Milwaukee Bucks: 5 lessons from 2019 NBA Summer League
By Adam McGee
D.J. still a work in progress
Relative to a brutal and largely anonymous rookie season, D.J. Wilson enjoyed something of a breakout year last season. Wilson’s defense earned him opportunities to play, and he frequently took full advantage of that.
Wilson’s versatility and basketball intelligence offer him a clear path to long-term success with the Bucks, but if there is one issue holding him back at present it’s his lack of physicality.
Wilson doesn’t embrace contact on either end of the floor, and in spite of his tall frame he doesn’t necessarily possess the strength and bulk to hold off NBA big men. So much of Wilson’s game suggests he could be a highly effective, small-ball, switching 5, yet he may need to round out the physical side of his game to make that a reality.
Still, it was a surprise when Wilson was included in the Bucks’ Summer League roster heading into his third season in the NBA. After missing the first two games in Vegas with a hamstring injury, just like Brown, Wilson’s play did offer up a glimpse of why he may have been included after all, though.
Wilson was unable to impose himself on any of those games he played in, averaging just 6.0 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, and shooting a miserable 24 percent from the field and 20 percent from deep.
Glimpses of D.J.’s strong feel for the game were certainly present, but it continues to look like Wilson could do with adding to his body ahead of next season.