Ranking young Milwaukee Bucks players based on potential after NBA Draft

No. 3: Tyler Smith

Tyler Smith was pick 33 in last week's 2024 NBA Draft and comes to the Milwaukee Bucks from the G-League Ignite. Smith talked about it multiple times during his introductory press conference with the Bucks that he feels that playing for the Ignite and going against NBA two-way players and rookies from last year gives him a leg up competition-wise compared to if he had gone to college.

Smith comes in as an immediate pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop-ready player who will also be a lob threat around the rim. Smith shot 36.4 percent from the 3-point line in 22 minutes per game for the Ignite and is a fairly reliable free throw shooter at 72.6 percent.

This writer believes Tyler Smith has the potential to be a 3-level scorer, similar to what Bobby Portis gives the Bucks. That's a role Smith could seamlessly step into in the future.

What puts Smith in the top three of this list is not only his potential to be like Bobby Portis offensively but his length. At 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan plus a 38-inch vertical combined with crazy athleticism, Smith holds the ability to become a formidable shot blocker in the future.

It will take a little time to help Tyler Smith understand the NBA game as far as Xs and Os are concerned, but Brook Lopez has that defensive IQ, and if he can pass it down to Smith, he could become a steal in the second round for the Milwaukee Bucks.