The Buck Stops Here #1: NBA Draft Day Roundtable
By Tim Wray
Does anybody in the second round interest you at #36 or #38?
AM: Unsurprisingly from my earlier answer, Onuaku would be my first choice here. I’m over here screaming his name from the rooftops. Aside from Nanu, there are a number of other guys I like though.
Virginia’s Malcolm Brogdon is a senior two guard who can shoot the ball and is a lockdown defender. He’d likely find a role in the rotation pretty quickly considering Milwaukee’s weaknesses. Patrick McCaw is another interesting combo guard, and a former teammate of Rashad Vaughn’s at UNLV.
Another guy who I’m a really big fan of is Guerschon Yabusele. He’s a French power forward who was in for a workout last week, and the only way I’ve been able to describe him is as a mixture of the old and the new styles at that position. He’s undersized, but incredibly strong and well-built, designed to thrive in contact inside, but he can also step out and shoot over 40 percent from deep. If Yabusele became a Buck, there’s a strong possibility that not even arena security would remember who Johnny O’Bryant was within a few months.
JH: I agree with Adam on Onuaku and Brogdon. I like both of those guys a lot.
I also really like Tyler Ulis and Kay Felder.
Tyler Ulis probably should go in the first round but if he doesn’t I really hope the Bucks snatch him up. He can score in a variety of ways, can shoot it from anywhere, is a really good passer, and a great ball handler. Ulis is also a pesky defender. His only issue is his height, he is only 5’10”. But if height was everything Isaiah Thomas and Nate Robinson wouldn’t have had careers in the NBA. I think Ulis is on par skills-wise with IT. Not as good at creating shots but could have the same overall impact on games.
Kay Felder is similar to Ulis. He is shorter though at 5’9″. But he can score from anywhere and was the best passer in college last year. This guy actually looks like Isaiah Thomas with the way he plays the game at his size (with a little better passing). I wouldn’t be upset if Milwaukee took a chance on him.
JT: I, too, am a fan of all the players mentioned by both John and Adam (this is where I must say #Onuwaukee).
As far as players that haven’t been mentioned yet, I have to advocate for Paul Zipser. I’d be surprised if he’s available at either 36 or 38, but in the case that he’s still on the board by the time the Bucks are on the clock, it would be a no-brainer decision for me personally. The potential that he has as a backup 3-and-D wing/ stretch four who can really defend is what makes him so appealing to me and it would really solve some of the problems the Bucks have with their forward depth.
Another player that intrigues me is Georgios Papagiannis. He’s still very young (he’s about to turn 19 years old), but the fact that he’s likely a draft-and-stash candidate could be a good option for the Bucks and if they really want to hone in on developing him closely, he would be a good player to have once they have a D-League team.
TW: #Onuwaukee it is!
I really like Malcolm Brogdon too. I wouldn’t hesitate to take him with either the 36th or the 38th pick because he’s ready to contribute to the Bucks immediately. As Adam pointed out, he fills two of Milwaukee’s main weaknesses and I’m really impressed with his defensively ability which could make him a very valuable piece in the Bucks rotation.
Caris LeVert, Ben Bentil and Isaiah Whitehead are some other names that come to mind. Thon Maker is mocked to the Bucks in the second round by DraftExpress, but I think a playoff team in the mid-late first round will take a chance on him.
If Diamond Stone slides into the second round and is available at 36, do the Bucks take him?
AM: They might because he’s a talented player for that spot in the order, but they shouldn’t. The romanticism of a hometown prospect is nice, but Stone has limited range and isn’t a good defender. I’m not sure where the spot for him on the roster would be.
If they take a big man at 10, then it’ll definitely be out of the question. Even if they go with a guard, I just don’t think he’s the type of player they’re looking to add this summer.
TW: That’s basically what I was thinking. Although I largely supported drafting the best player available (fit still needs to be considered, you just shouldn’t reach too far down the draft board for that player), I think the second round is where drafting for fit becomes the priority over selecting the best player available. With guys like Brogdon and Onuaku available, it’s a no brainier for me.
JH: Stone, if he lives up to his max potential, is a guy who scores exactly like Monroe but probably a few less PTS per game and is a weak rebounder. So basically he would be a Monroe clone, who is worse than Monroe no matter how he develops. I don’t think the Bucks are looking for that kind of player.
JT: Yeah, John put it best. Even if Stone eventually reaches his ceiling, he leaves a lot to be desired in areas where the Bucks need help with.
I wish all the best for him, but I think there are players that fall in that range who could be better fits for the Bucks.
Next: NBA Mock Draft 4.0: Countdown To Draft Night
That’s it for this week’s roundtable. Watch out for more coming soon to reflect on the draft and look ahead to free agency.