As he comes to the Milwaukee Bucks after being the 60th overall pick in this year’s Draft, Sam Merrill is eager to make an impact going into the 2020-21 season.
Looking to jumpstart his NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks, Sam Merrill is eager to make his introduction into the league.
While the tag of ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ will follow Merrill after being the 60th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, he may very well be relevant to the Bucks moving forward after signing a two-year, $1.4 million deal that is partially guaranteed next season.
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Being one of two rookies on this year’s Bucks roster, with the other being Jordan Nwora, Merrill faces quite the challenge of trying to break through and earn meaningful minutes under head coach Mike Budenholzer.
And as he talked about during his first appearance during the Bucks’ Media Week, Merrill brings a dose of experience and maturity that he’s hoping may lead to him seeing the floor throughout his rookie season:
"“Definitely and that’s something that I tried to portray to teams during the pre-draft process. I know I’m older, so there are question marks with drafting an older guy, I get that. But with my life experiences, going on an LDS mission, playing four years at Utah State, playing under two different coaching staffs, I do feel ready. There are certain parts of the NBA that no one is ready for and I understand that. With everything going so quick and the necessity to be able to adjust quickly and learn on the fly, I feel like that will be stuff that I will be able to do. With my experience and my maturity, I can hopefully be in a position where I can contribute right away.”"
With a skill set that may warrant minutes on the court, Merrill may be one to watch as the season progresses. Now let’s break the the three biggest ways Sam Merrill can break through into the Milwaukee Bucks’ rotation this 2020-21 season.
Goal no.1 – Bring lights out shooting
By far the biggest boost that Merrill can bring to the Bucks immediately is his lethal 3-point shooting.
His pedigree speaks for itself over his time at Utah State where he finished as a 42 percent 3-point shooter in college. By the way, that came on 759 attempts, which reinforces his high-volume marksmanship.
As clear as Merrill’s shooting abilities are, the fact that he can make opposing defenses pay in so many different ways by hitting shots has certainly been a calling card that helped him reach the NBA. Whether it’s being able to pull up off of the dribble, hit shots off the catch or run off screens to find slivers of space, Merrill is so proficient in all ways, all of which can be unleashed in the Bucks’ system under head coach Mike Budenholzer.
Should all Bucks fans immediately expect Merrill to bring the ridiculous 3-point efficiency he showed in college to the pros? After not having played organized basketball in over nine months, that may be a little overzealous and that goes on top of the adjustment period he’ll face going against NBA-caliber players.
Still, Merrill’s prolific shooting is legitimate and if other areas of his game can hold up in the NBA, he will bring the shooting punch the Bucks need to bolster their offensive attack.