The Bucks front office will not have much time to celebrate the organization's first championship in 50 years with the draft coming up on Thursday. Even with the Finals win the team can still get better and they can do it with their pick coming up in the draft. The world champs have the first pick in the second round at the 31st overall pick. In a deep draft this could be a pick, if they decide to keep it, that could help the Bucks this next season and the seasons to come.
The Bucks should be looking at a couple things with this pick.. They should look at 1. Players who can shoot, 2. Players who can create off the bounce a little, and 3. Players who are versatile defenders. Also the Bucks should go with someone who’s more likely to help sooner rather than later. With their pick you have to remember no prospect will be perfect. These couples of players could realistically be available with the Bucks pick.
Ayo Dosunmu
The combo guard out of Illinois should be fairly high on the Bucks list. At 6’5 194 with a 6’10 wingspan he has an NBA body. Ayo was a very productive college player where he averaged about 17 points and 4 assists in his career which spanned over 3 years. The 21 year old tested the water with last year's draft but decided to go back to college and work on his game. It ultimately helped him because he was at best a late second round pick and this year he is as high as early 20’s. He upped his 3pt% from 29.6% to 39% but his attempts per game were lower. He shot 36% on catch and shoot 3’s in his final year of college which is an increase from 29% from his sophomore year. He doesn’t have the best mechanics he pushes the ball almost but it’s not awful and it doesn’t take forever to get the ball in the air. He did shoot 78% from the line which is a nice indicator that he should at least be a capable 3pt shooter. I think Bud’s offense ,which encourages 3’s, could have Donsumu shoot more 3s.
The All-American has some nice finishing ability where he can be crafty or he can go into the defender and finish strong. He’s not the most explosive athlete but he uses all of his length to finish around the basket. He could be a better finisher though. He shot about 65% around the basket, which is about average. Ayo’s transition offense would be a great fit. He averaged 1.26 ppp in transition this year. His great size and motor helps him score around the rim on the break. Not only finishing but he has shown nice unselfishness in transition, which is big if you have Giannis on your team.
Dosunmu is a solid pick and roll player where he averaged .83 ppp but he did run the 12th most pnr in the NCAA. He’s a solid scorer out of the pnr where he has a nice little pull-up and finishing ability. He doesn’t have great vision but he's a solid passer and showed some lob throwing potential, which again is nice when you have Giannis.
Where Ayo could really hang his hat is on the defensive side of the ball. He allowed just .68 ppp on pnr due to his ability to get through screens and using his length to his advantage. He averaged a stea a gamel and a half a block a game. He’s a smart and hard nosed defender who likes to get after it on that end of the court.
Ayo needs to improve his handle and decision making to make him more than just another guy to come off the bench. He averaged 3.3 turnovers a game and took a lot of tough shots. Some of it was his role he was in and some of it was him needing to make better decisions. In a lesser role I think he will cut down on his turnover and tough shots but those are still needed improvement areasthe guard will have to improve on.
Overall I think he will be a solid player that can come off the bench and give you energy on the defense end and add a little bit of offense. His offense isn't the smoothest or the most aesthetic but he can score and make some passes. I hate comparisons but since he's on the Bucks I will say that he does have some similarities to Jrue Holiday. In the since that on offense he doesn’t have one great skill, he’s just solid at a lot of things and on defense he uses his size and mobility to bother ball handlers. If he’s on the board at 31 there should be a serious look at him. He doesn’t have the most upside from the players that will be there but he’s ready right now and has some ability to grow. He fits into the dog mentality that the Bucks bring to the court and fills some offensive creation the Bucks have on their bench.
Miles McBride
Another guard the Bucks should be looking at is Miles "Duece" McBride. Duece is again a hard nosed defender who can shoot and do a little off the bounce. He’s a little undersized at 6’2 200 pounds but his 6’8 wingspan makes up for his lack of height. His sophomore year at West Virginia he averaged 16 points and 5 assist a game while shooting 43% from the field and 41% from 3. He improved this year after averaging just 9 points and 2 assist a game on 40% from the field and 30% from 3.
