Milwaukee Bucks: Options At No. 36
By Phil Watson
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Artem Klimenko is a big man from Russia with intriguing athleticism, but little experience against high-level competition.
Artem Klimenko, C, Russia
Klimenko is a 7-foot-1, 228-pound, 20-year-old who played last season for Avtodor Saratov in the Russian Super League.
He averaged 14.8 points, seven rebounds and almost a block per game in 23.7 minutes, shooting 57.4 percent.
With a 7-foot-4 wingspan and a 9-foot-4 standing reach, he’s got the physical tools to be a terrific interior defender and he’s very mobile for his size.
He put up good stats in Russia’s second tier league, but doesn’t have a lot of low post moves and still needs to add 20-30 pounds to his frame to be better able to hold his position.
He’s still raw, making some questionable decisions at times on the floor and isn’t always aware of his limitations, getting taken advantage of by older, more experienced players.
There are also questions about his desire, which really shows up on the defensive glass, where he had just 4.6 defensive rebounds in 24 minutes a game.
One thing that could hurt Klimenko’s stock is the track record of Russian prospects in the NBA—with Andrei Kirilenko and maybe Timofey Mozgov the only real success stories.
Projected to come off the board: No. 36-undrafted.