.
In truth, the Cavaliers were eliminated once Gill regressed towards the mean, as having started out with a run of 19 points and seven boards against Hampton, 19 points and eight boards against Butler, and 23 points and eight boards against Iowa State, Gill seemed to be helping Virginia to build on the momentum they had carried into the tournament.
That knack of stepping up for the bigger occasions will surely play to Gill’s advantage, as will his demeanor.
Said to be a practical joker away from basketball, Gill acts as a leader in the weight room and on the practice court with his hard work. He’s far from a glamorous prospect, but don’t write Gill off.
Next: Devin Williams
Devin Williams
Forward – 6’9″
A sizeable forward who loves to work around the rim, in many ways Williams’ physicality seems tailor-made for the NBA. This is a player who carries himself like a fully grown man.
Williams has a 6’11” wingspan that he has effectively utilized to corral rebounds, something which is certainly one of his greatest strengths.
Williams has been an above average rebounder for West Virginia since arriving as a freshman, but he really came into his own this year as a junior, averaging 9.5 rebounds per game (14.9 boards per 40 minutes) and leading the Big 12 Conference on the glass.
Also an ultra efficient inside finisher, the questions about how Williams projects as a pro will focus on his limited athleticism and his inability to stretch the floor.
He could potentially earn a role for himself as an old fashioned physical power forward who crashes the boards, but then again how much of a role is there for players of that mold in today’s NBA? It’s an uphill challenge for Williams.
We’ll check back in with the rundown on more workout attendees in the coming days and weeks.