His shooting is what makes him a late 1st, early 2nd round pick. He shot 41% from 3 and 46% on catch and shoot. He shot about 4 a game on a wide variety of off the dribble, catch and shoot, and off of screens. He has a high release and with his long arms him being able to get his shot off is notnworrying. McBride’s shooting % and free throw % projects him as atleast a plus shooter with room to be a really good NBA shooter.
Deuce’s playmaking and shot creation isn’t great. It’s not bad, he makes some tough shots but he has to take those tough shots because he can’t create great looks for himself. His role will not have him create for himself a lot though. He’s not a ball stopper, he makes good reads on passes. He doesn’t make any flashy passes, just a lot of solid passes. His 2.77 ast/to ratio is indicative of his solid playmaking. He wont manipulate the defenders but he will take what the defense gives him.
For being a 6’2 guard he is a super good help side defender. His wingspan and his athleticism ables him to defend some shots he shouldn’t be able to make. His weak side defense is really good. His size does limit him a little but he’s always in the right position, tagging the roller, and being active. His 2 steals a game and 3.1% steal rate shows his activity too. On the ball he gets after it. He’s up in the ball handlers space fighting through screens and putting in effort. I think he could be a really good defender at the NBA level despite of his size.
What he needs to improve on is his ability to get space from his defender. He can make tough shots which is a good thing but he doesn’t get a lot of separation off the bounce. He isn’t the quickest player and doesn’t have the best handle and that leads to having to settle more from mid range and not being able to get to the basket. Deuce shooting only 42 shots at the rim is indictive of not of a great first step or handle. His size is going to be a limitation for him. He really tries on D and is nice on help side but at 6’2 there’s only so much he can do some plays.
I think the Cincinnati born guard will be a nice NBA player. He would fit nicely with the Bucks. He would be a guard off the bench that isn’t Jeff Teauge and brings shooting, smart playmaking, and defense. He’s expected to be available at 31 for the Bucks. I have Duece as a first round pick so I think he would be a great get for the new Champs.
Joe Wieskamp
For as long Giannis is a Buck, putting shooters around him should always be a priority for the front office. The 6’7 wing out of Iowa could provide that next year and some years to come. Wieskamp is a knockdown shooter with a 6’10 wing span with a 42 inch vertical. He is a nice size for a wing, beautiful stroke, and a solid rebounder. He averaged 14.8 points 6.6 boards and 1.7 assist. He shot 49% from the field 46% from 3 and 68% from the line(although he shot 86% from the line the year before). Wieskamp is 21 years old and spent 3 years at Iowa. He’s looks the part of a real NBA role player.
Shooting is where 2x All-Big Ten player will make his money. He ranked in the 97th percentile in the NCAA on catch and shoot threes and 95th percentile on guarded catch and shoot threes. He’s not just a standstill shooter. He makes shots on the move. He can come off screens, handoffs, and ball screens to hit 3’s. He’s also shown a little wiggle off the bounce to hit shots shooting 33.9% on the dribble threes. He always has his feet ready on the catch no matter his movement. He has a consistent release and his mechanics look good. I don’t think his free throw % is of any concern considering his % from the stripe years before. He should come into the league as a plus shooter and could end up better one of the better shooters in the league.
Nothing else out of Wieskamp really pops that much. He’s a nice rebounding which will help him and whatever team he ends up on. He has a 42 inch vertical but that doesn’t show up too much on film. He’s a solid defender. He most likely will never be a plus NBA defender but hopefully his decent athleticism allows him to be a non liability on that end. He shows some creation ability off the bounce to get jump shots but it’s not something I would bet develops into something serious. He’s not much of a playmaker averaging only 1.7 assist but has shown some ability to pass out of the pick n roll. He’s not a great finisher either. 62.1% on shots at the rim, right about the average for college this year.
As one of the best shooting prospects in this class the Bucks should certainly give Joe Wieskamp a look at their 31st pick. He could be really nice in a Pat Connaughton role. He could come in off the bench next year and be able to make a good percentage of his 3’s. Projects as a nice 3 point shooting role player and if he can hold his own on defense could be a positive player on a good playoff team.
