The Milwaukee Bucks were unable to live up to their sky-high expectations in 2022. Following their NBA championship the previous season, the Bucks were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The injury to Khris Middleton left the Bucks without the necessary scoring power, and the Celtics secured the series victory in seven games. Spirits should still be high for Milwaukee, though, as the core remains intact and Giannis Antetokounmpo is arguably the best player in the world.
Regardless, the team will turn their attention to preparing for the next season. The Bucks hold the 24th overall pick in this year's NBA Draft and will be in search of another impact player. Milwaukee has made some solid draft picks in years past but didn't have a first-round pick in the 2021 draft. Expect them to capitalize this year and keep an eye on these three names.
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Best options for Bucks with 24th pick in 2022 NBA Draft
Ousmane Dieng- Forward France
A raw but useful forward, Ousmane Dieng possesses impressive movement for his size and intriguing overall potential. Standing 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot wingspan, Dieng is a switchable defender with disruptive arms. He is a capable ball handler and has impressive burst with it in his hands. The Frenchman looks smooth on the court and has an advanced feel for the game.
The biggest concern with Dieng is his shooting. There is nothing mechanically wrong with his stroke and he looks comfortable pulling up for jumpers, but he has failed to connect at a reliable rate. He shot below 30% on 3-pointers each of the past two seasons with the New Zealand Breakers. Dieng's shooting ability will likely be his biggest swing factor when making the NBA jump. There is a questionable positional fit in the NBA, but the passing feel at his size is rare. The 19-year-old's ceiling is far too high to pass on, and he would benefit greatly from playing behind Giannis.
Jalen Williams- Wing Santa Clara
The 6-foot-6 wing player is a solid shooter who has the feel of an effective NBA role player. The biggest question revolves around his competition level after spending three seasons at Santa Clara. While the team had a strong strength of schedule this past season, it was still far below what many of the other prospects went up against. Williams averaged 18.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 steals during his junior season.
While he played a guard-like role in college, Williams' 7-foot-2 wingspan will allow him to guard larger opponents. He is an effective isolation scorer and looks smooth in the open court. He will need to adjust to a lower usage role in the NBA, but he tends to make the right plays and has a fairly high basketball IQ.
Williams raised his three-point percentage from 27.4% as a sophomore to 39.6% from deep this season. This has been a massive reason for his increase in NBA attention. While some are skeptical if he can continue at this rate, Williams plays with a competitive spirit that often comes with a strong work ethic. He likely won't be an immediate impact player, but Jalen Williams would be a nice long-term fit as a role player for the Bucks.
Walker Kessler- Center Auburn
Walker Kessler is large, strong, and physical big man who began his career at North Carolina before transferring to Auburn. The 7-footer is a skilled scorer who can operate out of the post and knock down a jumper. While his 3-point shot was not effective in college (20%), his willingness to shoot it was encouraging to see. Kessler attempted 1.5 triples per game and was able to at least keep the defense honest. He holds stretch big potential but is likely a few years from establishing this area of his game.
While he averaged 11.4 points and 8.1 rebounds this season, Kessler's money will be made on the defensive end. He plays with a good motor and blocked a ridiculous 4.6 shots per game last season. The 7-footer is a true rim protector who can struggle when switched out on the perimeter. His strength and rebounding ability are major assets, and the tools he has will translate as a backup center. The 20-year-old would benefit greatly from being given a limited skill set to focus on and seeing how much he can expand from there. Brook Lopez is a great player to model his game after, so learning from Lopez as he enters the final year of his contract would benefit Kessler greatly.
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While the missing piece for the Bucks likely won't be on the board at the 24th pick, there are plenty of options that could help the team. Adding a long-term project who can develop into a key piece would be an effective strategy for Milwaukee.
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