Call it a cop out but I'm not going to make the mistake of trying to predict what will happen in an unpredictable. Rather, I'm going to lay out a few scenarios of what I think might happen.
The day I've (we've all) been waiting for for the last six months is finally here.
The state of Wisconsin suffered through the worst season in Milwaukee Bucks history, en route to the worst record in the league for the '13-'14 season. They secured the number two overall pick in last month's draft lottery after the Cleveland Cavaliers shocked the basketball world and somehow ended up with the first overall selection.
It was pretty much wide open as far as who could go where with picks one-three after the NCAA Tournament concluded. It was basically down to Kansas freshmen Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins, as well Duke freshmen forward Jabari Parker as the top three.
Then, after Embiid (fairly widely regarded as the best of the three) went down with yet another injury and had to undergo surgery, relatively unknown Australian guard Dante Exum has gone from the outside looking into the top three, to possibly being the third pick in the draft.
I rule out Exum going #1 or #2 because all reports are saying it's down to Wiggins or Parker at number one, then the Bucks will take whoever falls between the two diaper dandies with the number two pick.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford:
Also, new Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry was in Milwaukee this past Monday and spoke to the media.
He said the draft got easier because of the Embiid injury.That basically all but solidifies what's going to happen, right? The Cavs take either Wiggins or Parker and the Bucks get the "scraps" (I use quotes because they're both great prospects), right?
I don't think it's going to be as simple as that when it's all said and done. Bucks' GM John Hammond said they can't really narrow it down to just two players, which, the way he said it, I didn't think that they were leaning toward taking someone other than Wiggins or Parker. He just kind of stated the obvious and didn't want to lose leverage or limit their options.
Obviously, this is going to be a crazy night trade-wise.
The Cavs have apparently been very active in shopping their number one overall selection for more assets or a star. To me, the Cavs have a number of avenues to explore and (once again) don't know what they're doing. They probably want to get LeBron James back but that's a pipe dream. Evidently, owner Dan Gilbert and his front office are split. Gilbert wants Wiggins but the front office favors Parker.
It's no wonder none of the prospects want to go there. Reported dysfunction, an insane owner and a pretty toxic lockerroom with Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters hating each other.
Meanwhile, in sunny Milwaukee, things are great. The Bucks have new ownership invigorating the community and a young group of good guys like Giannis, Brandon Knight and John Henson among others.
Who knows who will be left at the beginning of the season?
What we do know, however, is that Parker wants to play in Milwaukee. That's normally filed in the "Shit No One Says" category in NBA discussions but it was
reported earlier this week that Parker "tanked" his workout for the Cavs to ensure they wouldn't take him.Parker doesn't strike me as the kind of guy to do such a thing with his strong values and good character. Who knows, though? He's born and raised just down the road in Chicago and would be very close to his family. He did wear a green pin thing on his suit coat during his pre-draft media
What do I want?I've long been a Wiggins fan over Parker. I've recently warmed more on Parker, especially since he allegedly wants to play in Milwaukee. I believe that Wiggins has more upside and might fill more of a need down the road offensively but fills a need defensively right away.
Parker is considered to be the most offensively NBA-ready but his defense needs a lot of work, not to mention he's a bit of a tweener. I think he's a four in today's NBA. I mean, he's 6'8" 250+ pounds. He should be able to hold his own.
It will be interesting to see what happens tonight. Again, gun to my head, I want Wiggins but I definitely wouldn't root against Parker.
Either way, it's a big night in Bucks' franchise history.
Tapping The Keg Podcast with Charlie & Mitch graces your ears for another week of fun. We start off the podcast talking about random things in the news or in our life... Most notably, Joel Embiid's Twitter game and pop music. Sports happen around the 10 min mark where we talk about the Brewers sweep, Roenicke's bullpen management and is Yovani Gallardo' trustworthy? We move on to talk about the Bucks full roster with the addition of Kendall Marshall. We do a little Packers training camp before finishing with Tony Dungy and Michael Sam.
