Milwaukee Bucks: 15 greatest draft steals in franchise history
. Power Forward/Center. 2012. John Henson. 15. player. 89
In June 2012, the Bucks were coming off another mediocre season, one year away from drafting the team’s next great superstar. What they got in the 2012 NBA Draft, after trading down from No. 12 to No. 14, was a solid big man named John Henson.
A two-time All-ACC Defensive Player of the Year at North Carolina, Henson brought rim protection from the jump as a backup power forward for the Bucks over his first two seasons. In 2013-14, his second season with the team, he led the Bucks in win shares, despite starting just 23 games.
In 2014-15, he slid to center, where he would establish himself as one of the better defensive anchors in the Eastern Conference, despite his obvious offensive limitations. The Bucks made the playoffs just once in the six years prior to drafting Henson, but then proceeded to make the playoffs four of the six years after drafting Henson out of North Carolina.
The center was never and will never be a star player, but he was a solid role player for just over six years. In 2018-19, with a new offensive philosophy under head coach Mike Budenholzer, Henson even worked to add a 3-point shot. He worked hard and gave the Bucks solid defensive production before he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers last season.