NBA Draft 2018 Prospect Watch: Melvin Frazier

Fit with the Bucks

While he’s risen steadily throughout this process and especially after last week’s combine, the traction Frazier has gathered relates to his chances of becoming a first round selection.

As that pertains to the Bucks, it feels like a safe bet that the Tulane man will be on the board by the time they’re on the clock at 17. Whether the Bucks will consider Frazier at that spot is something else entirely and I’m sure that would be painted as a reach by some fans and some draft pundits, should that come to pass.

However, Frazier checks a number of boxes with where he stands now as a prospect and what kind of player he could be down the road, provided he’s able to harness his full potential.

Given his stature as a disruptor on the defensive end and how he can be further unleashed as a defender on the NBA level, Frazier would be a boon on that end of the floor, an area that is already being prioritized by new Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer.

Along with that, Budenholzer and the track record his staff have had in developing wing players would be reassuring in taking a player of Frazier’s caliber, given he still leans on the raw/late bloomer side.

When it’s all boiled down, the feeling you may have on Frazier as a prospect hinges on how viable it is he taps into the upside he seemingly carries and whether his offensive capabilities can match his defensive qualities under a more simplified role.

Next: NBA Draft 2018 Prospect Watch: Shake Milton

Barring the Bucks exploring trading down in the draft to get him if 1) they believe he’ll still be on the board and 2) want to squeeze an asset out of a team, all of which might be in play once we get down to it, Frazier will likely still be available to be selected once the Bucks are off the clock. Then again, anything can happen.