The Milwaukee Bucks are projected to land the 10th pick in this year's NBA draft, matching their highest selection in the last decade. Bleacher Report's latest mock draft has them taking Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr., but with a guard-heavy distribution of top 10 prospects, any of several names could fall to the Bucks.
That includes Mikel Brown Jr., the volatile Louisville freshman. BR mocks Brown to Dallas at No. 8. Slipping to Milwaukee, however, could be a blessing in disguise. In Taylor Jenkins, the Bucks have a head coach who has already turned one rookie guard, a 20-year-old Ja Morant, into an instant sensation.
Jenkins could be the one to get Brown's game under control
Like Morant, the second pick of the 2019 draft, Brown will begin his rookie year at age 20, and likely as a lottery selection. Under Jenkins' tutelage, Morant exploded onto the scene as a dynamic scorer and passer. He secured all but one first-place vote for Rookie of the Year.Â
Brown won't enter the league with Morant's hype, but he faces similar questions. At Louisville last year, he shot only 34.4 percent from three and 41 percent overall. His assist-to-turnover ratio hovered too low for teams' liking (4.7 assists per game to 3.1 turnovers).Â
Even as Morant put on a one-man show as a Murray State sophomore, questions around his shooting and decision-making nipped at his heels entering the draft. Under Jenkins, however, he proved that his athletic gifts could compensate for mediocre shooting, with enough highlight-reel dunks and dimes to make up for occasional recklessness.
Brown's upside is waiting to be unlocked on consistent basisÂ
Brown averaged 18.2 points per game for the Cardinals before a back injury ended his season at 21 games. Still, performances like his 45-point outing against NC State flashed enough upside to keep him high on NBA scouts' radar. He'll have to improve his efficiency, but the right coach could help cut down some of the dubious heaves.Â
Jenkins' experience with Morant, who in his young prime made a living getting to the rim, could help him refine Brown's shot diet. Encouraging Brown to force the issue on drives to the basket would be one way to keep defenders honest and help him create space for shots beyond the arc. While he gets up a much higher volume of threes than Morant did, securing a higher percentage of good looks would do wonders for his night-to-night consistency.Â
The question for the Bucks is whether Brown represents a risk worth taking. Philon Jr. or Arizona guard Brayden Burries might be better selections, or at least surer bets due to a higher projected floor. If Brown falls to 10th in the draft, however, there's a good chance both the others will be gone. Arkansas's Darius Acuff Jr., a one-time appealing target, has likely surged out of range completely.
Perhaps having Jenkins at the helm would be the thing that gets the Bucks to gamble on Brown's high-end ceiling.Â
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