D.J. Wilson became one of the NBA Draft's surprises Thursday, going No. 17 overall to the Milwaukee Bucks. A great workout with the team, set up by Wilson's agent, sealed the deal.
“Watching him on film, he fits the DNA of the Bucks, being able to play multiple positions,” Bucks coach Jason Kidd said after the draft. “We thought if he was there, that was one of the guys we thought we had to have."
His versatility and ability to play a number of positions and shoot the ball made him a great fit for an up and coming young team, Bucks general manager Jon Horst added.
“[Kidd] coaches in a way where guys are switch candidates, and they play in a way where they play multiple positions, have multiple skills,” he said. “When we looked at D.J., we saw a player that can play the four, when he gets stronger and matures maybe can play the five and has the skill set to play the three. So we see a lot of positional versatility with D.J.”
Wilson averaged 11 points per game, but took it to another level down the stretch. He was outstanding in the postseason and is on an upward trajectory.
“You look at a player who had to redshirt early on his career, got a little bit better his next year, got a little bit better at the start of this season then really exploded near the end,” Horst said. “We do a lot with analytics, and our analytics guys looked at his year ... he played with the same effectiveness throughout the year; he just started using the ball more as the season went on. So we know he can be efficient in any role.”
Wilson disappeared on the glass at times and averaged only 5.3 rebounds per game. Kidd joked that it made him a perfect fit.
“We don’t rebound the ball,” Kidd said. “I’m just joking. He has the ability to improve, D.J. and the rest of the team.
"The things that he brings, when we talk about being 6-10, is being able to block shots, use your length. That’s our DNA. Hopefully he can do those things that we see. When you talk about today’s NBA, there is no position. Look at the Finals — there is no center. So he fits what we’re trying to build here.”
Kidd noted Wilson was well coached at Michigan, and Horst said the team had Wilson at the top of their board for quite some time. He noted that while many had him projected as a late first round, early second round pick, they were hoping he would fall to them.
Wilson became Beilein's sixth player drafted in the first round in the last five years.
Michigan's other draft eligible players, Zak Irvin and Derrick Walton, didn't get picked. Irvin will spend his summer with the Miami Heat summer league team, Walton with the Orlando Magic's.
