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Thursday, May 31, 2012

2012 NBA Draft: Who Milwaukee Bucks Should Pick With 12th Overall Pick - Rant Sports

Published: 58 minutes ago

Michael Terrill
Follow on Twitter @MichaelTerrill

Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE

The Milwaukee Bucks have received the 12th overall pick in Wednesday night’s 2012 NBA Draft Lottery. Now that Milwaukee knows where they will be picking it is time for them to decide who will be lucky enough to join the Bucks this upcoming season.

It was highly unlikely Milwaukee would move up in the draft, but stranger things have happened. The 12th overall pick is by no means a bad selection as long as general manager John Hammond makes the right call. There will be several talented players available when the Bucks have their turn on the clock so it basically comes down to a matter of need.

The obvious choice is a big man. After trading away Andrew Bogut, and as much as I appreciate everything he did for Milwaukee I still believe it was the right move, the Bucks desperately need someone to own the paint. Milwaukee already has two guys who can shot-block so what they really need is someone who can score at will.

The Bucks have really never had an offensive threat in the paint, at least not in the past decade. I understand Bogut showed signs of greatness on offense, but considering he was the No. 1 overall pick he should have contributed more.

The question now is who will Milwaukee select? Here are five players the Bucks should consider taking:

Jared Sullinger, F â€" Ohio State

2011 Stats: 37 games, 1,123 minutes, 51.9% field goal, 17.5 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game.

Jared Sullinger would be a fantastic addition to the Bucks as he would bring size, power and the ability to score. Milwaukee could desperately use someone of his talent in the middle to take pressure off of the four other men on the court. The only problem is having Sullinger drop all the way to the 12th spot.

2. Terrence Jones, F â€" Kentucky

2011 Stats: 38 games, 1,114 minutes 50.0% field goal, 32.7% 3-point, 12.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game.

Terrence Jones reminds me a lot of Ersan Ilyasova as he plays like a forward in the paint but can still score from anywhere on the court. If the Bucks could somehow re-sigh Ilyasova and acquire Jones at the same time it could be a double threat no team wants to deal with.

3. John Henson F/C â€" North Carolina

2011 Stats: 35 games, 1,019 minutes, 50.0% field goal, 13.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2.9 blocks per game.

John Henson is another big man the Bucks could utilize in the middle. His offensive game will need a little work but he will bring a lot to the table on defense as he is a phenomenal rebounder and shot-blocker. He would be someone the Bucks pick if there are no offensive big guys on the board that would be worth taking at the 12 spot.

4. Perry Jones III, F/C â€" Baylor

2011 Stats: 33 games, 1,012 minutes, 50.0% field goal, 13.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game.

Perry Jones possesses all the skills necessary to play the forward-center position in the NBA. However, he must work on consistency otherwise players and coaches will chew him up. The Bucks are a quick team which means they need a big man who can get down the court and is athletic. Jones is both of these things which is why he would be a great fit for Milwaukee.

5. Austin Rivers, G â€" Duke

2011 Stats: 34 games, 1,129 minutes, 43.4% field goal, 36.5% 3-point, 15.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.

I know I said the Bucks need a big offensive machine in the middle but if all else fails Milwaukee should select Austin Rivers. Doc Rivers’ son has shown the potential to be great and has all the talent in the world to make a name for himself in the NBA. If Brandon Jennings decides he does not want to play hard-nosed basketball for Scott Skiles then maybe Rivers is the answer at one of the guard positions.

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