Milwaukee Bucks Draft Grades
With the 17th pick of the NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks select…
D.J. Wilson/Power Forward/University of Ichigan (I’m an Ohio State fan, we don’t use that letter)
Grade: B+
Stats: 11.0 points / 5.3 rebounds / 1.5 blocks / 53.8 field goal percentage
Analysis:
Despite the departure of General Manager John Hammond, the Bucks stuck with tradition and selected a long, athletic prospect in D.J. Wilson. Wilson is 6'10" with a 7'3" wingspan and over a 9'0" standing reach. Wilson was a late bloomer, and he’s still catching up to his most recent growth spurt.
Fit:
Wilson, at least at the very start, figures to be the defensive ying to Jabari Parker’s offensive yang at the four. He’s long and agile, can closeout on the perimeter and protected the rim to the tune of 2.2 blocks per 40 minutes in college. Due to his late growth spurt, Wilson spent a majority of his formative years playing along the wings, and should be able to guard four positions in time in the NBA.
Wilson is no slouch on the offensive end, although he’ll need time to really fine tune his skills. He’s a stretch four with a nice jumper and a quick trigger. Wilson converted on nearly 38 percent of his 3.4 3-point attempts per game. He was also an elite finisher at the rim, converting at 73 percent of his attempts at the rim. He’s already an above average cutter off the ball, and his movement on the offensive end can help apply pressure on the opposing team. In addition, he already has a nice repertoire of offensive moves.
Wilson’s biggest area of improvement will have to be on the boards and general toughness (which hopefully come as he adds muscle to his frame). He struggles against bigger opponents, which may hinder him when he starts his career in Milwaukee. He shies away from contact and as a result he almost never gets to the free throw line.
With their ceiling as floor stretching rim protectors, the combination of Thon Maker and D.J. Wilson will be giving NBA teams fits sooner rather than later. Milwaukee has done a fantastic job at having a plan when it comes to the draft in recent years and sticking to it: length, athleticism, and defensive upside.
Milwaukee has a recent track record of bringing their prospects along rather slowly at first. Wilson, like Maker and Giannis, needs to add muscle to his lengthy frame, which is something the Bucks staff aren’t strangers to.
The Bucks may be forced to bring Wilson along a little quicker than is normal with Jabari Parker still on the mend from his most recent knee injury. Regardless of how much playing time Wilson gets early on, this is a typical Bucks pick and a great fit for what is becoming one of the better, more intriguing, young teams in the NBA.
Fear the Deer.
