The Milwaukee Bucks wrapped up their draft workouts on Tuesday, with a number of players fighting for a second round selection or a second chance at Summer League.
The Milwaukee Bucks wrapped up their pre-draft workouts on Tuesday with six prospects coming to Milwaukee in the hope that they could be one of the team’s three picks when draft night rolls around on Thursday.
Now in the final stretch of the run up to the draft, this represented the last chance for the Bucks to take a closer look at some of the players they may be considering taking with their three picks.
In reality, this workout was more about players trying to earn a selection as one of the Bucks two second rounders though, and even that may be a stretch.
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Wichita State’s Fred VanVleet was comfortably the most high profile player in attendance as a guard who has had success on the big stage in recent years.
Other intriguing prospects auditioning for a chance to be a Buck included a Wisconsin native with an incredible journey to get to this point, and one of the most mysterious international prospects in this year’s draft class.
Who worked out and what do you need to know? Let’s help you to get some answers.
Next: Fred VanVleet
Fred VanVleet
Guard – 6’0″
Much like Ron Baker a previous attendee at Bucks workouts, Fred VanVleet leaves Wichita State behind after his senior season with an impressive legacy secured as a Shocker.
VanVleet leaves Wichita State following one of the more successful spells in the school’s history, and as a result his name is currently etched in the school’s history books as the all-time leader in both assists and steals.
Where in some areas VanVleet is limited in terms of skill, he excels in terms of his basketball IQ. VanVleet was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year for the second time in 2016, following a season where he averaged 12.2 points, 5.5 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals.
It would be a major reach to take VanVleet at 36 or 38, but he’ll have a strong opportunity towards the end of the draft, or will garner interest if he goes undrafted.
Next: Retin Obasohan
Retin Obasohan
Guard – 6’0″
A native of Belgium, Retin Obasohan coasted through the first three years of his time at Auburn as nothing more than an underwhelming role player. An outstanding senior year has unsurprisingly caused many to stop and take a second look though.
After never previously averaging more than 9.5 points per game in spite of playing good minutes, Obasohan broke out with an average of 17.6 points per game in the 2015-16 season.
That scoring total included a nice collection of scoring around the rim, as well as a 37.2 success rate from behind the three-point line.
At only 6’0″, Obasohan’s biggest problem is going to come in being a player who can only realistically play at point guard in the NBA, yet he posts shockingly low career assist numbers at only 2.5 dimes per 40 minutes.
Next: Wes Washpun
Wes Washpun
Guard – 6’1″
Another senior guard prospect, Wes Washpun has been a key contributor in his three seasons with Northern Iowa, and is yet another player who managed to kick on to have a career year as a senior.
With an appetite for the big occasion, Washpun was named Most Outstanding Player of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, and continued to show his worth as the Panthers advanced past Texas behind his strong play in the round of 64.
With an almost 6’7″ wingspan, Washpun’s length couples nicely with his explosive athletic ability, playing a key factor in the reputation he earned for himself as a lockdown defender at the University of Northern Iowa.
Three-point shooting is a problem for Washpun, but his ability to pass, score, defend and command the floor will likely earn him some offers in the run up to Summer League.
Next: Cinmeon Bowers
Cinmeon Bowers
Forward – 6’7″
A native of Racine who played his high school basketball at Milwaukee’s Rufus King International, Cinmeon Bowers took the long, eventful road to being a notable college player, but ultimately succeeded in making a name for himself.
After surviving an attack that saw him take five bullets to the right leg, Bowers worked his way up through junior college in Florida, before eventually landing at Auburn for his final two seasons.
With the Tigers, Bowers established himself as one of the very best rebounders in college basketball, in spite of his lack of height.
The odds would seems to be stacked against Bowers to make it in the NBA, but his story so far is a testament to the fact that he has already faced and overcome bigger challenges than this one.
Next: Marcus Georges-Hunt
Marcus Georges-Hunt
Guard – 6’5″
An aggressive guard who has had a long and distinguished career at Georgia Tech, Marcus Georges-Hunt was a high quality role player in college, but is there evidence to suggest that can translate to the pro game?
Measuring in at 6’5″ and weighing 220lbs, Georges-Hunt certainly has the kind of size that has become increasingly necessary to succeed as an NBA floor general.
That impressive size led to Georges-Hunt having no fear of the physicality of the paint during his time as a Yellow Jacket, where his willingness to drive to the basket was rewarded with the 10th most free throw attempts in the nation.
His 16.7 points per game in his final season at Georgia Tech not only represented a career high for Georges-Hunt, but proved he could step his scoring up to another level. With struggles from behind the three-point line it will likely prove tough to convince NBA teams of that though.
Next: Gracin Bakumanya
Gracin Bakumanya
Center – 6’11”
The international man of mystery of this year’s class, Bakumanya was one of very few internationals who left his name in as draft eligible who hasn’t been regularly mocked in anybody’s top 60.
It’s not unheard of to have this sort of scenario, and when it occurs it often results in a player being drafted out of nowhere. Could Bakumanya be the next Bruno Caboclo?
What we do know about Bakumanya is that he’s a long, athletic center from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who has most recently played for Antibes in France.
With only nine games to show from that, it’s tough to get a read on Bakumanya from past play. From the videos above, and some from his management that can be found here and here, Bakamanya appears to be a fluid mover with a soft touch. An interesting prospect who could be the shock of the draft.
Next: Milwaukee Bucks Pre-Draft Workouts: Deyonta Davis Holds Individual Workout
That’s it for all of this year’s workouts, watch out for our overview of all this year’s workout attendees tomorrow!