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Milwaukee Bucks

As we near the end of the 2001 Usenet Mock Draft, we come to the up and coming Milwaukee Bucks who have the 35th pick.  In the real draft they will be picking at 52.  The Bucks pick was traded to Orlando as part of the Joel Pryzbilla trade.  Their GM is Brian Nordness who selects

Brian Scalibrine, PF, 6'9", USC

Intro

The Bucks are a rising young team with an excellent backcourt, and underrated frontcourt. This year they were within 1 game of the NBA Finals, won the Central Division by five games, and could have even given the Lakers a run for their money for the title. (The Bucks won both games against them in the regular season.)

Guards

Sam Cassell, Ray Allen, Lindsey Hunter, Rafer Alston

The Bucks starting Guards are one of the best pairs in the league. Ray Allen was picked to be on the all-star team and Sam Cassell probably should have been. Lindsey Hunter had a good regular season, 10 pts 3 ast, but struggled in the postseason. Alston averaged 2 pts in 37 games last year.

The Bucks could use some depth at guard, but they are more likely to pick a big man.

Forwards

Glenn Robinson, Mark Pope, Tim Thomas, Jason Caffey, Darvin Ham

The biggest need on the Bucks team is a power forward. They could start Tim Thomas but George Karl likes him coming off the bench better. Last year they switched off between Pope, Caffey and Ham, with Pope starting 45 games, Caffey 33, and Ham 13. However, the small forward position is set. Robinson led the team in scoring, and is an all-star.

If the Bucks want to win the Eastern Conference next year, they need to improve their power forward situation by signing one, trading up, or by Tim Thomas becoming a star.

Centers

Scott Williams, Ervin Johnson, Joel Przybilla

The Bucks centers are about on par with the average East center. Williams gives them the most scoring, Johnson is a shot blocker and a good rebounder, and Przybilla is also a good shot blocker.

The Bucks will probably not pick a center, since Przybilla was their pick last year.

Draft Outlook

Since the Bucks have such a low pick, they will pick the best player available. But, they would prefer to see a big man drop to their pick.

Scalabrine would make a solid second round pick for many reasons.  He has good range, can drive to the basket, is a fine rebounder, and runs the floor well. He also makes good decisions and does not get into any trouble with his teammates. He projects to be a solid role player and a player any team could use.

Other players I considered with this pick were Kirk Haston, Samuel Dalembert, and Terence Morris. Unfortunately, Haston and Dalembert were picked right in front of me, and Morris has not progressed since his sophomore season. His shooting has gotten worse every season. If he makes it in the NBA, he will not have the strength of most forwards and will have to rely on his shooting. Also he is not aggressive enough for most teams tastes, and appears to have low confidence in his game. For those reasons I chose Scalabrine over Morris.