Milwaukee Bucks: 3 candidates for a breakout season in 2019-20
By Jordan Foote
3. D.J. Wilson
A first-round selection by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2017, D.J. Wilson struggled to get on the floor his rookie season. Averaging 3.2 minutes a night in 22 games, it was a season to forget. Heading into year two, the University of Michigan product was under immense pressure to improve, and improve, he did.
Seeing his minutes per game average skyrocket to 18.2 in 48 contests, Wilson scored 5.8 points per game. While those points came with a concerning 41.4 field goal percentage, Wilson was effective from behind the arc. Connecting on 36.2 percent of his 3-point attempts in 2018-19, the big man’s ability to stretch the floor may be his saving grace on offense.
Where Wilson earns his paycheck is on the defensive end. Standing at 6’10” and weighing in at 231 pounds, he can guard both power forwards and centers. Familiar with spending time on the perimeter, he’s also able to keep up with most wings and even some guards in pick-and-roll situations.
Stuck behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and potentially Ersan Ilyasova on Milwaukee’s depth chart, the path to significant playing time isn’t exactly clear for Wilson. With that said, his defensive potential and room for improvement on the offensive end may be enough for him to play a full season in 2019. If that happens, the 23-year-old could make another leap.