The Buck Stops Here Roundtable #2: Draft Reactions, Free Agency Expectations
By Tim Wray
Would you have preferred to see Milwaukee use the 38th overall pick or at least get something other than cash in return?
AM: I think as fans it’s impossible to answer no to this question.
Of course we’d prefer to have another player to debate, discuss and get excited about. Cash considerations is not a basketball player, nor can they wear a jersey, so Jason Kidd is going to struggle to find minutes for them next season.
At the end of the day, we don’t follow the NBA for this, but it is a business and as such, decisions like this one have to be made. The only realistic counter I’d offer would be that if the reasoning for moving 38 was so as not to bring three rookies in next year, I’d have preferred to see them use it to stash a young international prospect. That’s not considering the financials though.
TP: I wouldn’t have minded seeing a pick made, but John Hammond had been pretty clear that they only planned on using two of their three picks.
It might have been nice to see them get something basketball related in return, like a future pick, but the Bucks obviously did not see anyone they really wanted on the board, so get what you can, I say.
TWindisch: I really wanted the Bucks to take a shot on Patrick McCaw. I know the roster was pretty full, but why not take a chance at adding him to the Summer League roster and giving him a shot to prove he can play.
If he’s better than somebody else on the roster/a potential free agent, then you keep him. If not, deal him away then for cash considerations or whatever. I understand the financial aspect of it all with Milwaukee hoping to be a player in free agency, but I really hope the Bucks aren’t saving cash on McCaw to go overspend on another bad fit free agent.
JT: Of course, I would have liked to see them use the 38th pick, especially since there were a few players available that I would have liked to see them select.
However, like Tom said, John Hammond suggested all throughout the draft process that they weren’t set on using all three picks and that obviously ended up being the case.
We can always second guess who they should have brought in at 38, but I think it’s best to focus on the players who they did bring in.
JH: I wish they would have used the pick on an international player who could be stashed or on a guy like Kay Fielder. Second round picks rarely turn out, but at the same time you miss all of the shots you don’t take.
I also wish they could have gotten something basketball related out of the pick. I mean it was a top 40 pick in a draft that had a little bit of risky first round talent left.
TWray: I’m with Adam, as a fan it’s hard to say that you wouldn’t have wanted the Bucks to receive some sort of basketball asset, whether it was a player or a future draft selection, in return for the 38th pick.
In reality, as Tom mentioned, John Hammond was probably never planning to use all three picks, so I guess that makes this move a little easier to digest.
As Jordan said, I think it’s important that we don’t second guess who Milwaukee should have picked at 38. We’ve already been through this once. I don’t want Patrick McCaw becoming the next Norman Powell.
Next: Delly to the Bucks?