The Milwaukee Bucks welcomed a host of highly-rated potential draftees for workouts on Wednesday.
The Milwaukee Bucks continued to do their due diligence on this year’s draft class as they held their latest batch of workouts on Wednesday.
For the first time in this year’s process, that involved the team holding two workout sessions as a total of eight players visited Milwaukee in the hopes of leaving a positive impression on Wednesday.
Wesley Iwundu, Devin Robinson and Derrick White were among that group, as players who are all currently expected to earn second round picks, and could prove to be an option for Milwaukee at 48.
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Most notable, though, was the presence of T.J. Leaf. The former UCLA Bruin took part in a two-man workout in front of Bucks personnel, following on from his interview with the team at last week’s Combine.
As usual, the Bucks published a complete list of those looking to impress on the team’s website early on Wednesday.
Let’s dig a little deeper beyond that, though, and take a closer look at those in attendance at the Bucks’ practice facility on this occasion.
T.J. Leaf
Forward – 6’10”
Having spoken glowingly about the prospect of playing for the Bucks and in Milwaukee following his interview with the team at the Draft Combine in Chicago last week, T.J. Leaf visited the city for a workout on Wednesday.
Leaf worked out alongside Landen Lucas in a two-man session, perhaps due to the fact that those two men were significantly taller than the rest of the prospects in attendance on this occasion.
As a freshman at UCLA, Leaf had a very successful season and as a result he comes into the draft with momentum even if there are questions surrounding some elements of his game.
Leaf averaged 16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 blocks per game, while shooting 61.7 percent from the field and 46.6 percent from three-point range on 1.7 attempts per game from deep.
Although, Leaf’s frame may leave a lot to be desired in terms of how he’ll compete defensively against men of his height in the NBA, his offensive touch does at least align with the current trends of the NBA.
Landen Lucas
Forward – 6’10”
Lacking Leaf’s shooting touch, during his four years at Kansas, Landen Lucas proved to be more of an old-fashioned power forward. That could lead him to be more of an undersized center as a pro.
Lucas led the Jayhawks in rebounding as a senior, and averaged double digits on the boards for all four years in Kansas when his numbers are measured at a per 40 minutes rate. In other words, Lucas is a strong presence in the paint, and that translates to both ends as he snagged over 3.0 offensive rebounds per game as a senior.
Lucas had to deal with limited opportunities during his first two years as a Jayhawk, but established a more significant role as a junior and was able to kick on and become a key cog of Bill Self’s team in his final year in college.
The 23-year-old isn’t the most glamorous prospect by any means, but is very steady and fundamentally sound, while boasting the kind of strength that should at least allow him to compete if given the chance.
Devin Robinson
Forward – 6’8″
Widely considered to be in the mix for a second round pick, Devin Robinson put together a strong junior year for the Florida Gators and then put an exclamation point on his case with a very strong showing at the Draft Combine.
Robinson posted a max vertical of 41.5, which was the third best of all players tested this year, while according to Draft Express, his body fat percentage of 3.2 percent is the seventh lowest all-time in their database.
Robinson played at both forward spots during his time in Florida, and will enter the pro game following a junior season where he averaged 11.1 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from deep.
An interesting note from the brief bio on Robinson on Bucks.com is that the durable 22-year-old forward never missed a game during his three years as a Gator.
Wesley Iwundu
Forward – 6’7″
After four years at Kansas State, Wesley Iwundu is another prospect who is expected to have an excellent chance of getting selected in the second round of this year’s draft.
Iwundu should be capable of playing at either wing position in the NBA due to excellent physical measurements which see him come in at 6’7″ tall with a 7’1″ wingspan.
Having struggled somewhat with shooting from distance during his sophomore and junior seasons, Iwundu bounced back with a strong year from deep as a senior, averaging 37.6 percent from deep on 3.4 three-point attempts a night.
With the rest of his numbers this season coming in at 13.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steals, Iwundu is clearly well-rounded and should be able to make an impact in whatever minutes he gets as a pro.
As Bucks.com noted, Iwundu is the first Kansas State Wildcat in school history to finish with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists and 100 steals.
Jacob Wiley
Forward – 6’7″
Wiley arrives on the draft workout circuit hoping to make a major impression after a college career spent jumping between various small schools.
Something of a nomad in recent seasons, Wiley started out in Montana where he received incredibly limited opportunities, then played three years at Lewis-Clark State, before ultimately ending up at Eastern Washington for his senior season.
Although Wiley may not have been matched up with the same level of competition as some of his peers, he at least managed to put in a stellar season with the Eagles to bolster his résumé.
Wiley finished the year as the MVP of the Big Sky Conference behind 20.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 2.4 assists, while shooting 64.2 percent from the field.
Jabari Bird
Guard – 6’6″
Jabari Bird is hoping to earn a shot in the NBA after four consistent seasons at the University of California, the alma mater of Bucks head coach Jason Kidd.
Bird bounced back from a slightly disappointing junior year to finish his time as a Golden Bear with the best season of his college career.
The 22-year-old averaged 14.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists, while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from deep.
Bird’s average athleticism and underwhelming physical measurements for a wing may make it difficult for him to find an opportunity in the NBA, making workouts such as this one incredibly important for him.
Derrick White
Guard – 6’5″
It’s ironic that Derrick White is a rapid riser in mock drafts of late considering his college career has been something of a slow burn up until this point.
White spent three seasons playing for the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, before transferring to Colorado for his senior year.
Since joining the Colorado Buffaloes, White has shown the ability to be a dominant scorer and a lights out shooter. White posted averages of 18.1 points, 4.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals, with shooting splits of 50.7/39.6/81.3.
Showing good quickness and solid athleticism in his testing at the Combine, White has the potential to be a shifty guard in the NBA who’s also unafraid to knock down shots.
Thomas Wilder
Guard – 6’3″
After a modest freshman campaign at Western Michigan, Thomas Wilder kicked on and demonstrated his ability to make big plays during his sophomore and junior seasons.
Most recently, Wilder averaged 19.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals, while shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three-point range.
His strong play with the Broncos was enough to earn him First-Team All-MAC honors for the year, and he will hope that it might convince some NBA teams to give him a chance to find a permanent professional home.
Next: Milwaukee Bucks Pre-Draft Workouts: Nigel Hayes, Hamidou Diallo among attendees
We’ll have further updates on prospects who work out for the Bucks as they happen, along with a variety of draft profiles on site. Make sure to stick with us for all of your Bucks draft coverage.