When the Milwaukee Bucks were on the clock with the 23rd pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, ESPN did not have AJ Johnson as one of the top 10 players available on the board. Bucks fans were thinking they could go with Johnny Furphy from Kansas, Kyle Filipowski from Duke, Tyler Kolek from Marquette, or Terrence Shannon Jr. from Illinois.
However, none of those players were called when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the 23rd overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Instead, the name that was called for the Milwaukee Bucks was AJ Johnson. This was a shocking pick because Johnson is more of a project at the moment for the Bucks.
They needed a player who could help them now in the Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard era, rather than waiting 3-4 years down the road, where they could be entering a rebuild. They will also have the 33rd overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, but who are three players the Milwaukee Bucks should have drafted 23rd overall instead?
The Milwaukee Bucks Should Have Selected Duke Center Kyle Filipowski Instead Of AJ Johnson
When centers Kel’el Ware from the Indiana Hoosiers and Daron Holmes II from the Dayton Flyers were off the board, the Milwaukee Bucks draft plans may have shifted a little bit. They do need a replacement for center Brook Lopez eventually. Lopez is 36 years old and has been mentioned in trade rumors all offseason.
Kyle Filipowski would have been a good pick for the Bucks here. In 36 games played as a sophomore last season with the Duke Blue Devils, he averaged 16.4 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.5 BPG, and 1.1 SPG. Filipowski also shot 50.5% from the field, 34.8% from three-point land, and 67.1% from the free-throw line.
Winger Johnny Furphy For the Kansas Jayhawks Was Surprisingly On the Board Still
When the Cleveland Cavaliers were on the clock with the 20th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, it felt like Cleveland was going to take him with that selection. However, they decided to take a different winger instead by selecting Jaylon Tyson from the California Golden Bears.
Johnny Furphy would not have been a bad choice for the Milwaukee Bucks. As a freshman last season in 33 games played with the Kansas Jayhawks, he averaged 9.0 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.3 BPG, and 0.9 SPG. Furphy also shot 46.6% from the field, 35.2% from three-point land, and 76.5% from the free-throw line.
Guard Terrence Shannon Jr. For the Illinois Fighting Illini Was a Polarizing Prospect
Illinois Fighting Illini guard Terrence Shannon Jr. had some off-the-court issues in the past. As a basketball player, he is a tremendous talent. Shannon Jr. is more of a proven player right now than AJ Johnson is. Terrence Shannon Jr. was selected 27th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Last season with the Illinois Fighting Illini, he averaged 21.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 2.2 APG. A lot of Milwaukee Bucks fans know who he is because a lot of Bucks fans are Wisconsin Badgers fans. Illinois beat Wisconsin in the BIG10 Title game this season and Shannon Jr. played a huge role in that game. He helped them get to the Elite 8 before losing to the UCONN Huskies.
