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

How will DiVincenzo fit with the Bucks?

For starters, the Bucks’ organization seems ecstatic that DiVincenzo will be joining the team.  Per the Journal Sentinel, general manager Jon Horst had this to say about the pick: “Donte was our guy. If you were up there (in the Bucks’ draft room) and saw the elation … we were worried about it. We thought he’d go a bit before us.”

In terms of his fit with the roster, you can never have too much shooting at the NBA level. Because of this, DiVincenzo is a safe pick due to his ability to splash from beyond the arc. Although he is still developing in catch-and-shoot situations, DiVincenzo is still an outstanding perimeter option. Most notably, Villanova ran plenty of sets that involved a Bridges-DiVincenzo PnR or a Spellman-DiVincenzo PnR that ended in a quick pull-up trifecta by the guard. While continued development as a stand-still shooter will be expected, his floor as a 3-point threat is relatively high.

Additionally, DiVincenzo is an excellent athlete. He rebounds extremely well from the wing and can push the ball in transition. He is not as long as some of his new teammates but he still fits the mold of the rest of the team. The Bucks are built on athleticism and DDV should feel comfortable playing with this roster. Learning new schemes, both offensive and defensive, may take some time but due to the fact that the Bucks have a new head coach, but he will be able to learn right along with everyone else.

In a Draft Night Q&A with the Bucks organization, DiVincenzo had some encouraging things to say about his potential fit with the franchise.

On playing with Giannis Antetokounmpo: “Unreal. I mean, you talk about a superstar, one of the best players in the league right now. Like I said, my job is just go in there and make sure he has all the confidence in the world that I’m on the court with him.”

On working out in Milwaukee: “The workout with Milwaukee, I just went out there and visited. It was toward the end. And we sat down and we talked for a while. I talked to Coach, and I sat with the front office and a couple other players were there. Malcolm Brogdon was there working out, so I got to talk to him a little bit. Everyone was just welcoming. Everybody was great. They were great people, and they really took interest in me. They treated me great there. I’m just thankful to be a part of their organization.”

Lastly, DiVincenzo’s abundance of nicknames should fit right in with the rest of the Milwaukee Bucks. The Greek Freak, Khash, the President, J-Hook, Delly (or Outback Jesus), and more will soon be meeting their new teammate. With nicknames like “The Big Ragu” and the “Michael Jordan of Delaware,” there will be no shortage of nickname lineups for new head coach Mike Budenholzer to play around with.

Next: Preseason Big East rankings

DiVincenzo might not be a high-upside guy like some of the other players on the board but he brings a much-needed set of skills to Milwaukee. His ability to come in and immediately play a role off the bench will be extremely valuable to the Bucks’ depth.