Milwaukee Bucks: Trevon Duval is worthy of patience

Trevon Duval is the first ever one-and-done player from Duke to go undrafted. While that may raise some flags for fans and executives he is still more than capable of reaching his potential. However, if he is to get to that point both he and the Milwaukee Bucks will need to be patient.

NBA executives are very clearly still trying to figure out how best to utilize the two-way contract.

Last year the Milwaukee Bucks repeatedly used up their two-way players’ days with the NBA team, cutting them, and then signing a new two-way player. Based on their two-way signings this offseason, it appears as though the Bucks have changed their view on how to get the most out of these contracts, though.

Perhaps the most notable of those two-way signings, Trevon Duval, will likely not spend much of the season with the Bucks, barring injuries to the point guards on the roster. Duval should be with the Herd in Oshkosh getting valuable playing time to work on his game.

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Not only can he improve himself there but he can also learn by working within the Milwaukee Bucks system which could prove very helpful if, in the future, he needs to contribute.

There is no question that the former top ranked point guard prospect physically looks the part. He stands 6’3″ and has an impressive 6’9″ wingspan. He can also overpower smaller guards, as he weighs in at 195lbs. Duval is also athletic enough to play above the rim, throwing down some powerful dunks from time to time.

Duval’s game has plenty of holes. His shooting leaves much to be desired but that does not mean he will not be able to score in the G League or even the NBA.

Watching his game in college and Summer League would show you that he is an above average finisher. Duval also displays elite quickness which allows him to get into positions to utilize his finishing ability. Defensively, the 20-year-old has all the tools, but has a tendency to take too many gambles leaving him out of position. Another weakness that tends to show up in his game are frequent turnovers.

Although Trevon Duval was not drafted, he did get an opportunity to show teams what he could do in Summer League. He played with the Houston Rockets and had lots of ups and downs in the five games he played in Las Vegas. Duval’s first game was his best showing as he scored 20 points but he followed it up with a poor performance, scoring one point in his second appearance, while also turning the ball over five times.

It’s clear from Duval’s pedigree dating back to his high school days that he has plenty of talent, but his lack of shooting puts him at a real disadvantage in today’s NBA.

There have been some more encouraging videos surfacing recently of him working on his shot, but it seems that Duval has still not changed his somewhat awkward release. Obviously Duval’s shooting can be turned around if he works on it, but that cannot be counted on.

Yet Duval has the intangibles and the physical profile to be a success, and if he takes the G League seriously, it would not be surprising to see him take a jump, maybe one day to being a contributor at the NBA level.

For the Bucks, that’s a gamble worth taking and a project worth sticking with. It may be a slow and gradual process, but if Milwaukee affords Duval the necessary time, it could pay off for both parties.