It’s no secret that the Milwaukee Bucks are going to enter the upcoming season without a reliable point guard rotation. If they don’t resolve this problem in free agency, they can fix it by selecting Alabama Crimson Tide star Mark Sears in the draft.
Sears spent the first two years of his college stint playing for the Ohio Bobcats in 2020 and 2021. This came after he had a stellar high school career that saw the point guard lead Hargrave Military Academy to the National Prep Championship’s Final Four with 37 wins and four losses.
As s freshman, Sears didn’t get to see much action on the court as Ohio’s reserve point guard. During this period, he averaged 8.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 24 games for the Bobcats. Those numbers would later increase to 19.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists during his sophomore campaign when Sears was made the starter.
After those two years in Ohio, Sears entered the transfer portal and played for the Alabama Crimson Tide. In his fourth and final year of college basketball, the 6’1 guard posted averages of 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists. He also connected on 50 percent of his field goals and 43 percent from beyond the arc.
Milwaukee Bucks Projected To Select Alabama Crimson Tide Star Mark Sears To Resolve Point Guard Issue
Due to veteran Patrick Beverley‘s contract expiring, the only point guard locked up for the Bucks next season is All-Star Damian Lillard. To address that need, Milwaukee can use a pick on Sears to address this predicament, as noted by William Moxon in an article for Behind the Buck Pass.
“As the backup to Lillard, Sears could bring an offensive spark to the game when the veterans sit, and his ability to score at all levels is something the Bucks were missing from their bench unit this season.
When Lillard was traded to the Bucks, the pick-and-roll between him and Giannis was highlighted as being a deadly play and perhaps was not utilized as much as it could have been. Sears is great in the pick-and-roll and could follow suit with the offensive set when Lillard sits,” Moxon wrote.
Although he stands shorter than most guards in the NBA, Sears boasts an offensive game that can provide the Bucks with much-needed scoring when both Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo are on the bench. Furthermore, Milwaukee will still have a second-round pick left if they decide to use their 23rd first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft on the Alabama star.
It remains to be seen whether Sears will go to Milwaukee or some other team in the league. What’s certain, though, is he gives the Bucks a strong candidate to fill up the backup guard role for years to come.
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