Milwaukee Bucks: Rounding Up Draft Reaction/Grades

In the instant reaction age, how did the Milwaukee Bucks far in major media NBA Draft grades?

The night of the NBA Draft has never really lent itself to nuanced takes or startling insight, and with the selection of Thon Maker with the 10th overall pick on Thursday night, the Milwaukee Bucks pushed that concept to its extremes.

Draft night grades have become as much a part of the post-draft reaction for fans, as mock drafts are to the run up to the big night itself.

Ultimately, they’re nothing more than some harmless fun, and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. The draft is not a science, and it’s very rare to find a player who can be hailed as a great or vilified as a bust prior to even setting foot on an NBA court.

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Taken for what they are though, draft grades provide their own kind of interest. Nothing should really be set in stone, but gauging the gut reactions of those who have been closely following the draft is always a fun exercise.

We even took part in the traditions this year as Ti Windisch offered up grades for both the 10th and 36th overall picks. How did others generally see it though?

In all honesty, reactions were mixed at best. Brogdon was a popular choice for those who considered both of the picks, while for many others they seemed ready to burn Milwaukee to the ground and write Thon Maker’s basketball obituary already.

Let’s dig a little deeper into some of the more high profile reactions.

ESPN’s Chad Ford had some of the stranger mock drafts for the Bucks in the lead up to the big night, but credit where it’s due, his final update was the first to pencil Maker in at 10. He wasn’t only first with the intel though, as his A- grade verified he was very high on Milwaukee’s decisions too.

"“Drafting Maker at No. 10 was probably the biggest surprise of the draft. I’ve heard a lot of criticism on the pick, but I actually liked it.There was no guarantee that Maker was going to be around later in the draft. He’s got terrific upside and Bucks GM John Hammond has gambled in the past and won. Maker is a couple of years away, but he’s got the talent, work ethic and size to be worthy of this pick someday.I preferred Dejounte Murray here personally, but can’t really argue with taking a shot on Maker. No one knows if Maker will be a star or a bust. But I think he was worth the gamble in a lower-upside draft like this.Brogdon is sort of the opposite of Maker. He’s a proven college senior who can shoot the basketball. He’s not the world’s greatest athlete, but I think he could be a Jared Dudley type in the NBA.”"

Sports Illustrated’s Andrew Sharp is the proud owner of the harshest assessment of the Maker pick on the night. This scathing review of Milwaukee’s moves finishes up with an F grade, and seems to read too much into the impact that the selection will have on the team’s future either way.

"“As inexplicable as the Papagiannis pick was, the Thon Maker pick was worse. The Kings are always going to be the Kings as long as Vlade and Vivek are in charge, but the Bucks could actually be good. You can’t just throw away top–10 picks like they’re nothing.There’s a way to see Maker as a case of the Bucks doubling down on the weirdness of their roster and putting together the most science–fiction lineup possible, and maybe that’s how it’ll play out, but I don’t see it. Maker should have been a second rounder, not a top 10 pick. He has raw tools, but not many skills, and this week there were allegations that he’s three years older than he claims. These are not good signs. Really, almost every move Milwaukee’s made since drafting Giannis and Jabari—trading for MCW, signing Greg Monroe, trading for Greivis Vasquez, inexplicably drafting Rashad Vaughn—has been a failure. Worse, most of these moves were clearly bad ideas at the time.Mostly, it bums me out because Giannis is absolutely for real, and Milwaukee should be one of the most entertaining teams in the league. But whoever is running things is screwing this up.”"

Jun 24, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks first round pick Thon Maker holds up his jersey at Milwaukee Bucks training facility. Mandatory Credit: Sam Caravana- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY Sports

Yahoo’s Kelly Dwyer notes that Maker was a reach at 10, but makes an interesting point in suggesting that if it was common knowledge that he was Milwaukee’s man, that would have made it nigh on impossible to trade down. Overall, a final grade of C- isn’t too unfair.

"“Grabbing Maker at No. 10 is an incredible reach, one that blew the viewers at home away while probably not surprising the rest of the league all that much. Secrets don’t stick at home with NBA front offices these days, and if the rest of the league knew Milwaukee fancied Maker but wanted to trade down (there were even rumors he could slip out of the first round heading into Thursday) potential trade partners probably played enough hardball to force MKE’s hand. The proof will be in the playing.Brogdon is not much of an outsized athlete at shooting guard, but he’ll have a chance to make the team this fall.”"

