5 Special Skills Milwaukee Bucks Should Target In 2022 NBA Draft

As the Milwaukee Bucks are putting the final touches on their 2022 NBA Draft preparation, it’s unclear exactly which direction they’ll go. They haven’t held onto a first-round pick since they selected Donte DiVincenzo four years ago and Jon Horst has already mentioned trading out of the no.24 overall selection they hold this year.

We mustn’t need to worry ourselves about that, however, as it will all get figured out in due time, but what doesn’t change is the skillsets Milwaukee should target via their draft pick or a trade involving their selection.

Milwaukee held on tight against the Boston Celtics and nearly came away with an upset victory despite missing Khris Middleton for the entire series. Although that may be an easy excuse for the franchise to fall back on, it also highlighted some key skills they need to upgrade this offseason. Let’s take a look at five specific abilities they should target in any player they add to their roster.

Switching big man

With Brook Lopez returning late in the season and holding strong throughout the playoffs, it’s safe to say the Bucks have the drop-coverage market cornered. And the Bucks’ defense was elite throughout their shortened postseason run thanks to running that infamous drop coverage most of the time.

With Lopez returning for at least another season (he’s set to become a free agent after the 2022-23 season), Milwaukee should look to diversify their defensive profile. With defenders such as Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo on the roster, they just need a couple of more players to fully implement a switching unit. Bobby Portis probably isn’t cut out to switch at a high level, which leaves an opening for another big who can step in and fill this role.

Physical wing

I debated between choosing a physical wing or one with size for this spot. Milwaukee’s lack of size on the wing was apparent against Boston, as most of their guys fall in the 6-foot-4 to 6-foot-5 category which had me leaning that direction. Ultimately, I decided it’s more important they get a wing who can be physical than one with size (if they have to choose between the two traits).

Wesley Matthews and P.J. Tucker have proven a wing can have success defending some of the NBA’s great despite giving up inches in height. The key to makeup for that lack of verticality, however, is the ability to win the battle in the trenches. Milwaukee should look to add a wing who has not only the ability to out-muscle other wings, but the willingness to battle on every possession. The latter trait may be just as important as the former.

Shooting on the move

A lot of Milwaukee’s offense is centered around isolation basketball with four other guys watching the ball-handler go to work—they ran the fourth-most isolation plays of any team during the regular season. That has worked out okay for them at times, but it has also had the effect of creating a stagnant half court offense that struggles to score when the game slows down.

If they could add someone who can run off screens on the weak side and present a true threat to knock down threes on the move, it would engage some of the off-ball defenders and prevent them from keying in on Antetokounmpo or Middleton on the strong side. Think someone like Seth Curry or J.J. Reddick (not those guys specifically). Grayson Allen is the closest thing they currently have and could develop into that type of player, although, he’s been more of a spot-up shooter throughout his career. Diversifying the offensive attack will do nothing but aide Antetokounmpo, Middleton, and Holiday during the most important time of the year.

Deflecting defender

In addition to a physical wing defender, Milwaukee needs to add someone who can get into passing lanes and disrupt typical passes around the court. Since Mike Budenholzer took over as head coach back in 2018, there’s no questioning the defensive results his squads have had. Despite dominating the scoreboard, his defenses have always been near the bottom of the league in forced turnovers, never finishing above 23rd and coming in at 26th last year according to Cleaning the Glass.

If the Bucks were able to add a guy who can increase the turnovers they force, it would have a massive impact on the offensive end as well. Imagine Antetokounmpo and co. getting even more opportunities on the open floor and forcing opposing defenses to scramble to match up with the Greek Freak on the fly. That’s a scary sight that all begins on defense.

Pick-and-roll ball-handler

When Middleton went down in the playoffs, Antetokounmpo and Holiday shouldered even more of the offensive load along with everyone else who also moved up a spot in the pecking order. Although the two-time MVP was able to handle his increased assignment, most of his other teammates struggled.

That highlighted the need for another shot-creator on this Bucks’ team, specifically one who can create something out of the pick-and-roll. Middleton and Antetokounmpo have developed a good two-man chemistry throughout the years, but it feels like the Bucks haven’t been able to maximize the Freak’s potential in this area. Antetokounmpo was used as the roll man on just 1.8 possessions per game last year, ranking far lower than his peers like Joel Embiid (4.6), Nikola Jokic (4.0) and Anthony Davis (4.5).

Having a slithery ball-handler who can weave in and out of traffic in the lane while waiting for just the right moment to throw the lob pass to Antetokounmpo would be a massive addition that could quickly push them back to the top of the food chain.