Marquette Golden Eagles star Tyler Kolek is no stranger to playing games at the Milwaukee Bucks homesite, the Fiserv Forum. Kolek was one of the best players on Marquette over the past couple of seasons.
During the 2022-2023 season, he won the Big East Player Of the Year Award. Tyler Kolek has helped Marquette be a number two seed in the NCAA Tournament over the past two years. Even though, he did not lead them to a Final Four appearance, his presence within the Marquette program will be missed big time next season.
On Wednesday night, the Milwaukee Bucks will have the 23rd overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and on Thursday afternoon, they will have the 33rd overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. General manager Jon Horst has scouted different players before the 2024 NBA Draft.
Milwaukee Bucks Hosted Marquette Golden Eagles Tyler Kolek For a Workout Before the 2024 NBA Draft
The Bucks have worked out several players. One of the players Milwaukee worked out was Marquette Golden Eagles point guard Tyler Kolek. One of the needs for the Milwaukee Bucks will be a backup point guard to Damian Lillard.
General manager Jon Horst did not address that position well last season. Dalton Sell of behindthebuckpass.com believes that Kolek is one of the top five players that Milwaukee has worked out before the 2024 NBA Draft. Sell said:
“This might be the most surprising player the Bucks have worked out. With such a prominent need for center and wing depth, it was eye-catching to see one of the premier point guards listed among the workout attendees, but it makes sense for the Bucks to do their homework on everyone.
On the offensive side of things, there’s no doubt that Kolek could be an interesting fit. He could be the backup point guard to Damian Lillard, orchestrating the offense when needed. The guard put up 7.7 assists per game this past season, flexing his facilitating prowess while also posting 15.3 points while shooting 38.8 percent from deep. He could be a solid backup point guard offensively.
The concerns with Kolek begin on the defensive end. He’s never been a stout defender, and standing at 6-foot-3, 182 pounds, he could be taken advantage of by larger players at the next level. Does that sound familiar? Milwaukee has battled this problem year after year in recent memory, with smaller players getting picked on defensively by opposing big wings. Kolek would not help that issue.
Some might point out that it may be hypocritical for this writer to knock Kolek’s size when there have been countless articles about why Kris Dunn – also 6-foot- 3 – would be a good fit in Milwaukee. On the surface, sure, but Dunn is among the most underrated defenders in the game today, even at his size. Kolek is not. He’d be a bit of a head-scratcher at 23.”
The Milwaukee Bucks may address the backup point guard position through free agency. Tyler Kolek has been predicted to be drafted anywhere from the middle of the first round to the beginning of the second round. Kolek is 6’1″ and weighs 195 lbs. He also had 4.9 RPG and 1.6 SPG last season with Marquette.
According to Sell, Kolek is ranked 22nd. Some of the other players that the Milwaukee Bucks have worked out are Ryan Dunn of Virginia (24th), Kel’el Ware of Indiana (19th), Jared McCain of Duke (15th), and Zach Edey of Purdue (14th). With the 23rd pick, the Milwaukee Bucks will most likely draft a center with this selection rather than a backup point guard.
