Dairyland Express
Fansided

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

By Brian Sampson

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 25: Zhaire Smith #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders attempts to dunk the ball against Mikal Bridges #25 of the Villanova Wildcats during the second half in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament East Regional at TD Garden on March 25, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 25: Zhaire Smith #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders attempts to dunk the ball against Mikal Bridges #25 of the Villanova Wildcats during the second half in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament East Regional at TD Garden on March 25, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
OMAHA, NE – NOVEMBER 15: Khyri Thomas #2 of the Creighton Bluejays dunks during their game against the Wisconsin Badgers at the CenturyLink Center on November 15, 2016 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Eric Francis/Getty Images)
OMAHA, NE – NOVEMBER 15: Khyri Thomas #2 of the Creighton Bluejays dunks during their game against the Wisconsin Badgers at the CenturyLink Center on November 15, 2016 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Eric Francis/Getty Images) /

2. Who’s your favorite prospect that has a legit chance of being drafted by the Bucks?

Mike Wendlandt: I am growing to appreciate what Khyri Thomas could bring to the Bucks. A natural shooter with a deadly outside stroke, Thomas would be the perfect complement to Malcolm Brogdon on that second unit. And unlike Rashad Vaughn, who was supposed to be that elite shooter, Thomas is experienced and unflappable on the court. A guy with his resume as a shooter is a great fit on a team with guys like Antetokounmpo and Eric Bledsoe who aren’t the greatest outside shooters. Setting up Thomas on one wing and Khris Middleton on the other makes the Bucks a much more dangerous team offensively, allowing Antetokounmpo more room to drive and cause the havoc that he already does.

And he fits in the Bucks mold as well with a 6-foot-10 wingspan on his 6-foot-4 frame with good defensive instincts. He isn’t the most elite of athletes, but he is extremely intelligent and a good enough athlete to get the job done at the professional level. Compared by nbadraft.net to Jrue Holiday, Thomas would be a nice player for the Bucks to bring in who can play right away.

Brian Sampson: Since Robert Williams probably doesn’t have a legit chance to be selected by the Bucks, I’m forced to look elsewhere. And Zhaire Smith is where I land.

He may not be the best natural fit for this team, but his athleticism and explosiveness would be a treasure to watch. Hopefully, new head coach Mike Budenholzer encourages the Bucks to get out and run more this year, leading to increased chances in the open court. If that’s the case, I’d love to see Antetokounmpo and Smith leading the break and throwing lobs to one another.

Gage Bridgford: The aforementioned Thomas is my favorite prospect for the Bucks. Three-and-D wing players are at a premium in the NBA today and Thomas certainly fits that bill. He averaged just under two steals in 2018, while also shooting 41.1 percent from three. The Bucks starting lineup this season should look something like Eric Bledsoe, Tony Snell, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thon Maker. While this lineup possesses a lot of length, it does lack some true knockdown shooters.

Last year’s first-round pick D.J. Wilson should get more minutes this season, especially if he maintains his impressive ability to stretch the floor. He shot 40 percent from three, but he only played in 22 games. I like Thomas most for his defensive versatility along with his shooting ability.

Home/Milwaukee Bucks