2020 Ultimate Milwaukee Bucks Draft: Team Ray Allen

In a friendly competition with other Dairyland Express writers, let’s take a look at Team Ray Allen in the 2020 Milwaukee Bucks ultimate draft.

With the NBA on hiatus and fans going crazy, the writers at Dairyland Express decided to partake in a friendly competition trying to select the best Milwaukee Bucks‘ team of all time.

The rules are simple. Each player can only be drafted once and you must select the year you want them from. For example, the 2019-20 Giannis Antetokounmpo was selected with the first overall pick. That means the general manager got that version of his skills and he can’t be picked again, no matter what year.

Each general manager/writer is responsible for filling his roster however he sees fit. He can go with all guards, all centers or anywhere in between. There are 10 rounds which means five starters and five bench players.

Each general manager has also written an article stating the thought process behind their strategy. Check them all out at Dairyland Express! We are asking you, the readers, to vote on who did the best. There is a link at the bottom of each article you can click on that will take you to the twitter page to vote.

Here are the full results. Enjoy!

Round 1, Pick 3: 2001-02 Ray Allen, Wing

After Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were selected with the first two picks, Ray Allen was the best player on the board. Even better, he set the precedent I was looking for in my team–great shooting.

The 2001-02 season was his last full one in Milwaukee and arguably his best. He made 43.4 percent of his threes, on 7.7 attempts per game and a 56.1 percent effective field goal percentage–all highs with the Bucks. He gives me a perimeter threat who can shoot on the move and ensure defenses abandon all help responsibilities, as they stay glued to him on the three-point line.

Round 2, Pick 8: 2019-20 Khris Middleton, Wing

I wanted to keep the same theme (outside shooting) with my second pick, so I went with this year’s version of Khris Middleton. Middleton is shooting 41.8 percent from downtown while posting a career-high 57.7 percent effective field goal percentage. He also brings a spice of playmaking at the wing spot, and him and Allen are interchangeable.

The best part is he brings a great defensive wing stopper to the team as well. Middleton is as well-rounded as they come, and both he and Allen are unselfish enough to be able to work together and carry the offense.

Round 3, Pick 13: 2018-19 Brook Lopez, Big

With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar looming out there, I needed somebody to protect the rim, and who better than last year’s version of Brook Lopez? He blocked 2.2 shots per game and anchored the NBA’s best defense. It’s a shame he didn’t earn any of the All-Defense honors.

As for offense, this is the good three-point shooting version–he knocked down 36.5 percent of his threes. This gives my squad three outside shooters to begin the draft and makes them extremely difficult to guard on offense. Lopez may not be able to create his own shot, but pulling bigs away from the basket is important for this roster.

Round 4, Pick 18: 2018-19 Malcolm Brogdon, Combo Guard

Maybe I’m focusing too much on recent players, but it’s difficult to pass up a 50-40-90 player who is also versatile positionally. On my current roster, I can either slate Brogdon in at point guard (his current role for the Indiana Pacers) or slide everyone up a spot (Middleton at the 4, Allen at the 3 and Brogdon at the 2).

This selection gives me my third(!) 40+ percent three-point shooter, an underrated defender who can guard three positions and someone who can create his own shot off the bounce. Yes, please!

Round 5, Pick 23: 1985-86 Paul Pressey, Wing

This pick doesn’t fit perfectly with my roster, but I went with a true best player available strategy at this point. He doesn’t quite fit with my three-point focus, knocking down only 18.2 percent this season, but he’s an all-around contributor who can help share ball-handling duties considering my lack of a pure point up to this point.

He averaged 14.3 points, 7.8 assists, and 5 rebounds per game while also making the All-Defensive First Team for the second year in a row. He also ranked eighth in the NBA at 2.1 steals per game. His presence makes way for Middleton to take it easy on the defensive end and solely focus on offense.

Round 6, Pick 28: 2018-19 Eric Bledsoe, Point

Speaking of a true point, I added Eric Bledsoe to help fill that gap with my sixth round pick. He isn’t a great fit position-wise on this squad either, but it was very difficult for me to pass up another All-Defensive First Team player. So far, defense and shooting are littered throughout my squad–just how I like it.

Back to Bledsoe, I added the best penetrator on my team. Hopefully, he’ll be able to create open looks for the shooters or take his man off the bounce with the other defenders unable to help (similar to his current setup with the Bucks). He should thrive in this role, and I have the luxury of resting him on the bench when he’s going through one of his infamous funks.

Round 7, Pick 33: 2016-17 Jabari Parker, Forward

Without a “true” power forward on my roster, I decided to add one in the seventh round in Jabari Parker. Setting potential chemistry issues aside, Parker is a talented player who dropped a career-high 20.1 points on a decent enough 53 percent effective field goal percentage. He can also spread the court a bit as well as take his man off the bounce.

His defensive woes are well documented, but I’m hoping the rest of my defensive studs can make up for that. With a rim protector like Lopez and other elite defenders such as Bledsoe, Middleton and Pressey, I figured I can hide Parker if need be.

Round 8, Pick 38: 1990-91 Alvin Robertson, Combo Guard

Speaking of elite defenders, I added another stud defender in Alvin Robertson with my eighth pick. Robertson averaged an astounding three steals per game in 1990-91 (tops in the NBA that year) and made the All-Defensive First Team as well.

At 6-foot-3, he’s a combo guard who can either play some point or at the two. That makes him very compatible with Bledsoe, Brogdon and the other three wings I already selected. He also averaged 5.5 assists per game this season, meaning he’s another player who can share the shot-creation load.

Round 9, Pick 43: 2012-13 Larry Sanders, Big

Considering I went with an offensive-minded big for my other bench spot, I zagged and went with a defensive/glue guy for my backup center spot. Larry Sanders won’t do much for me offensively and I certainly won’t ask him to. Instead, his focus is on defense and rebounding. He’s a versatile defender who can guard multiple positions and potentially be involved in an all-switching lineup (I’m thinking Brogdon, Allen, Pressey, Middleton and Sanders). He might also be my best Giannis-defender.

Round 10, Pick 48: 2012-13 Mike Dunleavy, Forward

With my final pick, I contemplated going with a player who specialized in defense (Luc Mbah a Moute) or offense. Obviously, I went with offense as I figured you can never have enough shooting. Mike Dunleavy knocked down 42.8 percent of his threes in 2012-13 (my fourth 40+ percent three-point shooter) and gives me someone who can either play the 3 or 4. He’s the last player on my bench and might not be used much, but it’s nice to know there’s an elite shooter waiting in the shadows.

*Please take the time to grade my team. You can go to the Dairyland Express Twitter link here and vote for how you think I did.