ROUND 1: AJ Johnson - Poll Added

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

This years war room is a huge improvement over years past where VPs were showing our draft board...

[paulpressey25]

This years war room is a huge improvement over years past where VPs were showing our draft board...

The photo looked like Austin Rivers entertaining the summer interns. I’m assuming the Bucks brass did it as a joke.

[raferfenix]

Horst very quick to deny that was the Bucks War Room.

Nonetheless I’m still here for fan fiction accounts.

And I want an explanation of what the Intern Coffee Lair was up to and why it was on national television.

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[fansinceforever]

Whatever, I'll take the high upside, 19 year old unknown. There looks like there might be something here.

[emunney]

I'm actually fine with the thought process. I mean, everyone agreed we needed to get "younger and more athletic" right? Well, he certainly gives you both of those things, and I'll stress till the end of time that you should always be drafting upside in the NBA.

I'm just less enamored with the actual player. He was, and this can't be stressed enough, absolute garbage in the NBL. The shooting mechanics themselves seem fine, but sub-30% from 3 and sub-60% from the line is incredibly worrisome even at his age. It's like Horst watched the Combine scrimmage game and based his entire draft profile off of that. He's got some potential, but I'm not really sold he's actually this super high upside guy based just on the physical tools. Like, you're basically drafting a 19-20 year old high schooler. I legitimately think a guy like Chomche was a safer pick.

He took 93 shots in the NBL. 7-13 from the line. You can't really think these percentages mean anything.

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

A vast majority of #23 are busts. Not going to get all worked up about it immediately.

I mean you could pick Cam Spencer and be fairly certain he'll be able to play NBA minutes immediately, for sure in the regular season. But nah let's draft another project who won't help this old ass team at all during the regular season and has 0% chance of contributing in the playoffs.

Or you could sign a vet for a min off the street that probably would add the same amount of production as a 25 year old cam Spencer in next year's playoffs. There's always a sam Merrill you can sign to a 10-day or a 3/$5m contract if we need a flawed white guy that can shoot 3s.

[JonHeist]

he does seem like a nice kid

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would be thrilled to be wrong about it being a waste of a pick

[James1980]

I'm actually fine with the thought process. I mean, everyone agreed we needed to get "younger and more athletic" right? Well, he certainly gives you both of those things, and I'll stress till the end of time that you should always be drafting upside in the NBA.

I'm just less enamored with the actual player. He was, and this can't be stressed enough, absolute garbage in the NBL. The shooting mechanics themselves seem fine, but sub-30% from 3 and sub-60% from the line is incredibly worrisome even at his age. It's like Horst watched the Combine scrimmage game and based his entire draft profile off of that. He's got some potential, but I'm not really sold he's actually this super high upside guy based just on the physical tools. Like, you're basically drafting a 19-20 year old high schooler. I legitimately think a guy like Chomche was a safer pick.

Just came to post here that it is funny that the board has been bitching for 3 months straight how we need to get younger and more athletic and it's like Horst lost his mind. 'HERE! HERE! HERES YOUR PRECIOUS YOUTH AND ATHLETICISM!' as he storms out leaving us to bitch about the pick.

I can see why people hate the pick but I kind of like it. What's the hit rate even for a starter at 23+? 5%? We were very unlikely to get someone who was a 16 game player at that pick so might as well go big. The flash reminds me a bit of maxey where maybe it gets guys moving a bit where he kicks it back to Dame or a driving the giannis

We wanted younger, more athletic, (better defenders too) but that actually will play. Should we have added that caveat?

[emunney]

A vast majority of #23 are busts. Not going to get all worked up about it immediately.

I mean you could pick Cam Spencer and be fairly certain he'll be able to play NBA minutes immediately, for sure in the regular season. But nah let's draft another project who won't help this old ass team at all during the regular season and has 0% chance of contributing in the playoffs.

Or you could sign a vet for a min off the street that probably would add the same amount of production as a 25 year old cam Spencer in next year's playoffs. There's always a sam Merrill you can sign to a 10-day or a 3/$5m contract if we need a flawed white guy that can shoot 3s.

