Milwaukee Bucks And The Eastern Conference Playoff Draft
Round Two:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Kemba Walker, PG – Walker is another player with sparse playoff experience, but the Hornets did take the Heat to seven games last year.
In a well-deserved All-Star year, Walker has been tremendous all season, adding a consistent three-point shot to his arsenal of layups and floaters.
Walker gives the Cavaliers something similar to Kyrie Irving’s contributions while adding in durability and a somewhat better defensive portfolio.
2. Boston Celtics: Paul Millsap, F – Pairing Millsap and Butler gives the Celtics a fearsome defensive core, able to guard any position with strength and intelligence.
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Millsap is likewise a strong offensive piece without demanding high usage, a boon to team-building in such a setting (and with a ball-dominant wing in Butler). This exercise of course is assuming Millsap is fully healthy and if so, he is a strong pick in the second round.
3. Toronto Raptors: DeMar DeRozan, G – Having passed on Lowry in the first-round to take an elite wing, the Raptors get one of their own in DeRozan to pair with George.
While DeRozan is no defensive ace, he has shown over the last few weeks he can fit well into a strong defensive scheme and not spring a leak. Offensively he is in the midst of a phenomenal year, and would provide head coach Dwane Casey a familiar option for offensive sets.
4. Washington Wizards: Al Horford, F/C – This is a pairing that almost occurred this offseason, when Horford chose the Boston Celtics over the Wizards during free agency (can you imagine the strength of this Washington team with Al Horford instead of Ian Mahinmi and Andrew Nicholson?).
Horford can stretch the floor around a Wall-center pick-and-roll, or play the pivot and both roll to the rim and pop out for mid-range shots. He can play the role of both Marcin Gortat and Markieff Morris on this team.
5. Milwaukee Bucks: Kevin Love, F/C – Overshadowed in Cleveland by the presence of James and Irving, it was not long ago that Love was showing up on MVP ballots. He is a dynamic offensive player who has shown he can fill a role when needed, but has shined when running the show.
He would give the Bucks an offensive hub to build around such as their don’t have — or at least haven’t since Jabari Parker went down.
6. Atlanta Hawks: Dwyane Wade, G – The Hawks complete their starting backcourt with one of the players helped most by this playoff-only exercise.
Wade showed last season he is still a postseason Hercules, seemingly defeating the Charlotte Hornets single-handed to advance Miami to the second round.
Thomas can thrive on-and-off the ball, and running IT off of screens with Wade holding the ball is just one of the plays that will make opposing defense stretch towards their limit.
7. Chicago Bulls: Bradley Beal, G – Fred Hoiberg has been hamstrung in Chicago by a lack of personnel that fit his system, the pace-and-space offense that propelled his Iowa State teams to contention. For one postseason at least, Hoiberg can finally have a roster that works.
Beal and Irving are a shooting combination akin to the Splash Brothers, and offensively could break the system. While neither are an elite defender, the Bulls may score too many points for that to matter.
8. Miami Heat: Carmelo Anthony, F – For all of the media noise and Knicks drama, Anthony remains a steadily consistent player not far removed from All-NBA excellence.
Not only is Miami a realistic place for Anthony to consider as his next NBA home, it’s a perfect fit in the playoff-only draft. The Heat are no stranger to star power, and Anthony would make a solid complement to Lowry’s shooting.