Milwaukee Bucks 2023 draft grades feature A to C ratings for second round picks

Second-round picks in the NBA draft are never sure bets to become rotation players.

But the Milwaukee Bucks, with a new head coach and a tricky salary cap, made some interesting moves by trading to pick up Connecticut's Andre Jackson at No. 36 and then using their own selection at No. 58 to get Kentucky's Chris Livingston.

Both players are 6-foot-6 with some intriguing athletic skills but also some big flaws. How soon can they have an impact on a team that is in win-now mode?

No one can say for sure, but that doesn't stop draft pundits from digging into the Bucks' decisions.

Here is a sampling:

The Athletic's John Hollinger and Sam Vecenie (no grades)

Vecenie is a big fan of Jackson's hoops IQ, but he wonders how he will fit with Bucks as a non-shooter, saying "not every team was going to be interested in Jackson. It was going to take someone creative. But if the Bucks are willing to put in the work, Jackson can be an impactful non-shooter."

Hollinger has a higher level of concern, writing "I don’t know how he gets on the court next to Giannis. However, at this level of the draft, the gamble on his defense and playmaking offsetting the lack of scoring was a worthwhile value play."

Vecenie and Hollinger also weren't optimistic about the Bucks getting much from Livingston, who was a prized recruit but underwhelmed at Kentucky.

Vecenie says that "it’s possible he could become one of the top-30 players in this class way down the road. But I’d bet the Bucks don’t get to experience that value. I think he made a mistake turning pro instead of going back to college, especially given that you can transfer once for free."

Hollinger even references George Kalaitzakis, who the Bucks took with the final pick in the 2021 draft and who played just nine games with the Bucks: "Livingston has some long-term upside if everything clicks just right. However, this also could end up as another 'Kalaitzakis special' where the Bucks give the last pick in the draft a partially guaranteed minimum to hold down the last roster spot as inexpensively as possible and minimize their tax bill."

ESPN's Kevin Pelton (B)

Pelton echoes the common theme both picks, writing that he loves Jackson but that "I don't love the fit of a questionable shooter (29% career on 3s) on a team that needs to give Giannis Antetokounmpo as much space as possible to operate."

On Livingston, he simply states that the Bucks "took a dart throw on Livingston, who averaged just 6.3 PPG in his lone season at Kentucky."

CBS Sports' Adam Finkelstein (A for Jackson; C for Livingston)

Finkelstein is enthusiastic about Jackson: "Boy, am I a fan of this pick. Jackson Jr.'s shooting is undeniably a work in progress, but he is an electric athlete who can make plays and add defense as a connective piece for a title contender in the Bucks."

Finkelstein also thinks Livingston isn't quite ready for the NBA, but he understands the Bucks rolling the dice on him: "I'm not a huge fan of Livingston's game and thought another season in college developing would do him well – but I like the idea here for Milwaukee in taking a swing on a former five-star recruit in the hopes of investing in him and hoping he becomes a useful piece. The last pick of the draft is always a dart throw, and the Bucks could have done worse here."

Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley (B-plus for Jackson; B for Livingston)

Buckley doesn't reveal his reasoning for grades, but at least he didn't give the Bucks a D-plus like he did for the Pacers' selection at No. 47 of the G League Ignite's Mojave King, a player some had linked with the Bucks.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Bucks 2023 draft grades from ESPN, CBS, Bleacher Report