Милваукее Буцкс Драфт Атхлетиц Винг Дефендер МарЈон Беауцхамп

The Milwaukee Bucks did something on Thursday that they haven’t done in years: Selected and kept a first-round draft pick. Slated in the 24th spot in the 2022 NBA Draft, Milwaukee drafted MarJon Beauchamp out of the G-League Unite

Milwaukee fell short (pun emphatically intended) of defending their NBA Title by bowing out in the second round of the playoffs to the Boston Celtics. During that run, their lack of size on the wing was exposed by the likes of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as the duo had success against smaller defenders such as Wesley Matthews, Pat Connaughton and Grayson Allen.

To be fair, a lot of their issues were caused by the absence of Khris Middleton who was injured during the opening round and missed the entire seven-game set against the Celtics. However, they won’t be fixed solely by his return.

Beauchamp has the traits to help immediately on that front. Before the draft, I outlined five skills the Bucks should target, including a physical wing and someone who can get their hands on a lot of balls. The good news is he checks both of those boxes.

Standing 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot wingspan, he has the ability to hang with any wing on the perimeter. His length is a key ingredient to his success in the NBA and he has a pretty good idea about how to use it. That should allow him to hang with the Tatum’s and Butler’s of the NBA.

He also has the strength to build upon and avoid getting bullied down low. He has a strong base that he leverages when guys try to take him to the block and it’s very difficult to push him around.

He wraps up his defensive potential with tremendous effort on that side of the court as well. He’s bought in to the importance of defense—a must have-trait for any player in Mike Budenholzer’s system, especially rookies. His combination of length and strength also means he’ll be able to defend multiple positions and further unlock a switching lineup for the Bucks.

There are more holes in his game offensively—such as shooting—but he understands his role on that end of the court as well. He only connected on 24.2 percent of his 33 three-point attempts for the G-League last year, demonstrating that he has a lot of work to do on his shot. The good news is he has a good base to build upon and has the potential (key word) to develop into a league-average shooter if all goes as planned.

For now, he relies on his supreme athleticism to get his points. Even in a G-League full of athletic marvels, Beauchamp stood out. His leaping ability and wingspan allowed him to soar above the rim and finish where nobody else could. Besides Giannis Antetokounmpo, he could be the most athletic player on the Bucks’ roster.

That athleticism is critical to his success as well. Considering his lack of outside shooting, Beauchamp has a good feel of when and how to cut off ball. He often skies in from the weak side, receives the rock, and rises above the defense to finish with authority. That’s an important trait for the Bucks who rely on a lot of isolation basketball to generate offense. If Beauchamp can find cutting lanes off the ball to make himself available to the passer, that would suffice in the place of a consistent three-point jump shot.

It will be interesting to see how he fits in the Bucks’ locker room. Milwaukee has gelled in previous seasons and their love for one another is evident in many ways. Beauchamp bounced around in high school (four different schools) and attended a community college before landing in the G-League. I’m not sure what it means, but it’s worth keeping an eye on. Hopefully, one of the Bucks many vets takes him under their wings and shows him the game, on and off the court.

For now, there is a lot to like about the Bucks’ newest member. Size on the wing? Check. Hard-nosed defender who can guard multiple positions? Check. Hustle player who can do the little things? Check. Prospect on a cheap four-year deal? Check. Now, let’s see how this turns out for both parties.