Hammond: Bucks Will Select Best Available Player

[Jenneral]

The Milwaukee Bucks have needs at several positions after their disappointing 35-47 season.

 

"I think this year we go into the draft talking about best player on the board," general manager John Hammond said. "I don't think we necessarily say we put emphasis on position."

 

In addition to the No. 10 position, the Bucks also have the 40th overall selection, their own pick, in the second round.

Milwaukee had three second-round picks a year ago and traded one, while the other two (Darington Hobson and Keith "Tiny" Gallon) did not wind up playing for the Bucks.

 

Power forward Larry Sanders was the team's first-round pick, No. 15, and he averaged 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 60 games.

 

RealGM

[Real Deal]

Reading a bit more into this, it sounds like the Bucks are already fed up with Jennings. The best available player, to them, could be Kemba or Fredette at that 10 spot.

 

If I were Milwaukee, I would still pick the best available out of the position(s) I need. The Bucks have Bogut and Jennings...might as well take one more shot at putting pieces around those two.

 

Does Kemba make sense? Sure...he's a scorer, and Milwaukee had trouble scoring all season long. However, if they do draft Kemba, they are going to need to trade Jennings, and there's no question about that. Jennings plays like a two-guard, but despite the Iverson comparisons he was getting early on, he's not going to be able to contribute at that position...ever.

 

I would take a chance on Jan Vesely, who could turn out to be difficult to defend in the NBA. Then, with that second-round pick, take Josh Selby if he is still around (I have him going late first right now, though). That gives you a versatile and athletic PF that's 6-10 or 6-11 (can't remember how tall he is) and a combo guard that can play behind Jennings for a while, play some two-guard, and see where he fits in best.

 

Either Selby, or Malcolm Lee, who is a defensive wizard at the two.

[Built Ford Tough]

Selby won't be around with the 40th pick in the draft. I'm 100% positive about that. I thnk with the limited star power in this draft some team will take a chance on him in the mid first just because of how highly regarded he was coming out of high school. At worst he will be picked up in the late 1st round by a team like Chicago or Boston and he will sit on their bench for a year or two in hopes of him putting it all together.

 

I think he will probably end up going earlier than that, though, simply because he will probably look really good in a workout setting and that alone will end up boosting his draft stock a bit. He has talent, there is no doubt about that, and I'm sure some team will take a chance on him simply because of that talent level and they will overlook the fact that he is stuck between positions and doesn't exactly have the best head on his shoulders, especially in a draft that is lacking in talent such as this one.