2013-14 Record: 15-67 (Last in Central Division)
Missed Playoffs
2013-14 Team Stats (points per 100 possessions)
Offensive: 100.2 (26th in NBA)
Defensive: 108.9 (29th in NBA)
Season Recap
Milwaukee made some moves this past offseason that befuddled many who follow the NBA. Teams need one or multiple superstars to compete for a championship, so you don't have one, you aren't really a title contender. The easiest way to get a superstar is through the draft, so the trend among superstar-less teams has become to tank in order to have a better chance of getting a high draft pick.
The Bucks decided they weren't going to tank, but rather sign some mediocre players to try and grab the 8th and final playoff spot in the East - which would ultimately lead to another first round exit.
They signed O.J. Mayo in hopes that he could finally figure things out (he hasn't), and surrounded him with a bunch of nice pieces, like Brandon Knight, that could fill specific roles. Enough to compete for a playoff spot in the lowly East, right?
Turns out they were all actually tricking us.
Milwaukee was an atrocity this year. They had the worst record in the league - four games worse than the Sixers who lost 26 GAMES IN A ROW - and at no point did anyone say "Hey, there's some hope for this team."
The Bucks were just downright awful, but the emergence of the teenage Greek Freak Giannis Antetokounmpo at small forward (and internet sensation) was the season's lone bright spot.
Even the lottery didn't fall Milwaukee's way as Cleveland jumped into the No. 1 spot, leaving them with the second overall selection.
Draft Picks
Round 1
Pick 2
For a team as bad as the Bucks, they just need any kind of talent on their roster. As I wrote in my Cavaliers draft preview, Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins, and Jabari Parker are clearly the three best prospects in this draft. Cleveland will take Embiid if his back checks out, and if it doesn't, the Bucks don't want to take that risk with new ownership and a fan base dying for any sort of relevancy.
That leaves Wiggins and Parker, and they'll probably go with Andrew Wiggins in this scenario. Both play small forward - a spot occupied by the Bucks' one promising talent - but some scouts see Wiggins as a two guard, and he would form a dangerously athletic wing duo with Antetokounmpo.
However, don't be surprised to see them go with Jabari Parker, even if Wiggins is still on the board.
Met @Bucks new co-owner Marc Lasry at #WHCD; told me he wants @JPiz1, aka Jabari Parker, at No. 1 if Milwaukee wins #nba draft lotto. #Metoo
— John R Parkinson (@jparkABC) May 4, 2014
Still, Lasry and co-owner Wes Edens have said the final call will be left to the "trained professionals" who like Wiggins, according to ESPN's Chad Ford.
I've been speaking to sources inside each of these teams for months, and it looks like a majority of them -- especially the three teams with the best chance of landing the No. 1 pick (the Bucks, Sixers and Magic) -- are leaning toward Wiggins right now. That can change with workouts, the draft combine, etc. But I think it's his to lose.
Round 2
Pick 1 (31st overall)
Second round contracts aren't guaranteed, so teams are more likely to take risks on talent that have slipped due to some extracurricular concerns. But this early, you also want to get someone who can help your team.
It became apparent over the course of the season that Brandon Knight is not a true point guard. All the big names will probably be gone by the second round, but Jahii Carson from Arizona State provides some good value. He's undersized, but can get his own shot as well as create for his teammates, something the Bucks desperately need. Nick Johnson from Arizona is also a possibility.
Pick 6 (36th overall)
At this point in the draft, teams are just looking for the best talent available, regardless of team need. Spencer Dinwiddie, a shooting guard from Colorado, looked like a surefire first round pick until he tore his ACL after the first few games of the season. Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Giannis' little brother, would also be a viable option.
Pick 18 (48th overall)
Just like their previous pick, you go for talent and hope it works out for the best. James Michael McAdoo from North Carolina had an up-and-down college career, but his outstanding athleticism and rebounding should let him make the roster - and don't forget, two years ago he was a projected lottery pick. Not bad for 48th overall.
Keith Appling from Michigan State also would make sense to help stabilize the point guard position.
Current Roster
G: Brandon Knight
G: O.J. Mayo
F: Giannis Antetokounmpo
F: Ersan Ilyasova
F: Larry Sanders
G: Nate Wolters
F: Khris Middleton
F: Carlos Delfino
F: John Henson
F/C: Ekpe Udoh
C: Zaza Pachulia
C: Miroslav Raduljica
Free Agents
G: Ramon Sessions
F: Jeff Adrien
Who should Milwaukee will pick? Will whoever it is give the franchise a sense of hope? Tweet your thoughts to @brauf33.
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