In the weeks following Summer League, it’s dawned on me that, at long last, the Bucks may finally have hit the (draft) lottery with their selection of Brayden Burries, who was named to the All-NBA Summer League First Team. We aren’t talking enough about the fact that a player who most people, including me, projected as a “high-floor, low-ceiling player” just averaged 23.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, 2.0 SPG on 50% shooting and 36% from three. And the cherry on top? He had three (three!) turnovers in 108 minutes of action. Like, what?
Credit where it’s due, Mr. Horst, you cooked with this one. Burries had always been the player I felt the best about Milwaukee taking at pick 10, but that wasn’t because I thought he had much of a chance to be a guy; it was because I believed he had a really dependable floor. Maybe it was cope because the Bucks were picking 10th, but I had this idea in my head that although Wagler, Brown, Acuff, and Flemings might have higher ceilings than Burries, Burries’ floor was more dependable, and if these aforementioned players didn’t hit their ceilings, Burries could well become the best of the bunch.
For example:
Keaton Wagler has elite shooting ability, but his lack of explosiveness and physicality could spell problems.
Mikel Brown Jr. has a decent mix of different attributes—which was why I liked him the most out of this group—but he is quite skinny, can be wild with the ball, and had serious injury concerns in college.
Darius Acuff Jr. has seemingly elite on-ball scoring ability, but will he ever be passable on defence?
Kingston Flemings has elite speed, but he’s small, slight, has short arms, and had a very questionable shot diet in college.
I saw Burries as a high-floor option who maybe won’t reach the heights some of these guys will in certain areas, but a player who had less-pronounced weaknesses on both ends of the floor. However, what if his offensive ceiling is actually just as high as these players? Maybe his on-ball scoring ability can rival Brown’s? What if his three-point shooting is just as efficient as Wagler’s? Burries’ defence projects to be the best out of this entire group, so he’s theoretically already leading the clubhouse in that aspect.
I mean, I can’t emphasise enough how flabbergasted I was watching this guy not only assume primary ball-handling responsibilities in Vegas, but excel in the role. He did it game after game, and I feel like people got used to it as the week went along… but he wasn’t really expected to do that! Ironically, Burries’ defence, which was what he was expected to excel in, was a tad underwhelming in Vegas, but I’m splitting hairs at this point.
Curiously, Burries didn’t really get the chance to play on the ball at Arizona, and I kept wondering why. My theory: Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd is secretly a Bucks fan and deliberately held Burries back so that he’d fall to 10! In all seriousness, though—after so many missed picks over the years—the fact that there’s a chance that we look back five years from now and say “the Bucks drafted the fifth-best player in the 2026 class at 10” is so dope.
Look, I was banking on the three-point shot being a strength for Burries, but since when did he have all this off-the-bounce game? I did not foresee this ability to come off pick-and-rolls and make the right decision, whether that’s getting to a pull-up jumper, rampaging to the rim, or passing to the open man. Amazing. Your mind runs wild; if he’s doing this at age 20, what will he be in five years? Can he make an All-Star team? I realise I’m getting way over my skis here and overindexing on mostly meaningless basketball, but it’s at least fun to think about.
And then comes the roadblock: Milwaukee’s bloated guard room. It’s inarguable that Burries needs to play, and if he’s not getting at least 25 minutes per night from game one, that’s a huge mistake. It seems like the fanbase is in relative agreement on this as well, with 63% of fans believing the roster needs balancing. It would be malpractice to have this kid riding the pine while guys who probably aren’t long for the team play over him; someone has to go, because this kid is up next.
While I’m on the topic, weigh in on this week’s Bucks Reacts survey about Jon Horst’s drafting record:
Have fans been too harsh on Horst's drafting record?
Have fans been too harsh on Horst's drafting record given that he hasn't picked in the lottery since 2016 and the selection of Brayden Burries looks to be a major hit?