At No. 17 spot in draft, Bucks’ options for big man appear slim

If you've been following our ongoing positional look at the Milwaukee Bucks' options in the draft, you might have caught yourself thinking, "Sure, another point guard or wing might be nice, but this team really needs a physical player inside who will consistently grab rebounds and anchor the defense."

There's certainly a case to be made for that. The Bucks ranked last in rebounds per game last season (39.8), and that number wasn't just a function of Milwaukee playing at a slower pace. The Bucks ranked in the bottom five in offensive (26th) and defensive (29th) rebounding percentage in 2017-'18.

Finding a big man with the 17th pick in Thursday's draft could be a reasonable option to try to add a new dimension to the team's capabilities down low. However, despite the draft being loaded with talented big men at the top, there might be slim pickings by the time the

Bucks get their turn to make a selection.

Current bigs

Milwaukee's trio of bigs, John Henson, Thon Maker and Tyler Zeller, are all under contract for next season. They all

have length, but they aren't the strongest bunch in the league, which often caused issues when going up against the league's more physical centers.

Henson, thrust into a starting role following early-season struggles by Maker and the trade of Greg Monroe, had what could be considered his best season. He averaged 8.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks while shooting a career-best 57.2% before having his season cut short by a back injury during the playoffs. It was a solid year for him, but Henson still has room to improve when it comes to his rebounding and consistency at the defensive end.

Maker experienced a sophomore slump during an inconsistent regular season but again showed flashes of high potential when he gave the Bucks a jolt at both ends in Games 3 and 4 of their playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

If Maker can carry forward his playoff success, bulk up, improve his rebounding and get more consistent on threepointers, he could be a valuable floorspacing big and rim protector despite his lean frame.

Zeller is on a team-friendly, nonguaranteed contract and had some strong performances last year, but unless something changes with the new coaching staff he's going to start the season as the third option.

Texas A&M's Robert Williams could be Milwaukee's best center option if he slips to No. 17, but he's likely going to be picked higher. He appears to have the ability to defend multiple positions.

Why drafting a big would make sense

If there's a player who has the skills and frame to become a reliable, physical inside presence and can excel in the pick-and-roll game — both offensively and defensively — then it's not too hard to imagine him finding a role with the Bucks. As mentioned, the Bucks were a terrible rebounding team last year and definitely did not get enough of a contribution from their centers.

When it comes to Henson and Maker, the two players who have the most longterm potential with the Bucks considering their contract situations, there are undoubtedly ways they can get stronger, but their frames are their frames. They're not going to suddenly bulk up and be able to physically match up with the likes of Joel Embiid, Andre Drummond or DeAndre Jordan.

There could be value in finding a player with a different body type who can add on more muscle and battle inside for rebounds. If that player can also step out and stretch the floor that would be a major bonus.

Why drafting a big may not be ideal

Among the reasons the Bucks moved on from Monroe and like Maker is because they recognize the need to spread the floor and create driving lanes for their star Giannis Antetokounmpo. If they can surround Antetokounmpo with shooters the defense has to respect, that will open up the floor and afford Antetokounmpo and others with opportunities to create one-on-one matchups for layups or take advantage of double-teams for open three-pointers.

Adding a big, interior player to the offensive scheme can gum up the works since that gives one less outside threat and allows the defense to stay packed in. If there are big men out there who can also stroke the three-ball they tend to go higher in the draft than 17th because of how valuable they can be as part of any offense.

This year is no exception, as there may only be one or two first-round worthy centers available by the time the Bucks pick. In that situation, Milwaukee could be better served taking better all-around player at a different position.

Also, considering Antetokounmpo's size and skill set, the Bucks may opt to go to him at the center position more under new coach Mike Budenholzer, which would mitigate the need for a traditional center. In that case, the Bucks might find the free-agent market as a better alternative to investing in developing a rookie.

A few options

Here are a few bigs who could be available for the Bucks at No. 17.

(Player, age, height, weight, previous team)

MITCHELL ROBINSON, 20, 7-foot, 233 lbs., Chalmette High School

A McDonald's All-American, Robinson was considered to be a top 10-15 prospect in high school. He then surprisingly signed to play collegiate basketball at Western Kentucky but left the school over the summer shortly after arriving. Robinson then spent the year training for the draft and skipped the NBA draft combine. He's known for his size, length and extreme athleticism, but his true skills and commitment level are still an unknown. He's a high-risk, high-reward prospect.

MORITZ WAGNER, 21, 6-foot-11, 241 lbs., Michigan

It would be a shock for the Bucks to take Wagner here. He's an offensively skilled big who shot nearly 40% on 160 three-point attempts last season with the Wolverines, but he's still got a lot of room to grow defensively and thus is considered to be a second-round pick.

ROBERT WILLIAMS, 20, 6-foot-10, 241 lbs., Texas A&M

Williams is still raw, but he could be Milwaukee's best center option if he slips down to No. 17. In most mock drafts he's considered to be a top-15 pick. He can't do much as a scorer outside of the paint, but inside the paint, he is always a threat to soar for an alley-oop either off a cut or pick-and-roll. Williams has enough athleticism to defend multiple positions and rack up blocks, but still has room to improve as a defender. One of the most troubling aspects of his game is his 47% free-throw shooting, which for someone who is so limited offensively could become a major detriment.