Hoops Habit
Fansided

Milwaukee Bucks: 2018 NBA Draft grades

By Josh Cornelissen

Photo by Mohammed Elshamy/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Photo by Mohammed Elshamy/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Milwaukee Bucks went into the 2018 NBA draft with a first round pick and the need to get a real contributor. What grade did they earn for their night?

The Milwaukee Bucks have swung for the fences in recent drafts, taking relatively raw prospects in the first round looking to hit another home run. Unfortunately, Giannis Antetokounmpo is a once-in-a-generation find in the middle of the first round, and Milwaukee has largely struck out with its last few first round picks.

This year, Milwaukee wasn’t even assured of having a pick, as the Phoenix Suns owned the rights to the Bucks’ protected first round pick as a part of the Eric Bledsoe trade. It came down to a coin flip to see whether Milwaukee would get to choose; in losing the coin flip, they kept their pick and pushed their obligation down the road.

That was a boon, allowing the Bucks to add a player to their young, secondary core as they seek to put a true contender around Antetokounmpo. This team expects to be picking much later in the first round next year.

Armed with the No. 17 selection, Milwaukee took a somewhat different aproach than previous years, taking a player in the first round who can help right away. In drafting Donte DiVincenzo 17th overall, the Bucks found a player who can help now and who has upside to grow into something more.

Donte DiVincenzo became a household name during Villanova’s run to the title, specifically bursting onto the scene in a NCAA championship game where he came off the bench to drop 31 points on the Michigan Wolverines, claiming the title and MVP of the Final Four.

That is not to say that DiVincenzo was unknown to those who were paying attention. The redshirt sophomore was the sixth man for the title favorites all season long, and dropped 30 points on Butler earlier in the season. Mike Randle of the Screen-the-Screener podcast was talking about DiVincenzo as the next coming of Klay Thompson well before his tournament heroics.

More from Milwaukee Bucks

Yet before exploding on national television and claiming the attention of everyone watching, it was expected that DiVincenzo would be a sure bet to return to Villanova and compete for another title next season. Surrounded by buzz, the Michael Jordan of Delaware attended the NBA Draft Combine, where he tested very well athletically and impressed teams with his interviews.

That was all it took to propel DiVincenzo from the bench to the first round, and in fact, get a green room invite at the draft itself. When Milwaukee made the selection at 17, it was the sort of pick that was viewed reasonably, as DiVincenzo was now the type of player who should go in the late-teens of the first round.

In fact, DiVincenzo almost went one pick earlier to Phoenix at No. 16. The Suns were on the phone to give the pick to the league when the Philadelphia 76ers called in offering a trade, and instead the Suns selected Zhaire Smith on behalf of Philadelphia.

If Zhaire Smith had still been on the board, he would have been a fascinating pick for the Bucks, much more of a swing-for-the-fences selection. Smith came out of nowhere to put in a strong freshman season at Texas Tech. Once he was off the board, the Bucks zeroed in on DiVincenzo.

Milwaukee’s biggest need coming into the draft was offensive creation, and that is something DiVincenzo can provide. In fact, he may be perfect for the role he filled at Villanova, as a sixth man who can bring scoring punch off the bench without sacrificing defensively.

General manager Jon Horst laid out his plans for the pick earlier in the week, and followed through when he selected DiVincenzo Thursday night.

Fans of the Bucks were largely in favor of the pick, as there was no glaring obvious choice otherwise. His affable nature and fiery game also lends himself to being a fan favorite.

NBA Media broke out the jokes upon the pick, previewing potential calls for Jim Paschke to make next season:

Another broke down all of what DiVincenzo can bring to the Bucks, not just his on-court play:

While DiVincenzo was an exciting pick, was he the right one? That most likely goes to whether you liked another perimeter player better, as Milwaukee was right to target that area of need. There was no point guard to consider, and centers can be found for cheap in free agency.

Personally, I liked Jacob Evans or De’Anthony Melton more here, as strong defensive players with the ability to shoot. Kevin Huerter could provide a strong shooting touch with the ability to defend. But those players were more dependent talents, playing off of another strong creator.

In DiVincenzo, the Bucks get a player who can create his own shot, and outside of their stars, the Bucks did not have that last season. Those suggesting this was a reach based on one big game clearly have not done their homework. DiVincenzo was a productive player all season long for the Wildcats, ranking 35th in the nation in Box Plus/Minus and 14th in Offensive Box Plus/Minus.

I don’t think DiVincenzo was the best player available, but I understand the logic for the Bucks. He can help this season and down the line, and he’s unlikely to get anyone fired. He’s a solid, relatively safe pick.

More from Hoops Habit

For the first time in years, the Milwaukee Bucks have selected a player with a floor who they can expect to contribute (such as Malcolm Brogdon or Sterling Brown) and the upside to grow into something more. In threading the needle, the Bucks and their fans should feel good about this draft.

Yet this draft did not happen in a vacuum. Milwaukee was without its second round pick as a part of the Eric Bledsoe trade; the protections were such that if the Bucks kept their first round pick, they would send their second instead.

Valuable prospects such as Keita Bates-Diop and Shake Milton would have been available to the Bucks, and would have cost significantly less than a player like Bledsoe. While Bled was a dynamic player at times, at others he was detrimental on both ends — including in the postseason, in a seven-game loss to the Boston Celtics.

The final grade on the trade itsstill out; Bledsoe is under contract for another season, and the future first round pick is yet to be conveyed. With the jury still out, the loss of a second round pick is a relatively minor price.

In total, Milwaukee did just fine with its pick. If a player such as Michael Porter Jr. or Zhaire Smith dropped to No. 17, then the Bucks could have added a player with even higher upside, but DiVincenzo has plenty of that still. If he hits, they have a long-term backcourt option. If he doesn’t, he should still be a rotation-level player. Better options were available, but the front office took the guy they liked best.

Next: Complete 2018 NBA Draft grades for all 30 teams

Grade: B

Home/Milwaukee Bucks