Milwaukee Bucks: Building A Roster The Right Way

Aiming To Hit The Jackpot In The Draft

Without being on the cusp of a championship or located in a big city or major market, the best way to build a team is certainly through the NBA Draft.

Without ever being so bad as to stack the odds in their favor, that’s exactly what Milwaukee has done in recent years and in contrast to the prevalence of tanking, that makes them an interesting anomaly.

With the exception of Jabari Parker, how have the Bucks managed to pick up a number of talented young players in the draft while also remaining somewhat competitive in the win column? More often than not, it was just a result of taking risks when nobody else was prepared to do so.

The 2013 draft was never pegged as being star-studded, yet so many other teams failed to take a risk on a high upside, raw, project like Giannis Antetokounmpo.

With the 2016 draft also considered to be relatively weak in most quarters, was it really any surprise that the Bucks chose to select Thon Maker at 10? As much as was made about the Bucks selecting another long-armed, international prospect, it was really all about the Bucks choosing players who they see real potential in.

Knowing that the chances of them luring a free agent to Milwaukee are slim, the best chance the Bucks have of adding a star to their team consistently comes via the draft. As a result, they shoot for the stars on the night.

When it works out it comes out like Giannis Antetokounmpo. If Rashad Vaughn turns out to be an example of what happens when it doesn’t pan out, I think Bucks fans will accept the trade off.

To build a winning team requires risks and John Hammond and his Bucks front office have shown a good understanding of knowing when to place a bet.

Next: Learning When To Shake The Boat