Villanova Basketball: How will Donte DiVincenzo fit with the Milwaukee Bucks?

What are DiVincenzo’s strengths?

3-point shooting and confidence

DiVincenzo shot 40.1% from beyond the 3-point arc on 212 total attempts this past season. That is not something that one can easily gloss over considering the high volume at which he attempted these shots. High deadly accuracy from deep is his primary strength but this comes with a caveat. Despite his excellent overall 3-point percentage, he struggled in catch-and-shoot situations, only nailing 36.4% of those attempts. With a smooth shooting stroke and plenty of time to work with his new teammates this offseason, though, that number should increase. This is especially due to the fact that he will likely shoot stand-still 3-pointers at a higher volume in the NBA and will thus develop better muscle memory and a more consistent rhythm with teammates.

Pick-and-roll capabilities

In addition to just being a shooter, though, DiVincenzo is excellent as the ball handler in the pick-and-roll (PnR). He understands how to read the defense in these situations and makes the right decision to pass, shoot, or drive more often than not. An elite pull-up jump shooter, Villanova basketball would often set screens for DDV a few feet beyond the 3-point line so he could use the pick to create separation for a one or two dribble pull-up from distance. In addition, he can use a screen to get a step on his defender and then use his athleticism to finish around the basket. Although not a great playmaker, DDV can make the right read and pass to set up teammates for shots out of the PnR. He ranked in the 97th percentile as a PnR ball handler in points per possession.

Elite athleticism

Here are just a few numbers posted by DiVincenzo at the NBA Combine this year to prove that he is one of the best athletes in this draft class (combine ranking in parentheses):

• Standing vertical leap: 34.5 inches (1st)
• Max vertical leap: 42 inches (T-1st)
• Lane agility drill: 10.72 seconds (5th)
• Three-quarter sprint: 3.11 seconds (9th)
• Shuttle run: 3.11 seconds (11th)

It’s hard to argue with those numbers across the board. DiVincenzo runs the floor extremely well and can jump ridiculously high. It is hard to imagine a better fit for the Bucks’ needs on the wing than a 3-point shooter who can jump out of the gym.

Understanding his role

For a player as confident as DiVincenzo when on the floor, this is a big one. Despite the fact that he clearly had enough talent to be a starter for Villanova this past season, he was comfortable being the spark plug off the bench. In the Bucks, he is joining a team that reached the playoffs last season but suffered due to a lack of depth. DiVincenzo has excelled as a sixth man in each of the past two seasons with the Wildcats and could take on a similar role for the Bucks. In two full seasons under Villanova basketball head coach Jay Wright, DiVincenzo started just 11 of the team’s 76 games.