The Bucks are a team that could become a powerhouse real soon and this
is a very important draft for them.  Their net GM is:

   Adam Kick 

who used the 11th pick to select:

   Damon Stoudamire, 5-10 PG, Arizona

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I.    Team needs/history:

A.  General comments

Here is the list of protected players for the expansion draft (with Lister,
Hinson, and Newman UFA's):

Robinson
Baker
Day
Murdock
Mayberry
Mobely
Barry
Conlon

That left Pinkney and Tate George unprotected.  George was taken.

How easy it was to make the protected list (Oh my god, should I protect 
Marty Conlon or Ed Pinkney!) seems to suggest what a shallow team the
Bucks are.  The fact that they only have the 9th worst record in the league
is a testament to the coaching of Mike Dunleavy.  There are at most 5 
players on this team with any value at all.  

B.  Center

Alton Lister is a free agent.  He is old not not particularly effective 
anyway.  Mobely is young and atheletic, but no where close to being an
NBA center.  He is a project, and I would be very surprised if he were
ready in the next two years.  He does have potential, but will likely 
never be much more than a decent role player or back up.  Even that is
being optimistic, I think.  Vin Baker plays some center, and is probably
the Bucks best player at that position.  He is an all-star power forward, 
though, and if the Bucks have to play him at center, the hole at PF becomes
almost as deep as the one at center.  This is clearly the teams greatest
need.

C.  Forward

Vin Baker is one of the best young players in the NBA.  He made the
all-star team in his second season, and looks like a better player
than many drafted ahead of him two seasons ago.  He has a great all
around game.  He passes.  He rebounds.  He blocks shots.  Unless the
Bucks have changed his contract, he doesn't make much money.  He is
probably the best player for the money in the NBA, besides maybe
Latrell Sprewell.  The other forward is Glenn Robinson.  Robinson
isn't as consistent or as versatile as Baker, yet.  He started a bit
slow last year, and had some pretty poor shooting nights, but improved
as the season went on.  He is not the rebounder some may have
expected, but will improve there, too.  He was consistently scoring in
the twentys by the end of last season, and I don't think anyone would
be surprised if he were in the top five or ten in scoring in the next
year or two.  I don't think there is a more exciting young player in
the NBA, with all due respect to Jason Kidd, Grant Hill, etc.  Backing
up Baker is Marty Conlon.  He is a journeyman, but works hard, and
seems surprisingly effective.  johnny Newman is an UFA.  He is a
decent scorer, but that is about it.  Pinkney was a very good
defensive player and good rebounder before he got injured.  He hasn't
played much since then.

D.  Guards

Todd Day has improved considerably since his rookie season, but he
still seems like mostly a three point specialist.  He has had a few
big games, but doesn't use much of his considerable atheletic ability.
He was considered a great defensive player coming out of college.  If
he keeps improving, the bucks will be set at this position, but if
not, he will still be a good role player.  The point guard spot seems
to be shared by Murdock and Mayberry.  Murdock is the better scorer,
but may look to score *too* much for this position.  He would be great
as a third guard, backing up both positions.  Mayberry would be a good
back up, and has more of a point guard mentality, but really isn't a
starting quality guard.  Jon Barry didn't get much time last year.
The Bucks drafted Voshon Lenard last year, and he chose to return to
Minnesota for his senior season.  Barry and Lenard will probably fight
for minutes as the fourth guard, depending on who the Bucks take with
their pick this year.  If either one shows promise, that will be a
bonus.  Point guard is probably the Bucks 2nd biggest need.

The bucks are still in a position where they should take the best
player available.  If that happens to be at point guard or center,
all the better.

II.   My selection:

Damon Stoudamire, 5-10 PG, Arizona

Sure, he is short, and that worries me, but small PG's have had a
resurgence lately.  Look at Avery Johnson and Nick Van Exel.  There
are no guarantees left, though, and while some other players may have
been rated a little higher (trent, childress), those players seem to
be tweeners, and would have had the added difficulty of making an
adjustment to the NBA.  Stoudamire averaged over 7 assists per game on
a team with not a whole lot of talent.  He is a good shooter, and is
quick enough to penetrate.  He may have trouble on defense, but after
seeing the NBA all-defensive first team point guard get lit up in the
playoffs for the second year in a row, I am inclined not to worry.

III.  Others considered:

Randolph Childress, 6-2 PG, Wake Forest

I like Childress, but I was influenced by people who suggested that he
is really a shooting guard, and may have trouble leading an NBA team.
In this regard, he reminded me of Murdock, and I didn't want to
duplicate.  It was suggested that Childress might not have the
footspead to cover other point guards, and while I said above that I
don't care so much about defense, I guess I was still worried that he
would be unable to penetrate in the NBA.  I hate point guards that
can't penetrate.

Gary Trent, 6-7 F, Ohio

I have never seen this guy play.  A lot of people have said he is a
lottery pick, and I came very close to picking him, but I was scared
off by the fact that he supposedly has a pretty weak game facing tha
basket.  If he were two or three inches taller, I would probably have
picked him, but I didn't want to draft at a position the Bucks are so
strong at unless I was pretty sure he could help.  I may regret this.

Rashard Griffith, 6-11 C, Wisconsin

Well, center is the Bucks weakest position, so I had to consider him.
Again, I may regret this, but a whole lot of people have suggested
that Griffith may be a bust.  I'm not sure what I think.  The one time
I saw him this year, I remember thinking he was not as plodding as I
would have thought, and had a decent touch around the basket.  I don't
know, though.  He just made me nervous and I didn't want the Bucks to
end up with two center projects.  I guess what it came down to was the
fact that Wisconsin had two players that are certain first round draft
picks and even lottery picks according to some people, and yet they
didn't even finish in the top half of a very weak big ten.  There's
something wrong with that.

Michael Finley, 6-6 SG, Wisconsin

A year ago I thought this guy was amazing, and I probably would have
picked him.  What a difference a year makes.  I don't know what
happened to him, but it scared me off.

Bob Sura, 6-5 SG, Fla. St.

I loved this guy way back when he was a freshman.  I think he will be
a good NBA player, but I didn't want to give up on Todd Day yet.  This
is another one I may regret.

IV.   Who the team will probably take:

I have no idea.  I wouldn't be surprised to see them take a big man if
one of the better ones is still around.  I was going to take Reeves or
Parks if they were still around, despite my bias against big white
guys, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the Bucks take one of them if
they are there. Other than that, I expect them to take the best player
available.

V.    Other moves:

Well, I said there were only about five guys on this team with any
value, and that may be an overstatement.  I'm not sure what they would
trade.  I think Baker and Robinson ought to be untouchable, and I
doubt there is much interest in the rest of the team.  If they decide
to draft a SG or a PG, they might consider trying to move Day or
Murdock (RFA?) or even Mayberry if they can get anything for them.

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Craig Simpson - Usenet Draft Commissioner