3 reasons why Sandro Mamukelashvili fits the Milwaukee Bucks
It took a while for the the Milwaukee Bucks to get on the clock during the 2021 NBA Draft after an early flurry of trade action, but their time eventually came late into the night.
After a draft night trade with the Indiana Pacers, the Bucks netted the 54th overall pick and selected Sandro Mamukaleshvili out of Seton Hall. Mamukaleshvili, or Mamu as he’s affectionately called, comes to Milwaukee by way of Seton Hall and having undergone a basketball journey that spans the globe and three countries.
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Now following the footsteps of his Georgian idol and former Milwaukee Bucks player Zaza Pachulia to the NBA, Mamukaleshvili will have a chance to make his mark with the Bucks and do so in very intriguing ways as we’re about to dive into now.
So without further ado, let’s dive into how Sandro Mamukaleshvili will fit with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Sandro Mamukaleshivili brings creative flair to the Milwaukee Bucks
Bucks fans are certainly used to seeing a 6’11” forward primarily handle the ball and orchestrate the team’s offense in Giannis Antetokounmpo and won’t bat an eye seeing Mamukaleshvili doing the same thing during his time at Seton Hall.
Mamukaleshvili grew into being the Pirates’ creative force offensively and thrived in such a unique and gigantic role, all of which was capped off by his senior season that saw him crowned as the Big East’s Co-Player of the Year. More encouraging is the fact that Mamukaleshvili welcome the double and triple teams that he regularly saw at Seton Hall by the end of his tenure.
Being able to handle the ball, read the floor and make all sorts of different passes in different situations suited the Georgian very well as he averaged 3.2 assists on a 28.8 usage percentage as a senior. However, it’s clear Mamukaleshvili will have to improve upon his distribution as he had a 0.97 assist-to-turnover ratio this season.
Of course, the role that Mamukaleshvili eventually assumed for Seton Hall certainly won’t be the same upon coming to Milwaukee if and when he eventually earns limited rotation minutes. Still, the unselfishness that he clearly possesses is certainly a different dimension that we’ve seen within the Bucks’ frontcourt beyond Antetokounmpo.
Now it will be on the Bucks’ coaching and development staff to hone Mamu’s passing gifts and streamline it in a more complementary role.