Milwaukee Bucks: 6 Options for 42nd Pick in the NBA Draft

Bigs

There needs to be someone to give Brook Lopez a rest, and hopefully, it’s someone that doesn’t give up too much in the rim protection and shooting departments.

Vernon Carey Jr. – Duke

Vernon Carey Jr. put a lot of great tools on display in his one and only season at Duke. He averaged 17.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while shooting 57.7 percent from the field, good for an absurd 34.1 player efficiency rating. For reference, Giannis’ PER this season was 31.9.

Carey is a physically imposing player with a 6’10”, 270-pound frame that he loves to use both on the boards and in the post. He’s a great rebounder on both ends of the floor and averaged 2.7 offensive rebounds per game.

He doesn’t have a polished post game by any means, but he is a solid pick-and-roll big due to his size and athleticism around the rim. One of his best attributes to his scoring is his ability to step out and hit threes. He didn’t shoot many at Duke, but he made 38.1 percent of them, and having that threat is huge for Milwaukee.

Finally, he’s a solid rim protector. He averaged 1.6 blocks per game at Duke, which isn’t eye-popping, but he has all the tools to do the job. He also only averaged 2.7 fouls per game, so he is disciplined inside and maybe could even afford to take a few more chances on swatting shots.

Killian Tillie – Gonzaga

Tillie is a 6’10” big who probably slots in more as a power forward than a true center, but the NBA is all about small ball, and he could definitely play that role or play the four with Giannis playing big at center.

Tillie is another four-year player, but one who has dealt with multiple major injuries while at college. If he hadn’t suffered these injuries, he’d be higher on people’s boards, so he may be worth a pick to take yet another risk this offseason.

He is a superior stretch big who shot at least 40 percent from outside in every season in college. He’s not a big scorer, and the most points he averaged in a season was his 13.6 in his senior year. However, he does have some solid post moves and nice touch around the rim that will serve him well as he tries to carve out a niche in the NBA.

Athleticism and shot-blocking aren’t a big part of his game, but he relies on finely honed fundamentals to score the ball and play defense. He’ll never be a big star, but a stretch big is just what the doctor ordered for a Milwaukee Bucks team that struggled with the outside shot in the playoffs, and he has the experience to do it right away.

What do you think of these six options for the Milwaukee Bucks at 42? Who are your favorite draft prospects? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or on Twitter @DairylandXpress.