Most teams are lucky to have one draft steal on their roster. The Milwaukee Bucks might have three. In the NBA's annual General Manager survey, Brayden Burries, Nate Ament, and Kasparas Jakucionis all made appearances under the 'Which rookie was the biggest steal at where he was selected in the Draft' section. That speaks volumes about their potential.
Bucks' young trio is the future
Jakucionis won last year's vote when he was a member of the Miami Heat. The 20th overall selection, the guard looked like a steal. This year, Burries, picked 10th by the Bucks, was the runaway winner in the poll, receiving 30 percent of the vote, and rightfully so. Ament didn't get as much love for being picked 13th, landing in the 'Also receiving votes' section. Still, even being on the list is impressive.
No other team had two players make the list. The Milwaukee Bucks having three is very eye-opening. Now, as they look to reset and reestablish a culture post-Giannis Antetokounmpo, these three should be essential cogs in the machine. Developing them and seeing if they can be franchise players must be Taylor Jenkins' primary task as the new coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.
All three players have the tools to succeed. The question is how soon they will be put to use.
Burries, in particular, looks stellar
Jakucionis and Ament have absolutely shown glimpses, but that's largely all they've been. The two have potential, but they are far from polished. Burries hasn't been perfect, but the flashes he's put on display before even playing a regular season game for the Milwaukee Bucks have been dreamy. The Jrue Holiday comparisons alone should have the fanbase eager to see him play from day one.
There's a reason he totaled 30 percent of the votes in this poll while the next closest player had 10. The Milwaukee Bucks were likely jumping for joy when the Dallas Mavericks selected Morez Johnson Jr. ninth, officially leaving Burries up for grabs this past draft. If Burries keeps rising on his current trajectory, opposing general managers will keep asking, "How did that guy fall to 10?"
If Jakucionis and Ament also find themselves while Burries develops rapidly, the Bucks will be set up nicely sooner than many people may think. With a player-development savant in Taylor Jenkins at the coaching helm, all three players are in a great spot.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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