The time has come for sports fans worldwide to park themselves in front of the TV and watch teenagers put hats on for money. That’s right, folks: the NBA Draft is here.
With likely future stars on the board like Marvin Bagley III, Michael Porter Jr. and Luka Dončić The First, there’s a lot of talent joining the league tonight. And hopefully some of it is still around when the Bucks pick at No. 17.
It’s not the worst position to be picking from, but it’s also not the best (clearly). Much of the marquee talent will be gone by the time the clock starts for Milwaukee, leaving the team to deal in uncertainties — that is, talented players whose professional viability is a mystery. And nobody likes uncertainties.
So that fans have a clearer idea of what to expect, here’s a look at the last 10 players to be picked at the No. 17 spot (or Seventeeners, if you will) — the good, the bad and the confusing.
2017: D.J. Wilson, Milwaukee
Wilson is a freakishly long big who seems tailor made for future Bucks successes, but he hasn’t spent enough time on the court to form an opinion on him one way or the other. Perhaps Wilson can find a way to fit in with the team this season, lest he go the way of Rashad Vaughn.
2016: Wade Baldwin IV, Memphis
Baldwin was waived by the Grizz just prior to the start of his second pro season. He’s since signed with the Portland Trail Blazers, where he finds himself behind perennial All-Star Damian Lillard on the depth chart. Still the most successful player of the four Wade Baldwins.
2015: Rashad Vaughn, Milwaukee
That’s right, the Bucks are in the No. 17 for the third time in four years. A good-on-paper shooting guard who failed to make a lasting impression, Vaughn last played for the Orlando Magic and is currently a free agent. As for the Bucks, third time’s the charm?
2014: James Young, Boston
Once a standout at powerhouse Kentucky, Young has all but faded away as a pro, playing mostly in the G League for Boston, Philly and extremely briefly Milwaukee.
2013: Dennis Schroder, Atlanta
Finally, a guy who’s done something! The German point guard has become a cult hero in the NBA, anchoring a Hawks squad that’s long fascinated basketball dorks. He’s currently on the trading block in Atlanta, meaning some lucky team is going to land themselves a field general who’s averaged 12.9 points and 4.8 assists so far in his career. Not spectacular numbers, but Schroder is a grinder and the first of the recent Seventeeners to be a true success.
2012: Tyler Zeller, Dallas
In 2018, the former North Carolina star was traded by the Brooklyn Nets to Milwaukee for another Seventeener, Rashad Vaughn. He’s never going to be a star (sorry, Tyler) but has been a solid contributor for much of six-year career, making the most of his career average 17.6 minutes per game by grabbing 4.4 rebounds and shooting a not-altogether-terrible .508 from the field. Good for you, Zelly!
2011: Iman Shumpert, New York
Shump is a solid player who won a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. In his seven seasons, mostly with the Knicks and Cavs, he’s underperformed offensively but has built a reputation as a tenacious, if inconsistent, defender. Also, he spits hot fire.
2010: Kevin Seraphin, Chicago
This Frenchman has bounced between Europe and the NBA since being drafted, last appearing stateside for the Indiana Pacers in 2017. He currently plays for FC Barcelona Lassa of Liga ACB.
2009: Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia
In my opinion, Jrue Holiday is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. The point guard was an All-Star in 2013 and just this year, with the New Orleans Pelicans, was named to the All-Defensive First Team. Holiday was also a huge part of NOLA’s playoff campaign this year, putting 23.7 points, 6.3 assists and 5.7 rebounds across two rounds of play. And with Anthony Davis potentially bidding adieu to the Pelicans soon, the stage appears set for Holiday to take on a far more major role in that team’s future.
2008: Roy Hibbert, Toronto
Best known for his work on the Indiana Pacers — and, subsequently, Parks and Recreation — Hibbert is a two-time All-Star who was a major part of the Pacers’ string of successes with Frank Vogel as head coach. Few people have Hibbert’s defensive skill under the glass, which makes it all the more confusing that he’s more or less disappeared from the NBA altogether.
Other Seventeeners include a Shawne Williams (2006) and a Sean Williams (2007) as well as future stars Shawn Kemp in 1989 and Jermaine O’Neal in 1996, several future Bucks head coaches — Don Nelson (1962), Chris Ford (1972), Larry Drew (1980) — and in 1967 some guy named Phil Jackson.
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