NBA Draft 2017: Bucks take D.J. Wilson at No. 17
The Milwaukee Bucks went for another raw two-way big, picking D.J. Wilson with the No. 17 in the NBA Draft.
The Milwaukee Bucks made an unsurprising move with this pick. D.J. Wilson of Michigan was one of this year’s big Draft Combine winners, and represented one of the draft’s more raw, but promising two-way players. Naturally, given the Bucks’ recent draft history, he was enticing, and they decided to move on him at pick 17. He’ll join John Henson, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Thon Maker as a fourth raw, lanky player they’ve drafted in recent years.
This pick is more Henson than Maker or Giannis, however. Wilson has shown some capability to stretch the floor and protect the rim, an invaluable combination in today’s NBA. He hit 37.3 percent of his 3-pointer this year, and averaged 1.5 blocks per game. However, his shooting mechanics don’t really lend to an automatic sustainability for that percentage, and he’s still fairly raw on the defensive end overall. It’s fair to question whether he’ll have the same success against NBA athletes, given his lack of vertical athleticism and strength.
That strength deficit is key, and will ultimately decide his NBA success. Wilson is undersized at 6-foot-8, and while he’s a solid 240 pounds, his functional strength hasn’t caught up. He still is easy to dislodge at the rim defensively, and he’s a relatively poor defensive rebounder. That might limit his ability to stay on the floor, especially if the three-point shot doesn’t translate.
Next: FanSided 2017 NBA Draft Tracker
Wilson will have time to develop, as Milwaukee has Greg Monroe, Mirza Teletovic, and Maker to play at the four, and Monroe and Henson can split time at the five. Wilson is a long-term prospect, and will be spending time with the new Wisconsin Herd in the G-League. However, there were many better players available, and some that could have been more immediately valuable. With the Bucks on the cusp of Eastern Conference Contention, that may have been a smarter route to take.
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