The Milwaukee Bucks used the 47th pick of the draft on a young and unknown prospect, Boboljub Marković. Fans are wondering why a team making moves to try and win now would take a chance on another project instead of someone who could influence wins and losses right out of the gate? Unfortunately, this is becoming a bit of a pattern for the Bucks, dating back to last year's selection.
Drafting project players hasn't gone well for the Bucks recently
The Bucks took a swing on a young point guard in last year's draft in AJ Johnson. At the time of the pick, the fanbase wasn't happy. Johnson was widely viewed as a player multiple years away from actually contributing. This wasn't something fans wanted to hear with a team in win-now mode with players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard on the roster.
However, Johnson showed real promise in his limited minutes for the Bucks, and many of the fans who had questioned the pick began to see his potential (despite not actively contributing on a nightly basis). Unfortunately, Johnson was then used as a sweetener in the deal involving Khris Middleton for Kyle Kuzma at the trade deadline last season, ending his very short and uneventful Bucks tenure.
Just like Johnson, Marković has real potential. He has a valuable skill set (shooting) with an unteachable characteristic (size). The 6-foot-11 forward shot the ball well last season for Mega Basket in Serbia, going 54 percent from the field and 37 percent from three on just shy of three attempts per game. He also excelled in his play-making ability, something you don't typically see from a player of his stature.
There is concern that Marković won't be athletic enough to play at the NBA level. He is also skinny, weighing in at just 210 pounds. On top of that, there have been rumors that Marković could be stashed back in Serbia for another season while he continues to improve and bulk up (despite Marković saying he would prefer to stay with the team). That's news that many fans will scoff at, given the glaring deficiencies throughout the roster.
For a franchise that has very little future draft capital, a superstar in his prime, and pressure to build a winning team sooner rather than later, gambling on a player that is likely multiple seasons away feels like a step in the wrong direction. It looks like the front office hasn't learned its lesson from the past. We can only hope that luck is on our side this time around.