The NBA Playoffs are on the horizonso contenders such as the Milwaukee Bucks are not currently thinking about who they might select in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft.
However, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor recently released his new mock draft for next summer, and his choice for the Bucks was certainly worth discussing. With the 25th overall pick. O’Connor has the Bucks selecting Purdue senior Zach Edey.
There’s no denying how good Edey has been at university, as he has a decorated CV that includes a wooden award (he is currently nominated to win again and would be the first repeat winner in over 40 years), 2022-23 AP college player. and 2022-23 Big Ten Player of the Year honors, among many other accolades he has earned over the past few years.
For the 1️⃣2️⃣th time in his career…
Zach Edey was named Big Ten Player of the Week.
????: 2-0 record.
????: 26.5 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 2.5 BPG.
????: 12 weekly honors in the last 34 weeks since last year. pic.twitter.com/v6IfmySvxf— Purdue Men’s Basketball (@BoilerBall) March 11, 2024
He is currently having a career year posting 24.2 points, 11.7 rebounds, two assists and 2.2 blocks while shooting 61.9 percent from the floor. At 7-foot-3, Edey is a massive center who thrives directly to the basket, using his size to score on one side and provide defensive resistance on the other.
As O’Connor noted, Edey could be a potential replacement for Brook Lopez whenever they lose the 36-year-old big man. Like Lopez, Edey has established himself as a solid rim protector and could fit well into a drop coverage system, something Lopez had great success with as Buck since coming on board.
Yet one aspect of his game that has made Lopez so valuable is his perimeter shooting. In order to play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Lopez worked tirelessly on his shot to better space the court, and he became above average. In 130 collegiate games, Edey has only attempted two triples, so it’s not controversial to say that asking him to extend his range would be a tall order.
Of course, people will point out how Lopez began his NBA career as a post scorer who many thought could never develop a long-range shot, and he broke that mold. Could Edey follow these steps? It’s possible, but unlikely unless the big man is willing to completely alter his game, which makes Edey a tricky choice for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Athletics are also a concern here. At 7-foot-3, Edey doesn’t have a ton due to his massive size. A common complaint about the Bucks over the past few years is that they are getting older and lacking athleticism. Adding a big center who fits a similar mold wouldn’t do much to solve this problem for Milwaukee.
In short, Edey wouldn’t be a great fit for the Bucks. There are still several months until the draft, so the front office has plenty of time to do its homework and evaluate several targets. Bringing in a fresh-faced kid to follow Brook Lopez wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world, but there may be better fits for the Bucks than Edey.
To be clear, none of this strikes Edey; he was called the “most dominant” player in college for a reason in this article. However, he simply isn’t the best fit for Milwaukee given their current needs.
Stay tuned for more analysis on the Milwaukee Bucks.
