NBA Draft Preview: No. 8 Milwaukee Bucks
NBA June 17th. 2008, 2:00pm
Each weekday for the next two weeks, we’ll be counting down the NBA Draft lottery teams leading up to the June 26th draft. It would be a fool’s errand to project what each team will do; tryouts vary by day and if anything, that’s an exercise in futility we’ll post at 5 p.m. on draft day. Instead, what you’ll be reading is what we would do if we were running each team.
Milwaukee probably had the strongest starting lineup in the East among non-playoff teams. Redd’s one of the best shooters in the league, but defensively, they reminded us of a line from Damon Wayans in the Last Boyscout: “You couldn’t protect a cup of warm piss.” The Bucks tied with Memphis both let opponents shoot 48 percent last season – worst in the league. Perhaps this is because the Bucks’ frontline is so young: Bogut and Charlie V are 23, and Yi is 20. The Bucks gave up over 100 points in each of their final 13 games, including an embarrassing 151 to the punchless Bulls in the second-to-last game of the season.
The Bucks have invested heavily in PG Mo Williams, and Redd is their best player, so drafting a guard appears highly unlikely. This leaves either of the three forward positions, even though two of the three – Yi and Bogut – were recently selected 5th and 1st overall in the draft. Chad Ford – we keep mentioning the guy because he’s the only one who continually updates his mock drafts – must have been drunk when he surmised they’d grab Danilo the Italiano, but that’s absurd and Ford surely will change it next time around. The Bucks just grabbed a thin and promising foreigner who plays forward last year (Yi), so why would they take another one at his exact same position? The Journal-Sentinel seemed to rave about LSU stringbean Anthony Randolph, but we’ve got him dropping a bit to New Jersey.
Our guy would be Texas A&M 7-footer DeAndre Jordan. Now automatically you’re going to ask whether or not he’d supplant Bogut in the post, and the answer’s no. But why couldn’t they play at the same time in a year or two when Jordan finishes growing and develops an offensive move?
8. Milwaukee – DeAndre Jordan, Texas A&M
9. Charlotte – Kevin Love, UCLA
10. New Jersey – Anthony Randolph, LSU
11. Indiana – Roy Hibbert, Georgetown
12. Sacramento – JaVale McGee, Nevada
13. Portland – Joe Alexander, West Virginia
14. Golden State – Darrell Arthur, Kansas
33 Responses to “NBA Draft Preview: No. 8 Milwaukee Bucks”
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June 17th, 2008 at 2:05 PM
Wow.
LeBatard > NBA Draft ?
June 17th, 2008 at 2:06 PM
Donta Green?
June 17th, 2008 at 2:14 PM
the bucks are probably the most hopeless franchise in the league, aside from the grizzlies, but they don’t really count.
if i was the GM, i’d take the best point guard available. probably russell westbrook. i don’t know. i haven’t looked at any mock drafts and your decision to go backwards confounds me more than astrophysics.
then i would go small with westbrook/mo/redd/yi/bogut. charlie is a fun player to watch, but he’s not really a starter in my mind. it’s not like these teams have to guard shaq anymore. there are only a handful of good post players (offensively at least) in the league anymore and bogut should be able to them.
June 17th, 2008 at 2:16 PM
Brook Lopez
June 17th, 2008 at 2:18 PM
I read something the other day about how they’re trying to move a shooting guard…dunno where now, though.
June 17th, 2008 at 2:19 PM
@ TBL, What’s so bad about Danilo at this spot? too late or to early?
June 17th, 2008 at 2:21 PM
thank you August. that is the guy i was thinking of but couldnt think of his name. The Bucks do like picking players from overseas so i could agree on that
June 17th, 2008 at 2:22 PM
Owl X freaks me out…
June 17th, 2008 at 2:27 PM
It would be a fool’s errand to project what each team will do;
you did the NFL. Let some commenters draft the other teams
June 17th, 2008 at 2:28 PM
may I introduce you to LA Clippers, a team that has never surpassed mediocrity. An annual participant in the draft lottery, 7 playoff appearances in almost 40 years of existence(going back to being the buffalo braves). The Bucks, though very long ago, have won championships.
June 17th, 2008 at 2:32 PM
i could see the stupid bucks taking Joe Alexander. word is the FO loves him. I’d love to see Eric Gordon fall to the Bucks at 8. won’t happen though.
June 17th, 2008 at 2:50 PM
if eric gordon was there, i would immediately draft him and offer mo williams and charlie v to the magic for hedo. or offer that and two #1’s for carmelo. someone would be willing to take on those two bastards. FUCK drafting for position. it’s the NBA, not the NFL.
June 17th, 2008 at 2:52 PM
I would say whoever Memphis leaves, Lopez or Love. DeAndre Jordan has Patrick O’Bryant written all over him. Huge bust waiting to happen.
8ppg and 6ppg? Lottery pick? Absolutely.
Absoltuely ridiculous.
Why would a team with a solid lineup draft a project? Why not draft someone who will immediately push them over the top?
TBL would make one terrible GM.
June 17th, 2008 at 2:56 PM
In related news, I thought Budinger pulling out was surprising to say the least.
