The Milwaukee Bucks brought in three promising rookies this past offseason, and each has shown the potential to become something special down the line.
However, they have primarily taken a backseat in the team’s current plans this season as Milwaukee remains among the most prominent contenders chasing an NBA title. With the average age of the roster being 27 years old, the Bucks are a team mostly comprised of savvy veterans.
More from Bucks News
- Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
- Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
- Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
- Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
- New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited
This predicament puts their younger players, aside from third-year guard Donte DiVincenzo, in a difficult spot as they try to get accustomed to the NBA.
Typically, the Bucks could send these younger players to Oshkosh to get playing time with the Wisconsin Herd, their G-League affiliate. The Herd has been a great place for players to develop, as they hosted the league’s MVP and MVP runner-up last season in Frank Mason III and Jaylen Adams.
However, the Herd opted out of the G-League season, and that has scattered the rookies all over the place looking for playing time. With that being said, here is how each of Milwaukee’s three rookies have fared in their individual ventures thus far.
Milwaukee Bucks rookie Mamadi Diakite continues showing untapped potential in the G League.
After going undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft, Mamadi Diakite landed a two-way deal with the Bucks.
The rookie forward from the University of Virginia has yet to log a single minute of playing time with the team. Instead, Diakite has been playing in the NBA’s G-League ‘bubble’ site in Lake Buena Vista, Florida as a member of the Lakeland Magic.
In ten appearances with the Magic, the 24-year-old has been catching some attention for his surprising efforts. In those games, Diakite has averaged 17.6 points on .575/.500/.762 shooting splits, 9.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2 blocks in 26.5 minutes per game.
Tallying more than 20 points and 10 rebounds in four of his nine appearances, the undrafted big man has shown significant upside for the Bucks. Rumors continue to swirl that they are still monitoring swingman P.J. Tucker on the trade market to bolster their frontcourt depth, but perhaps Diakite’s recent play could have the turn some heads in his direction instead.
The Bucks could certainly use another big man on the roster, and the answer could be just one call away. Although it is a small sample size, Diakite’s early outing in the G League showcases that he could turn into something special moving forward with this franchise.
Milwaukee Bucks rookie Sam Merrill is still looking for his shot in limited minutes.
Sam Merrill was selected with the 60th pick in this past draft by the Bucks, and the fit was immediately easy to comprehend. Merrill made a name for himself as a sharpshooter during his four-year stint at Utah State, and the Bucks are always in the hunt for more shooting.
Merrill did get some burn in Milwaukee’s 129-125 win over the New Orleans Pelicans Thursday night with nearly eight minutes of meaningful time. The guard chimed in just two points on 1-of-3 shooting, but his only basket was a significant one, as Merrill finished at the rim off a steal to knot the game at 103 late in the third quarter.
Yet, the 24-year-old guard has not seen much time with the team as he’s logged a total of 72 minutes this season and with very few of them coming outside of mop-up duty. Merrill has instead spent most of his playing time with the Memphis Hustle of the G League, where he has participated in five games with the team.
The guard averaged 11.2 points in that span while shooting 34.9 percent from the floor and 34.4 percent from 3-point territory. Merrill’s offense has been streaky, but he has made an impact elsewhere with 4.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. His numbers certainly are not as compelling as Diakite’s, but the potential is still there.
The Bucks drafted the guard because of his floor spacing capabilities, and once he can find some consistency with that shot of his, he will be a meaningful contributor on this roster.
Milwaukee Bucks rookie Jordan Nwora could be a viable contributor to this team when healthy.
When Jordan Nwora was still available on the draft board with the 45th overall pick, it was an easy decision for the Bucks to select him.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie ($$), Milwaukee had a first-round grade on Nwora heading into the draft and even considered selecting him with the 24th overall pick before they shipped it off as part of the Jrue Holiday trade. Things worked out in their favor regardless, and the rookie has shown potential in his limited time this year.
In 10 appearances with Milwaukee, Nwora has averaged 5.1 points on a .459/.500/.900 slash line and 1.5 rebounds in 82 total minutes. Much like Merrill, Nwora carries a sharpshooting prowess that makes him an easy fit with the Bucks, but his opportunities just have not been consistent.
The Bucks sent Nwora down to the G League bubble to get his feet wet, and it did not exactly go as planned. The 22-year-old made just one appearance with the Salt Lake City Stars before spraining his ankle. However, in that one appearance, Nwora looked fantastic by putting up 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-5 from behind the arc.
Nwora has since been recalled to the Bucks to rehab the injury, and it is unfortunate that he will miss out on seeing more time in the G League to find his footing. Hopefully, the rookie makes a speedy recovery and can try to carve out a role for himself with this team.
All three of Milwaukee’s rookies have shown substantial upside, and hopefully, the Bucks do not keep them stuck on the shelf forever if an opportunity presents itself.