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Milwaukee Bucks: 5 reasons D.J. Wilson was a bad pick

By Josh Cornelissen

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 12: D.J. Wilson
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 12: D.J. Wilson /
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MILWAUKEE, WI – JUNE 26: D.J. Wilson, the 17th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, is introduced by Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Jason Kidd and General Manager Jon Horst at a press conference on June 26, 2017 at the Milwaukee Bucks Schlitz Park Offices in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI – JUNE 26: D.J. Wilson, the 17th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, is introduced by Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Jason Kidd and General Manager Jon Horst at a press conference on June 26, 2017 at the Milwaukee Bucks Schlitz Park Offices in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) /

4. Skill-set doesn’t equal production

Head coach Jason Kidd has a player type he goes after: long and athletic with defensive upside and offensive room to grow. With general manager Jon Horst taking over the front office, it seems that he will continue the trend as he made the call to take D.J. Wilson in the first round.

Wilson fits the archetype on paper, with plenty of length and a season of highlight blocks to his name. The problem is that Wilson played in a very different system at Michigan, and the success he found both may not be translatable and may be out of reach. One season of above average play does not guarantee more growth.

Drafting a player with a certain skill-set does not always work out smoothly, either. Rashad Vaughn fits the Milwaukee mold perfectly on paper, with his combination of length, shooting and ball-handling. The problem is that when Vaughn hits the court it becomes apparent he doesn’t have the efficiency to be relied upon as a shooter nor the defensive acumen to hang with other professionals. Right skill-set, poor production.

Matthew Dellavedova fit the bill to a T in free agency last season. By signing the Australian point guard to an extended contract, the Bucks added a player who can guard 1s and 2s and knock down an outside shot. But the academic fact is that while he does both of those fairly well, he does neither at an elite level outside of the warm ecosystem of a LeBron James team, and doesn’t bring enough else to the table to be a reliable starter.

Whether D.J. Wilson grows into his bio on paper is yet to be seen. But for a player with so little high-level film, any signs that a player isn’t fully the player he is expected to be is troubling.

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