Milwaukee Bucks roundtable: Predictions on who they will take in the 2018 NBA Draft

The Milwaukee Bucks are in the home stretch leading up the 2018 NBA Draft. Here’s what three Dairyland Express writers predict will happen.

The Milwaukee Bucks are putting the finishing touches on the 2018 NBA Draft Big board. Who they will draft obviously remains a mystery, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take a stab at making a prediction. Three Dairyland Express writers share their thoughts along with answering two other Bucks’ related draft questions.

1. Name three draft prospects Bucks’ fans should be aware of heading into the draft.

Mike Wendlandt (@MikeWendlandt): Zhaire Smith is my ideal prospect for the Bucks and is a player often linked to the team. One of the best pure athletes in the draft, the Texas Tech freshman already has elite defensive traits and a high basketball IQ that would get him on the floor on day one. His shooting stroke needs workl but at only 19-years-old he has plenty of time to develop that facet of his game and would have two good teachers in Khris Middleton and Tony Snell.

Donte DiVincenzo is a guy who is riding his monster NCAA Tournament performance to the NBA, much like Sam Dekker did a few years ago. And he is a similar, albeit slightly smaller, player with a good shooting stroke and very good athleticism for his position. With a high basketball IQ and plenty of big game experience, he could be an option for a Bucks team that is looking for a shooter.

Finally, Kevin Knox is one of the top pure scoring prospects in the class and while he probably should’ve stayed at Kentucky for another year to develop his defensive game and his vision, he could be the second unit sparkplug immediately. He is the opposite of Smith in that his defensive traits are lacking right now, but he has the tools (7-foot wingspan, 36-inch vertical) to grow as a defender. He would be a pick to improve the scoring when Giannis Antetokounmpo, Middleton, and Jabari Parker aren’t on the floor.

Brian Sampson (@BrianSampsonNBA): Robert Williams, Troy Brown Jr, and Jacob Evans.

I’m in love with the idea of Robert Williams coming to the Bucks. He’s a bit undersized for a center at 6-foot-9 and is horrible at free throws, but could fix a lot of Milwaukee’s other woes. He’s a great rebounder and rim-roller and could emulate his game after DeAndre Jordan or Clint Capela.

Brown Jr and Evans are much more likely candidates, however. Brown is a playmaking guard with great size and would be a tremendous fit in the backcourt with literally anyone else on this roster. Evans is more of a sharpshooter and a three-and-D type prospect. Either way, the Bucks can’t go wrong with picking any of these three players.

Gage Bridgford (@GbridgfordNFL): Three players Bucks’ fans should have their eyes on are Aaron Holiday of UCLA, Mitchell Robinson of Chalmette High School and Khyri Thomas out of Creighton. All three are projected to go within the top 25 in the draft, while also filling roles needed on the team.

Holiday is a playmaking point guard, who also showed that he can successfully play off a ball-dominant player. In addition to his playmaking abilities, he can shoot the three effectively, which is something that is lacking on the current roster. His season alongside Lonzo Ball was just as effective as his other two.

Robinson represents the rim-protecting big man the team has been lacking. The major question mark about him is just that he hasn’t played in a year, after taking a year off. His athleticism and shot-blocking, however, should have no issues translating to the NBA. Although John Henson has played decent, he has nowhere near the ceiling that Robinson possesses.

When it comes to wing players, the Bucks have only Tony Snell as a consistent shooting threat. With Kyri Thomas on the board, the Bucks could do much worse than drafting a player with three-and-D potential. He’s arguably the best defensive wing player in the draft with back-to-back Big East Defensive Player of the Year Awards.