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Milwaukee Bucks NBA Draft Prospect Watch: Nico Mannion

By Jordan Treske

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 29: Nico Mannion #1 of the Arizona Wildcats instructs the offense during the game against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion on February 29, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. The UCLA Bruins defeated the Arizona Wildcats 69-64. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 29: Nico Mannion #1 of the Arizona Wildcats instructs the offense during the game against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion on February 29, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. The UCLA Bruins defeated the Arizona Wildcats 69-64. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
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Nico Mannion, NBA Draft, Milwaukee Bucks
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 27: (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

What the experts say

ESPN [$] (Jonathan Givony): 14th

The Athletic [$] (Sam Vecenie): 29th

Sports Illustrated (Jeremy Woo): 13th

Sporting News (Chris Stone): 20th

Bleacher Report (Jonathan Wassermann): 28th

The Ringer (Kevin O’Connor): 25th

Quotes:

Having placed him 13th on his most recent Big Board, Woo looked to Mannion’s skills and vision as a shot creator, and his shooting potential, as why he’ll, at minimum, fill a valuable role as a reserve NBA playmaker:

"“In terms of craft, Mannion is already among the best guards in college hoops, and he’s always been advanced for his age. His skill as a ball-handler and understanding of playmaking subtleties are substantial, and will almost surely play up, in a winning reserve role at worst. Mannion is also a good-looking shooter with an improving pull-up game, and a solid athlete. But he’s struggled driving all the way to the rim, and he’s not a great on-ball defender. His ceiling will hinge on how well he adjusts playing against NBA length, and whether he can improve his finishing enough to remain efficient. But he’s been mostly effective in spite of those issues, and he’s such a good decision-maker that it’s a reasonable bet he eventually figures things out. Mannion’s stock has dropped, but more in the sense that his upside has been reframed a bit by his performance.”"

On the other side, Vecenie waded into the many questions that NBA teams have of Mannion’s abilities and overall potential as he detailed on his most recent Big Board for The Athletic ($):

"“There are real questions from some NBA teams about whether (Mannion) is worth selecting in the first round. Simply put, his lack of athleticism and ability to gain separation, mixed with his shooting inconsistency, has given evaluators pause. His feel for the game is terrific, but he doesn’t look to be ready to play a role in the NBA from Day One due to those concerns. And if he’s a project, teams have questioned if there is enough upside to be worth their wait. I have him at No. 29 still, but I wouldn’t say it’s a certainty he’s selected in Round One anymore, by any stretch.”"

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