June 17th, 2008 at 2:56 PM
i’m gonna print this “mock draft” tonight and puke on it. deandre jordan wasn’t even the best post player on texas a&m. i smell a rashard lewis-like fall for this guy at the draft. and career earnings that are 10% of what lewis has made.
June 17th, 2008 at 2:58 PM
alright Rumeal. Thats two Orlando Magic references. whats the beef
What makes you think Hedo is leaving Orlando?
June 17th, 2008 at 3:00 PM
NSR- i wasnt shocked to hear that about Buddinger. I was more shocked to here about Ty Lawson and those 3 UNC guys ging back. UNC will be loaded next year
June 17th, 2008 at 3:04 PM
i don’t think hedo is necessarily leaving orlando, i just think orlando really needs a point guard. i thought they had some interest in mo williams as a free agent before they signed rashard. i think that deal works for both teams. obviously, orlando would probably rather keep hedo for his price than rashard, but i doubt anyone would want to take on rashard’s contract. just a suggestion.
and i only referenced rashard because of him in the green room when he was drafted. they usually only invite lottery guys, and he fell all the way to like 34 didn’t he?
June 17th, 2008 at 3:04 PM
yeah TBL, we going to get anything on UNC’s stacked team next year. All three dropping out to come back, similar to Florida, except Hans did it first and they all backed out at the last minute. Still, they didn’t really lose anyone.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:10 PM
@rumeal- third pick of the second round. He came right outta high school though. I have been submitting trade ideas to the Orlando Sentinel every week because they have been sending emails to Otis Smith.
Jameer Nelson won me over in the playoffs. could he of played better? of course. He played horrible during the regular season as well, imo.
But he is the Magic PG of the future.
All Orlando needs is a SG and that is it. Dwight is going to improve every year and that should be scary for other teams.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:14 PM
@ irish – Those UNC guys must have gotten more money to stay and play for Roy.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:15 PM
I’ll give you Lawson, I thought he should have stayed thinking he would be the next PG off the board after Augustin. The other two were right to go back.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:20 PM
@stalkingEA- Maybe Roy talked to them about what happened to his UNC title team who went into the draft. McCants? Felton? May? all should of stayed longer
June 17th, 2008 at 3:26 PM
@Spary-Why do eye freak you out?
June 17th, 2008 at 3:28 PM
what would a SG do for orlando that hedo and rashard can’t? they are both efficient scorers, can shoot from the outside, can slash. they need a point guard who can run the pick and roll with dwight, but someone who is a better shooter than jameer. right now, you just go underneath the pick and not let jameer get by you. he can’t beat you with a jumper.
how could you stop the pick and roll if they had monta ellis, leandro barbosa, or even daniel gibson? you couldn’t. if they can keep this unit in tact, a PG is infinitely more important than a SG.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:33 PM
the most hopeless franchise in the league, aside from the grizzlies, but they don’t really count.
screw you too Rumeal
June 17th, 2008 at 3:39 PM
@Rumeal- Keith Bogans, JJ Redick and Mo Evans are SG’s. Evans i believe is gone and JJ wants to be traded. So that would leave just Bogans. SVG doesnt like Reddick at all. Someone out there will take Redick off Orlandos hands. Orlando is talking about drafting that SG from Western Kentucky, Courtney Lee. I saw him play in the NCAA’s this march in Tampa. Kid is a shooter, but it would be better to have someone who can come right in and step up.
and that is why we need to trade for a veteran(monta ellis)
June 17th, 2008 at 3:41 PM
well they don’t count right now. they are having ownership issues, their GM is fucking chris wallace (sounds funny both ways you read it), 95% of basketball fans can’t name another player other than rudy gay and mike miller…it’s just a wasteland right now. and top of that, even michael oher thinks the city of memphis sucks.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:45 PM
monta ellis would be awesome, but how would you get him without giving up one of your big three? redick is not very valuable considering orlando hasn’t used him in two years. your draft picks aren’t worth much since you are in the 50-win range for a while.
plus monta is due for a big payday. i don’t think you could afford him, dwight (up for an extension after next year right?), rashard, and hedo. i hope to god, for your sake, you don’t have to go to battle with freaking jameer nelson and keith bogans next year.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:49 PM
redick is not very valuable considering orlando hasn’t used him in two years.
true
your draft picks aren’t worth much since you are in the 50-win range for a while.
very true
Im hoping for the Monta Ellis trade. Dwight already did the extension.
There is all this talk about Tony fucking Battie coming back from injury and playing the 4 spot. that will put Rashard at the 3 and Hedo at the 2. I dont know how that will work considering Battie is a fucking bum. I really am hoping for Otis Smith to make something happen.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:07 PM
@ Rumenal: Mike Conely and Darko are pretty well known, and I didn’t know Michael Oher was the arbiter of city coolness.
Yeah the team sucks right now, but there’s no need to act like a twat about it and call it a wasteland… Rudy is getting more beastly by the day.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:06 AM
In the nets post the other day, there was a link to him saying he wanted to play in NY, NJ, and nowhere else.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:07 AM
indulge me – who can be drafted at 8 that will put them over the edge?