2016
10. Thon Maker
36. Malcolm Brogdon
Grade: A
After the calamity of 2015 draft night, the Bucks and Hammond rebounded in the best possible way. With the 10th pick, Milwaukee made what most considered an enormous stretch in drafting Thon Maker straight out of high school.
Maker was a YouTube sensation and flashed signs of brilliance as a genuine seven-footer who could shoot while also being able to put the ball on the floor. Other than videos online however, nothing else was known about Maker and many expected him to fall to the second round on draft night.
Hammond and Milwaukee saw something in him, however, and after interviewing well, the Bucks snapped him up. Maker started slowly in Milwaukee but by the end of the season, he was starting and playing real minutes in the playoffs.
Maker averaged 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game in the playoff series against Toronto and created many a headache for the Raptors with his elite interior defense. Maker also flashed serious offensive potential throughout the season, highlighted by his 23-point game against Detroit.
With the 36th pick, the Milwaukee Bucks then selected Malcolm Brogdon, the senior out of the University of Virginia who had redshirted his sophomore year thanks to a foot injury. Brogdon was 23 years old when he entered the league and many had written him off as a player with limited upside.
Brogdon exceeded all expectations, finishing the season with 10.2 points, 4.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. Brogdon was named NBA Rookie of the Year and became the first player in history to receive the award as a player drafted in the second round. He was also only the second Buck (behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) to receive this award.
What Brogdon and Maker have done this past season is nothing short of remarkable and Hammond and the Bucks administration should be lauded for showing faith in the duo. Both were written off before the season began and both ended the season as the starting point guard and center for the Bucks. Take a bow Milwaukee, you nailed the 2016 draft and as a result, are rewarded an A.