With all of their centers likely to hit free agency this offseason, the Milwaukee Bucks could very well be hunting for their big man (or two) of the future. The latest 2025 mock draft from Tankathon sees them address this by selecting Rocco Zikarsky 47th overall. While the towering center has plenty of potential, his style of play doesn't fit what the Milwaukee Bucks need at this time.
Bucks need athletic, quick-footed bigs
At 7-foot-3, Zikarsky is a formidable force at the hoop for opposing drivers. With his size and length serving as a major roadblock, it's hard to get around him inside. There's no denying his excellence at the rim, but just like with Brook Lopez, problems arise as soon as opposing offenses do their part to lure him out to the perimeter, where his size makes him exploitable by faster players.
Lopez's inability to stick with his matchup on the perimeter was why he got benched in the playoffs, so it would be puzzling to see the team try again with another big man of a similar mold, even if that comes in the form of a much younger player. This team needs mobile, athletic centers who can hold their own when they are forced to guard in space.
It also doesn't help that the big man has virtually no perimeter shot, doing all of his damage right at the hoop. The Bucks have tried to pair shooting big men next to Giannis Antetokounmpo to generate more room offensively, so this could be a clunky fit, especially with his lack of athletic ability - the duo of Giannis and the jumper-less Jericho Sims worked because they were both freak athletes.
Drafting an 18-year-old would also be a puzzling move. The Bucks need players who can help them win now, and a prospect as raw as Zikarsky does not exactly fit the mold. This class is full of players with four or five years of college experience who could be available in Milwaukee's range, which would make the selection of Zikarsky all the more puzzling.
In all fairness, finding an athletic big man who can also shoot the long ball will be far easier said than done for Milwaukee, though they may benefit from taking a closer look at Tyler Smith, who is already on the payroll. While Rocco Zikarsky could very well be a great player, he'd be better suited to land on a team that doesn't need athleticism as desperately as the Milwaukee Bucks do.
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