A chaotic 24 hours for the Milwaukee Bucks culminated with two lottery picks in the first round of the NBA Draft on June 23, marking the first time the Bucks have even had one lottery pick since 2016.
The selections of Arizona guard Brayden Burries with the No. 10 pick and Tennessee forward Nate Ament with the No. 13 pick marked a new direction for the franchise, hours after trading cornerstone Giannis Antetokounmpo.
For what it’s worth, national writers had largely positive things to say about Milwaukee’s draft.
Here’s a sampling of the Bucks’ NBA draft grades:
The Athletic: ‘I love this pick for the Bucks’
John Hollinger gave the Bucks an A-minus for Burries.
“I love this pick by the Bucks,” he wrote. “In their position, you have to just get the best player available, and Burries was the last player left in my tier of quality guards before we got into the ‘everybody else’ portion of the draft. His arrival could also be a signal that newly acquired Tyler Herro might not be a long-term guy in Milwaukee.”
Hollinger also gave them an A-minus for Ament, calling it “another logical pick” with a rebuild afoot:
“Ament was the highest player left on my board, and Milwaukee needs to be in the mode of talent-hoarding; the Bucks can worry about fit once they’re good enough for it to matter.”
Yahoo! Sports: Also two A-minuses
Kevin O’Connor was likewise enamored with Milwaukee’s choices and saw the Bucks take steps toward a rebuild.
“Enter Burries, who arrived at Arizona as a top-10 recruit, started slow, and then erupted once conference play began, helping lead his team to the Final Four,” O’Connor said. “He’s a physical, versatile scorer who can beat you from all three levels, rebounds like a forward, and competes hard on defense. But he’s a methodical creator rather than an explosive one, and his shooting history before Arizona gives scouts reason to wonder whether the efficiency is real or a blip.”
On Ament, he wrote, “Players who can handle, shoot off the dribble, and stand at 6-10 don’t grow on trees. This physical foundation kept Ament in lottery consideration even after a dreadful start to his freshman season when he struggled to score efficiently and make an impact defensively. But over the second half of the year for Tennessee, he flipped a switch and shots began to fall. He averaged 23.8 points over a six-game stretch in January and February that reminded everyone why he was a top recruit in the country. Then he dealt with an ankle injury that ruined his momentum entering March and he severely struggled during the tournament. Bucks general manager Jon Horst has never been afraid to take risks, though. If Ament pans out, it could look like a stroke of genius.”
CBS Sports: A pair of B-plusses
Adam Finkelstein gave the Bucks solid grades for their two picks, though not quite as gushing as others.
“Burries is a strong and aggressive two-way guard who can get downhill with force, provide a formidable 3-point shooter, and defend his position, all with an NBA-ready frame,” he wrote. “He has versatility in his shot-making profile and utilizes his strength as an engaged defender and high-volume perimeter rebounder. Burries played point guard when he was younger, but hasn’t shown the ball-handling or passing growth as much since. Best as a secondary handler.”
On Ament, Finkelstein wrote, “Ament remains inconsistent and needs to get stronger, but has a great overlap of positional size, along with dexterity (great left hand) and fluidity as a mover. He has soft natural hands and touch and a high release point on his shot. … Ament’s shooting and finishing numbers haven’t been nearly as encouraging in college as they were in high school. While his freshman year was up and down, Ament’s overall arc has been linear, and there’s still glaring potential. That upside makes him a logical choice here.”
Sports Illustrated: Straight A’s
Kevin Sweeney gave the Bucks an A for both selections.
“Burries is a really nice piece to help jump-start the Bucks’ rebuild after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo,” Sweeney wrote. “He’s a two-way player who can play with and without the ball and is a confident shotmaker. He could have a Desmond Bane–type career if things break right. The Bucks get the best player left on my board at this stage.”
On Ament, “We had mocked Ament to Milwaukee at No. 10; instead the Bucks get him at No. 13 with the pick they acquired in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. This is a big swing on someone who’s still developing physically and needs to improve his strength, but guys with his size and length who can really shoot the ball are very hard to find. He has one of the five highest ceilings in this draft class, so this is a risk well worth taking even if there’s a chance he flames out early.”
NBC Sports: B is for Bucks
Kurt Helin graded teams on the whole, not individual picks, and he echoed many of the other sentiments.
“Burries was absolutely the guy to draft here, the best player on the board at the moment,” Helin wrote. “He’s a strong all-around player who can defend, score at all three levels, is physically strong and just does a lot of things well. My concern with Burries in Milwaukee is he’s not a No. 1 option on a team searching for one after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo, and he could be thrust into that role. Ament was the perfect pick for a rebuilding team, a player with good athleticism and a lot of upside who has not lived up to that yet, but with some development could be a steal.”
USA TODAY: ‘A solid gamble’
Bryan Kalbrosky gave the Bucks an A-minus and a B for Ament.
“Burries shot 39.1 percent on 3-pointers and is built like a linebacker at nearly 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds,” Kalbrosky wrote. “He should fit well no matter who else the Bucks decide to keep in their rebuild even if he doesn’t necessarily project with star potential.”
On their second pick, Kalbrosky wrote, “Nate Ament was a solid gamble by the Bucks, who are looking for home run swings after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat. While he is not quite as ready to make a strong impact as other prospects in this range, he can blossom into something special under the right development in the pros. Ament is regarded as a promising shooter, connecting on nearly 80 percent of his attempts from the free-throw line. He will need to work on finishing through contact at the rim to play the forward in the NBA, but as he grows into his body, this could be a player who exceeds his draft position as well.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How Bucks did in draft grades for Brayden Burries, Nate Ament picks