We talking about the same Cam Spencer from these clips who looked like he couldn't stay in front of our draft pick if the fate of the world hung in the balance?

[HaroldinGMinor]

Love this pick

[humanrefutation]

A lot of folks here are making an assumption that we could have taken a player at 23 that could have been a significant contributor next year. I just never saw that as very likely. Doc is going to prefer veterans and will hopefully be trying to work AJG and AJax into the rotation next year. It's likely that whoever we would have drafted at 23 would be spending a lot of time waiving towels and high fiving (and playing with the Herd). Whatever theoretical production that they could bring in the short term would likely be matched or exceeded by a minimum vet.

This draft being as weak as it is, I'll always take the guy with higher upside and longterm potential over a lower ceiling player who may not see much of the rotation either way.

[Matches Malone]

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[SickMother]

Maybe Horst just sucks period?

Eww, sounds bloody.

[MiltownMadness]

A lot of folks here are making an assumption that we could have taken a player at 23 that could have been a significant contributor next year. I just never saw that as very likely. Doc is going to prefer veterans and will hopefully be trying to work AJG and AJax into the rotation next year. It's likely that whoever we would have drafted at 23 would be spending a lot of time waiving towels and high fiving (and playing with the Herd). Whatever theoretical production that they could bring in the short term would likely be matched or exceeded by a minimum vet.

This draft being as weak as it is, I'll always take the guy with higher upside and longterm potential over a lower ceiling player who may not see much of the rotation either way.

You're right. If anything we would've been frustrated to pick a guy who we thought could contribute right now, only to be on the Herd all year while he is already 22

[FrieAaron]

Rooting for him, of course. I had him at 68, lmao. At least he has nothing but upside. Feels like we could have had him at 33.

[AussieBuck]

From the clips the guy looks to have more natural feel for the game than MarJon.

Need to know more from our Aussie friends about the NBL. Do young guys like this get PT there? Or did this guy particularly suck so he didn’t get many minutes.

Young guy will get minutes if they're ready. It is a rougher league though, not ideal for a rake of a kid.

[Dick Tate]

Taking a swing on a guy 2 years away is pretty good indication the org thinks 2 or 3 of AJ, AJax and Marjon are ready to take a leap.

[Ron Swanson]

I'm actually fine with the thought process. I mean, everyone agreed we needed to get "younger and more athletic" right? Well, he certainly gives you both of those things, and I'll stress till the end of time that you should always be drafting upside in the NBA.

I'm just less enamored with the actual player. He was, and this can't be stressed enough, absolute garbage in the NBL. The shooting mechanics themselves seem fine, but sub-30% from 3 and sub-60% from the line is incredibly worrisome even at his age. It's like Horst watched the Combine scrimmage game and based his entire draft profile off of that. He's got some potential, but I'm not really sold he's actually this super high upside guy based just on the physical tools. Like, you're basically drafting a 19-20 year old high schooler. I legitimately think a guy like Chomche was a safer pick.

He took 93 shots in the NBL. 7-13 from the line. You can't really think these percentages mean anything.

Yeah, fair to dismiss the FT stuff with that small of a sample size. I don’t think it’s fair to dismiss how he hasn’t looked like he’s anywhere close to a competent basketball player outside of one scrimmage at the NBA Combine though. Long story short…

[msiris]

A lot of folks here are making an assumption that we could have taken a player at 23 that could have been a significant contributor next year. I just never saw that as very likely. Doc is going to prefer veterans and will hopefully be trying to work AJG and AJax into the rotation next year. It's likely that whoever we would have drafted at 23 would be spending a lot of time waiving towels and high fiving (and playing with the Herd). Whatever theoretical production that they could bring in the short term would likely be matched or exceeded by a minimum vet.

This draft being as weak as it is, I'll always take the guy with higher upside and longterm potential over a lower ceiling player who may not see much of the rotation either way.

So your saying a guy like Shannon had zero chance of given you any production during the regular season? I would bet you any money that Shannon has better chance of being better pro than AJ.

[msiris]

Taking a swing on a guy 2 years away is pretty good indication the org thinks 2 or 3 of AJ, AJax and Marjon are ready to take a leap.

There was talk of Marjon taking a leap last year.