The Milwaukee Bucks do not have a lottery pick this year, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t affected by the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery. What are the implications from Tuesday night’s event?
The Milwaukee Bucks have followed a pattern over the past half-decade. They put together a run that propels them into the bottom half of the Eastern Conference playoffs, and therefore outside of the lottery. Then the next season, they fall back to earth and find themselves once more in the lottery.
Next season, Milwaukee hopes to buck the trend and find staying power in the playoff picture. They are well set up to do so, with a budding superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo and strong supporting talent. Center Thon Maker could turn into another star right alongside him, and when healthy, Jabari Parker is one of the league’s best scoring power forwards already.
This offseason will be important for the Bucks to make smart moves. Last time they made it into the playoffs they traded away key pieces in order to sign Greg Monroe. While “Moose” has been a solid contributor for the team, specifically this season, overall the Bucks’ 2015 offseason has to be deemed a disappointment.
General manager John Hammond does not want a repeat, but rather wishes to build on the momentum of the 2016 offseason, when he drafted Maker, Rookie of the Year candidate Malcolm Brogdon, and traded for Michael Beasley and Tony Snell. Those moves propelled the Bucks past significant injuries into the postseason and a tight series with the Toronto Raptors.
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As the 2017 NBA Draft draws nearer, the picture ahead of Milwaukee grew clearer after Tuesday night’s draft lottery. The order of teams picking before the Bucks is set, giving Hammond and his team as much clarity as possible. While the players available are still an unknown, the more information the better.
The lottery had significant implications for teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, but there are less powerful shockwaves reaching the Milwaukee Bucks in the aftermath. What are these implications, and why did the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery matter for the Bucks?