Milwaukee Bucks draft pick Bogoljub Markovic was a surprise selection to many, but Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor is a big fan, as he gave the move an A+ grade.
"Marković was a first-rounder on my personal big board, so I consider him a steal at this point of the draft."
It felt like the Bucks were heading towards picking an experienced college guard with the plethora they had on their pre-draft workout list, but in the end, they took the 19-year-old Serbian with the 47th pick. Markovic will be in action during Summer League, where he will hope to impress the coaching staff enough to earn a spot on the NBA roster.
Markovic just one of five second-round picks to receive an A+ grade
Markovic being a first-rounder in his eyes was the main reason O'Connor felt the draft pick was worthy of an A+, but he also mentioned that whatever happens with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Markovic has a high upside as a stretch four with good passing and post-scoring skills.
The 6-foot-11 forward has a smooth jumper, hitting 41 percent of his shots from deep, 77 percent from the free throw line, and 60 percent around the rim for Mega Basket in the Adriatic League. There have been reports of him potentially being stashed overseas for another year, and the moves of adding Myles Turner, re-signing Bobby Portis, and keeping Jericho Sims will certainly make it tough for Markovic to earn a spot right away.
A key area the Serbian needs to work on is his defense and adding muscle. He weighs just under 190 lbs, which at the NBA level will see him bullied by bigger forwards. We saw Giannis change completely early on, and Markovic will have to undergo something similar. He is similar to Brook Lopez in some regards; he has good defensive tools, but his lack of athleticism and footwork hinders him.
During Summer League, it will be intriguing to see the position battle between Markovic and sophomore Tyler Smith, with both considering themselves as stretch fours. That will really show if playing senior basketball in Europe has him prepared for the NBA, or if stashing him for another year is the way to go. O'Connor leaned towards the latter.
There is a lot to like about Markovic, with an extremely high ceiling and his modern skill set being something the Milwaukee Bucks need. We will get a feel for where he is over the coming days with him competing in Summer League.
O'Connor believes in him and thinks he is a real hidden gem of the class. The Bucks need to do something they haven't done in a long time, and that is squeeze every bit of talent out of a draft pick.