Having graded the selection of Maker as a D on Thursday night, Sam Vecenie of CBS Sports was won over ever so slightly by the Bucks taking Brogdon at 38, and ultimately settled on a C for Milwaukee’s draft night efforts.

"“How does one rectify a team making your least favorite pick of the draft along with one of your favorites? Indeed, I don’t buy Maker this high at No. 10. He was dominated last year at Nike Hoop Summit for a week by No. 28 pick Skal Labissiere, no guarantee to carve out a role in the NBA himself. His hands aren’t great, his body isn’t strong enough, and his basketball IQ isn’t superb. What Maker needs is experience, and it’s hard to see how he’ll get it given that the Bucks have no D-League team and that there’s no way he will earn NBA minutes. Just not a fan of him or his game here, and wouldn’t have been a fan of his even in the top-20. However, the team did select Brogdon early in the second, a tremendous pick that will likely contribute to their cause early and often as a defender and backcourt role player. Prediction: In six months we’re looking at Brogdon and wondering why he fell much like we did with Norman Powell this year.Still, taking Maker at 10 overshadows that pick.”"

USA Today’s AJ Neuharth-Keusch and Michael Singer leaned in a more positive direction for Milwaukee with an overall B-.

"“To go along with the trend of young, lanky talent overflowing in Milwaukee, the Bucks took the 7-1, 215 pound Sudanese-Australian significantly earlier than expected. What he lacks in experience, he makes up for in size and athleticism. Maker is a big risk taken this early, but the Bucks (hello, Greek Freak) have shown they’re not scared of a project.”"

Bleacher Report’s Adam Fromal assessed both of Milwaukee’s picks in great detail before settling on a grade of C+.

"“General manager John Hammond can’t help himself. Perhaps swayed by the massive success he had gambling on Giannis Antetokounmpo, the man in charge of the Milwaukee Bucks took another big risk by selecting Thon Maker at No. 10.The 7’1″ power forward can knock down three-pointers, and he seems to be a solid athlete for his size. But he’s also incredibly skinny at 216 pounds and will take years of development and weight training before he has a chance to bang around with NBA-caliber bigs. He could flame out, and No. 10 is too early for that kind of risk.Maker needs to prove he has a top-notch basketball IQ and to show he’s a hard worker who is willing to labor away in the NBA D-League, free from the national spotlight. He needs to add plenty of muscle to his lanky frame.Hammond will look like a genius if this works. For now, it feels like he’s doubling down on his previous success; there’s no telling if the gambler’s fallacy applies to the NBA draft.Malcolm Brogdon doesn’t fit the typical physical profile of an NBA wing. He’s only 6’5″, and he lacks the explosive athleticism that so often characterizes the modern 2-guard. But that doesn’t make him ineffective.Brogdon is a terrific shooter and defender who proved himself throughout his four-year career at Virginia. He’s a smart player who’s ready to make an impact, and head coach Jason Kidd won’t hesitate before inserting him into the lineup in crucial situations. He can rest assured Brogdon won’t make any poor decisions.”"

Aaron Torres of Fox Sports was not so complimentary of the decisions might by the Bucks, suggesting they’d be viewed as historic for all of the wrong reasons. His grade came out as a D+.

"“There’s no other way to put it: The selection of Maker wasn’t just the most confusing of the night, but one of the most befuddling in recent memory.Just to completely wrap our heads around it, here’s what you need to know about the selection: Milwaukee used a top-10 pick on a player who’s never played past high school (and didn’t dominate while there), reportedly could be much older than the 19 he’s listed as, and likely could have been acquired either later in the first round or in the second. I just don’t get it.Brogdon is a solid second-round addition, but it’s still hard to focus on him when Maker went 26 spots ahead of him.”"

Josh Benjamin of Forbes believes the Bucks redefined reach by selecting Maker at 10th overall, and dished the Bucks a grade of D.

"“We round out the Top 10 with the first truly bad pick of the first round. Maker’s name was being thrown around as one that could fall out of the first round entirely due to questions about his age, and Milwaukee went ahead and used a lottery pick on him. The seven-footer has tons of upside, but is he 19 years old or 22? Either way, with Greg Monroe already established at center and more established big men in Deyonta Davis available, this pick redefines the term reach.”"

Next: Get To Know Thon Maker

It’s too soon to speak in certainties, and has as often been the case in the past, those who did so may be left to look foolish.