Milwaukee Bucks Need To Be Wary Of Falling Head Over Heels At Pre-Draft Workouts

As the Milwaukee Bucks get ready for the final run in to the NBA Draft, they must be careful not to overvalue impressive workouts.

In spite of what many might say, it remains too soon to offer any definite judgement on whether Rashad Vaughn was the right or wrong pick in last year’s NBA Draft.

His rookie season turned into one of the biggest disappointments of an utterly disappointing campaign for Bucks fans, but still this is not the time to make flippant statements on his ability or his long-term future.

What we can do though, is to treat the process, that the Bucks at least stated publicly led them to select the UNLV prospect with the 17th overall pick, with a somewhat critical eye.

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If the truth be told, Milwaukee’s draft situation couldn’t have been much more fluid last season. Although many had their favorites such as Bobby Portis, Kevon Looney, R.J. Hunter and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, there was no clear consensus pick. Still, to see Milwaukee choose a player who was pegged in the late first round in most mock drafts was a surprise.

Considering Vaughn had missed the majority of his one and only season in college through injury, what was it that persuaded the Bucks to take a gamble on the Minnesota native?

As reported by Andrew Gruman for Fox Sports at the time, general manager John Hammond was very open about the influence a late Vaughn workout had on their decision.

"“You go through the whole scouting process, but sometimes a late workout can really influence things. He had a great workout. What he did best was shoot the basketball. He has a great rhythm on his shot. He has a great form on his shot. Usually guys that have that ability to shoot the basketball don’t fail.”"

Gruman and many others at the time reported that the Bucks first truly encountered Vaughn at a workout held by Excel Sports Management in Los Angeles, and was then brought to Milwaukee for a more thorough workout only three days before the draft took place.

When Vaughn was introduced as a Buck in his first press conference with the team, he also referred to the “great” workout he put on in Milwaukee.

"“I thought I had a great workout, and just by the positive vibes I was getting when I got here I knew there was interest in me, and I wanted to come here as well. I looked to it being a great fit for me.”"

Coach Jason Kidd described Vaughn’s play in that session in a very complimentary fashion also.

"“He didn’t rush a lot of the shots that he took. He took his time and made a lot of them.”"

There’s no doubting the value that workouts can provide to scouts in the run-up to the draft, but from all parties involved, the sentiments in Vaughn’s case seem to suggest his performance in that environment had an even greater bearing on the process than usual.

Whether it be “experts” on Twitter or those with legitimately proven track records when it comes to the draft, we often hear warnings of the dangers of putting too much stock into workout performances and video.

First of all, the scouts are watching players perform in a non-game environment. You’re not looking to select and pay a player who can make open shots in an empty gym, you’re hoping to find a guy who can knock down his jumper with an excellent defender in his face and a raucous crowd baying for him to miss.

Secondly, any player who has reached the point where they’re working out for the chance to play professionally has clearly got ability. They’re all at least capable players, and the possibility of them proving themselves to be more than capable on any given day has to be considered.

Just as the best pros can go through hot spells of form where they can’t miss a shot, or they’re locked in on the boards, or on defense, so can draft prospects.

Even in a disappointing season, Bucks fans caught enough glimpses of Vaughn to understand that when he’s on, it’s a sight to behold. The problem comes in the fact that there wasn’t a significant history to call upon for scouts to verify that he could play at that level consistently and sustainably.

If in time Vaughn’s workout proves not to be an anomaly, the significance of Milwaukee’s decision-making process in choosing him will be rendered meaningless. That doesn’t make that strategy any less risky though.

Identifying reliable NBA caliber draft talent is enough of a lottery as it is. The best approach to take would seem to be to trust in a player’s body of work from college, and combine workout and interview impressions to inform decisions.

Next: NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Who Will Be Picked In The Top 60?

It might be human nature to get swayed by workouts, but if the Bucks want to give themselves the best chance of finding useful players, they’d seem to be best served by reducing the emphasis they place on that part of the process this time around.