Milwaukee Bucks mock draft roundup: Post-draft lottery edition

Kevin O’Connor, The Ringer: Kennedy Chandler, G, Tennessee

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor went in a similar route to Vecenie in terms of a freshman guard but a very different mold of player in Kennedy Chandler (6’0″, 6’5″ wingspan, 172 pounds).

On the surface, Chandler may look like a very good shooter from deep like Smith as he shot over 38 percent on nearly four 3-point attempts in 34 games this season. However, that dipped to just under 36 percent in 17 conference games and he was also only a 55.4 percent free-throw shooter in conference play (60.6 percent in all games) which brings into question how good of a perimeter shooter he’ll be.

Chandler, though, is a great playmaker and a very good ball-handler. One of the other issues I’ve mentioned in regards to the Bucks is they don’t have a long-term future with their backup guards. George Hill is old, Jevon Carter is a free agent, and Luca Vildoza is a complete unknown. Chandler would come in and immediately be one of the team’s best ball-handlers and playmakers.

O’Connor similarly compares him to Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers, Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers, or Jameer Nelson of the Orlando Magic.

He’s undersized, quick, and can also play off-ball which is a requirement for anyone playing alongside Antetokounmpo, Holiday, and Khris Middleton. Chandler has shown to be a good slasher and adept at making off-ball cuts.

The other concern is that because he’s undersized, he may get hunted on defense but he was a pesky college defender and could grow into his frame.

I wouldn’t be as excited about this pick as I would for someone like Smith because of the concern that the shooting might not be real and his size, but a young guard that can handle the ball would certainly be a decent option as well.