What was the wider reaction from the draft community to the Milwaukee Bucks’ selection of Donte DiVincenzo? It was largely positive, but not completely without concern either.
Making definitive statements on draft night and drawing long-term conclusions is dicey business. The reality is that the draft involves much more luck than fans, media and, particularly, teams would probably like to admit.
Still, all of that is part of what makes instant reactions and appraisals so fascinating, as after weeks of projecting and mystery, finally there’s a team context within which the NBA fit of prospects can be assessed.
For the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, the prospect being considered in a new light was 21-year-old combo guard Donte DiVincenzo out of Villanova, who was selected with the 17th overall pick.
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Judging by social media, the reactions to DiVincenzo’s selection were certainly mixed, and although there were elements of that evident in the greater reaction of the draft media to the pick, the overall reaction certainly erred on the side of being favorable.
Let’s take a look at what many notable draft experts and prominent basketball outlets had to say about DiVincenzo landing with the Bucks.
Jonathan Givony, ESPN
One of the best known, most respected and prominent draft experts, Givony zeroed in on DiVincenzo’s readiness to contribute as key to Milwaukee’s motivation in the pick.
"“The Bucks have been looking for a two-way combo guard who can make shots and bring toughness. Donte DiVincenzo looks like one of the more ready players to come in and play a role immediately alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is likely to shoulder most of the ballhandling responsibilities.”"
Jeremy Woo, Sports Illustrated
Woo indicates a degree of wariness as to just how much DiVincenzo’s recent national championship exploits pumped up his value, perhaps hinting at an element of a reach, but ultimately seems confident that DiVincenzo should provide a seamless fit and a safe contributor for the Bucks.
"“This is a pretty nice fit for Milwaukee, who have preferred to surround Giannis Antetokounmpo with combo guards that can shoot the three. DiVincenzo is a terrific athlete and tough-minded player who will be able to supply their lineups with a little bit of everything, whether it’s on or off the ball. While DiVincenzo’s value may be somewhat inflated by recency bias, there’s a sense among evaluators that he can offer a level of safety given his skill set.”"
Grade: B+
Sam Vecenie, The Athletic
Again, Vecenie certainly questions whether DiVincenzo was the best use of the Bucks’ pick at that particular spot considering the general perception of his range, but concludes bullishly that DiVincenzo should be able to help the Bucks with obvious areas of need straight away.
"“This is a smart pick by the Milwaukee front office. Part of the reason the Bucks struggled so much offensively against the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs was the absence of another consistent creator beyond Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. In DiVincenzo, the team takes a flier on a fearless scorer who proved in the national title game he will never be intimidated by the moment.He’s a really strong athlete who can get separation from his opposing defender, and he has three-level pull-up range out to 25-feet in addition to the ability to sky above the basket. I had DiVincenzo at No. 26 on my board, so this is a slight reach value-wise, but he fills exactly what they need so much that I don’t mind it. He’ll help them off the bench early in his career.”"
Jonathan Tjarks, The Ringer
The opportunity for DiVincenzo to play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo is central to Tjarks’ overwhelmingly positive appraisal of the pick, as he believes the Delaware native will act as a nice supporting player to Milwaukee’s superstar forward.
"“The Michael Jordan of Delaware is taking his talents to Milwaukee. DiVincenzo shot up draft boards after his breakout performance in the national title game, but the talent was always there. This is a great situation for him: He’s a microwave scorer who will be a perfect complement to Giannis Antetokounmpo. The worry with DiVincenzo is that he’s a gunner with the size of a point guard, but that’s not as big a concern when he’s knocking down 3s off kick-out passes from a 7-foot point center.”"
Grade: A
Reid Forgrave, CBS Sports
Forgrave is also very high on the selection, praising DiVincenzo’s versatility in both position and skills in assessing his potential future with the Bucks.
"“The Michael Jordan of Delaware” is ready to step in and be a shooter. And next to playmaking forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, he could play point guard or shooting guard. He’ll join Malcolm Brogdon in that role and has more offensive upside. He’s a playmaker with confidence who also can take a lot of roles.”"
Grade: A-
Chris Stone, Sporting News
Stone is considerably less enthused by the pick, indicating the Bucks may not only have reached significantly for DiVincenzo but also could be overreacting to his high-profile exploits rather than his overall profile as a prospect.
"“Milwaukee appears determined to inject a bit of offense into its roster. DiVincenzo impressed during Villanova’s run to the national title in March, but his season-long production didn’t necessarily suggest he was worthy of a first-round pick. Factor in some of his defensive struggles, and this feels like a reach.The 6-5 shooting guard rates out as the No. 34 prospect on our Big Board in large part because he projects to be at his best in a bench scoring role. Not the best value at 17.”"
Grade: C
Brandon Jefferson, FanSided
Jefferson views DiVincenzo’s history of being a role player as a positive for what will be asked of him in Milwaukee, and believes the combo guard can help the Bucks in their aims to improve sooner than later.
"“For Milwaukee, the team has been trying to find the right pieces to surround Giannis Antetokounmpo ever since he broke through to NBA superstardom. DiVincenzo has had success fitting into a role as his time with Villanova showed. With the Bucks, he’ll be relied upon to do more of the same.…Despite being a late-bloomer in this year’s draft class, DiVincenzo has made a rapid rise up draft boards and the Bucks have to be feeling good about getting him where they did. The Bucks needed someone to help them win right away and DiVincenzo looks the part.”"
Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation
O’Donnell sounded his concerns over how many tools DiVincenzo will ultimately demonstrate at the NBA level, and the possibility the Bucks will be left to rue missed opportunities with those they allowed to slide by in favor of DiVincenzo.
"“DiVincenzo is a solid guard who can hit jumpers off the dribble and compete defensively. Will he be able to finish at the rim over NBA length? Does he have versatility defensively? Ultimately, it feels like the Bucks left better players on the board to take DiVincenzo at No. 17.”"
Grade: C+
Michael Singer, USA Today
Singer strangely equates the short-armed DiVincenzo to previous Bucks selected, and settles on praising the Bucks for being brave enough to take him higher than his projections.
"“The Bucks love long, athletic players relative to their position, and DiVincenzo fits that bill. He has a smooth three-point stroke, plays with a relentless motor and Milwaukee proved it wasn’t scared to take a guy higher than he was projected.”"
Grade: C+
Next: Win in 6 Podcast #228: Bucks add Donte DiVincenzo
Time will tell who was right and who was wrong in regard to their opinions of the DiVincenzo pick. Let’s just hope it’s eventually proven that the Bucks had the best feel for this draft of all of those observing.