Milwaukee Bucks: Draft day decisions mini-roundtable
By Adam McGee
Who do you think they’ll actually pick based on those who could be off the board by then?
McGee: On the latest episode of our Win in 6 Podcast, Jordan Treske and I effectively refused to talk about the centers because we found them so uninteresting. If that didn’t ensure the Bucks would pick a center, the rumblings of the last couple of days have certainly indicated they will. I’m probably least interested by Jarrett Allen of that group, and yet he seems to be the guy they’re leaning toward.
Wallace: This is the answer I am least sure of. The Bucks will have Moose back next year, and Thon will also get more playing time (please, Jason Kidd). That doesn’t leave many minutes for another center. However, you look at this draft, and the range that the Bucks are picking in is very thin on guards and packed full of centers. So, the dilemma is do you reach for a guard, or do you take the best player available? This dilemma is why I think the Bucks could possibly move up to get the guy they want, or they may move back if they feel like they can get the same player they would’ve taken anyway and gain an asset in the process.
Coffman: Ike Anigbogu checks a lot of the boxes as a traditional Bucks selection, at least assuming the front office largely has maintained the same philosophies through the change at GM. He’s one of the youngest players in the draft, has a ton of physical upside, and makes a good complement to Thon at the center position.
Pellowski: I find my pick of Isaiah Hartenstein to be realistic due to the the lack of offensive prowess he has at this point in his development. Just imagine a younger John Henson who has infinitely more upside.
Donovan: I think they take Jarrett Allen from Texas, there is just an abundance of 19-year-old big men available, he is likely to form part of the big man rotation over the next couple years as Thon and Jabari remain.
Lanson: With the 17th pick, I see the Bucks drafting Justin Patton. The big man from Creighton has tons of potential and could be a nice low-post threat for the Bucks in the years to come.
Treske: There’s a question as to whether he’ll be available at 17, but I have a hunch that the Bucks could end up selecting Justin Jackson from North Carolina. He’s not the prototypical player you think the Bucks would take in the first round, but he could serve as a useful contributor on the offensive end when he reaches the next level. But again, I say this being very disinterested in the many big men in that range. Also, I should probably figure out what that hunch is…
Mueller: I loved what the Bucks had been doing under John Hammond. Select young talent you can mold in-house. Hammond’s apprentice, Jon Horst, could very well take his mentor’s lead by taking a risk on some young talent. If Harry Giles is available, I expect the Bucks to take another risk.
Harkins: With Kennard likely already off the board, I believe the first round pick will end up being a big man. My hope is that this will be Justin Patton, out of Creighton, as his length and two-way potential makes a lot of sense with the way the Bucks’ roster is trending.