The Milwaukee Bucks stayed put with their second-round pick, and stayed at home with their selection, grabbing senior power forward Jon Leuer of Wisconsin. Leuer is a smooth-shooting big man, measuring out at 6'11.5" in shoes with a 7-foot wingspan. As is typical of Wisconsin prospects, Leuer is a four-year player and turned 22 about a month ago.
Leuer was one of the most productive big men in college basketball last year, ranking 12th nationally in PER (29.7) and fifth in offensive rating (116.1). His production speaks for itself, but he also graded out well at the combine, showing off unexpected athleticism. Leuer's primary selling-point is obviously his shooting stroke, having made 37% of his threes last season (a number that was actually dragged down by a late-season slump), but he also possesses above-average ball-handling skills for a PF.
Leuer worked out for 17 teams this summer, and also worked out with the 10-man Select Team that practiced against the USA National Team from 2010's FIBA World Championships.
Leuer joins a crowded mix of forwards on the Bucks' roster, and there are concerns that his skillset simply emulates players already on the team. He's shockingly similar to Ersan Ilyasova, although conceivably a better shooter. Leuer has a few advantages, including being an excellent FT shooter (84.3%) and avoiding turnovers (.11 TOs/possession).
If I may, as someone who has watched Jon Leuer for four years at Wisconsin, provide some unofficial scouting, this is a guy to be excited about. The biggest knocks on Leuer are typically his below-average rebounding and lack of strength, but it is worth nothing that Wisconsin's sloth-like pace depresses the rebounding of most every player in their system, and the swing offense in place often takes bigs out from under the basket and emphasizes rebounding from the guards. There is little doubt Leuer will need to get stronger, weighing in at only 225 pounds at the NBA combine. He also isn't an exceptional shot-blocker despite his size. Still, this is a player that has consistently exceeded expectations, and should have a good shot of making the roster.