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Milwaukee Bucks: How to best channel Donte DiVincenzo’s athleticism

By Jordan Treske

TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: Donte DiVincenzo #9 of the Milwaukee Bucks poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: Donte DiVincenzo #9 of the Milwaukee Bucks poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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While plenty has been made about the intanigbles that drew the Milwaukee Bucks to select him with the 17th overall pick in this year’s draft, Donte DiVincenzo‘s high level athleticism may lead to him being utilized in various ways heading into his rookie year.

As his rookie season with the Milwaukee Bucks inches ever closer, it’s hard to peg where Donte DiVincenzo comes in on the team’s depth chart.

Coming in as a combo guard who shows capabilities of playing both on and off the ball, DiVincenzo will have plenty of competition across the two guard spots as he acclimates to his new surroundings, as well as the jump to the NBA level.

The Bucks clearly believe that those factors will be well suited for the 21-year-old to get up to speed in his first NBA home, considering the intensity and mettle he often plays with during his run on the court.

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Key Bucks officials such as general manager Jon Horst and new head coach Mike Budenholzer have given voice to how much they prized those qualities in DiVincenzo in the wake of the team selecting him with the 17th overall pick in this year’s draft in June.

But as far as his talent and skills on the court go, how DiVncenzo functions within the Bucks’ system and rotation is clearly yet to be determined. That’s where we turn our attention to the athletic prowess that DiVincenzo very clearly possesses.

After all, DiVincenzo was a shining star in terms of how well he tested athletically at this year’s NBA Draft Combine during the pre-draft process.

Of the 69 players that attended the event in mid-May, DiVincenzo came in first with a standing vertical leap of 34.5 inches and tied for first with Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Josh Okogie at 42 inches in the max vertical leap test, per NBA.com/stats.

While his leaping ability is surely impressive, other areas of DiVincenzo’s athletic capacities don’t match up to the same degree. Yet The Big Ragu’s hard-nosed nature and shiftiness may end up helping to bridge the gap in that way.

Still, the question remains how all of that could translate into whatever role he may fill for the Bucks in the upcoming season and beyond. The emphasis will surely be in a complementary sense, considering the number of lead playmakers and creators the Bucks sport at the top of their roster, who will all likely share the floor whenever DiVincenzo has his number called by Coach Bud.

One example of where DiVincenzo could find his footing within the team’s construct is in the open floor, flanking the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton or Eric Bledsoe for easy feeds and reads.

Per Synergy Sports’ scouting report on him before the draft, nearly 22 percent of DiVincenzo’s shot attempts during his redshirt sophomore season with the Wildcats last year came in transition and he converted such possessions at 1.13 points per possession, which ranked in the 66th percentile.

Doing the same in half court situations, whether that’s in effectively cutting off the ball, attacking closeouts or providing some gravity by acting as an effective shooting threat off movement, will be something the Delaware native has to prove as he breaks into the league.

The bigger question as it relates to DiVincenzo is how his athletic attributes will impact his services on the defensive end. It’s here where DiVincenzo’s toughness and overall resolve more than make up his ability to keep in front of his assignment or overcome his physical measurements, seeing that he comes in at 6’4.5″ and has a 6’6″ wingspan.

It’s also on this end where DiVincenzo’s ability to make other underlying contributions, such as crashing the glass and snaring down rebounding opportunities, may provide some value to the Bucks defensively (DiVincenzo registered a 13.2 defensive rebounding percentage over his Villanova career).

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Al of these questions will soon be answered in some fashion once this upcoming season tips off in less than a month. That is, if DiVincenzo is able to carve out at minimum, a semi-regular role during his rookie campaign with the Bucks.

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