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SB Nation Mock Draft: The Milwaukee Bucks select Tyus Jones

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Bucks select Tyus Jones from Duke

From Brew Hoop: On paper the Bucks are already loaded with young point guards; unfortunately they're not yet loaded with really good point guards. As a result, they may not be able to pass up a player with Tyus Jones' skill and potential, especially this late in the first round. Despite turning 19 only weeks ago, Jones was a crucial component of Duke's title-winning team last spring, providing an intriguing combination of playmaking, shooting and big-game cajones despite lacking ideal size for a point guard. The latter issue is the primary reason Jones could slip to the latter half of the first round, despite the fact that he projects as a top-ten talent by virtually every advanced projection model.

Honorable mention goes to fellow advanced stat darling Delon Wright, whose length and defensive versatility would fit more neatly with the Bucks' existing defensive system.

Kevin: The Bucks needed another point guard because Michael Carter-Williams is not the answer there in the long term.  MCW peaked in college and they might have just drafted another player who peaked in college too.

Houston was smart to pass on him and go with the more NBA ready Grant.  Jones won’t be able to guard most point guards in the NBA (except maybe MCW).  On the plus side he can finish, he can run the pick and roll with pretty good precision and he’s definitely a point guard.

Maybe he replaces Bayless long term as the backup, but I really don’t see him as a long term starter at the point guard position in the NBA.

Taylor: MCW, Tyler Ennis, Jerryd Bayless, Jorge Guiterrez, and now Tyus Jones. Whoaaaaa mama, that's a lot of point guards. Gutierrez is a restricted free agent and the Bucks wouldn't lose anything by letting him go. I'd rather give minutes to Jones over Bayless and Ennis is still an enigma. I still think the Bucks could use some depth at shooting guard instead, but this isn't a bad pick. Jones is the kind of talent you don't expect to be available this late and if he is, you kind of have to snatch him up. This glut of point guards could be a precursor to more deals, or it could just be because Jason Kidd has shown an affinity for playing two point guards at once. Either way, a solid pick.

Lucas: Tyus Jones to the Bucks at 24 is surprising to me for two reasons: the first being I didn’t expect Jones to be available this late in the draft. I am also surprised that the Bucks decided to take Jones, considering the fact that they already have Tyler Ennis and Jerryd Bayless as backup point guards, not to mention Michael Carter Williams at the helm. Some may view this selection as a sign that the front office does not have faith in MCW as the point guard of the future for this team. However, I’m not sure that is the case, I believe it is a sign that the team doesn’t believe that Tyler Ennis will ever become a serviceable NBA point guard, and view Jones as a capable backup in the short term, and if he beats out MCW for the starting point guard position, so be it. Jones’s lack of size is well documented, and the fact that he only converted 41.7% of his field goals this season is a legitimate concern. Still, Jones has a great feel for the game, and possesses good foot speed and speed, and should be able to create scoring advantages for his teammates in the open court.

Dontae: The Bucks getting Tyus Jones this late in the draft is a steal. They need a point guard that can shoot and run the offense. As skilled as Michael Carter-Williams is, Ricky Rubio and Rajon Rondo are showing that your team is going to struggle in today’s NBA if your lead guard doesn’t shoot well from outside. Tyus Jones fits that bill to a "T."

Jones is the truest point guard in this draft, and next to athletes like Giannis and Parker, with a shooter Khris Middleton on the wing, Jones has a the makings of a great fit on this Bucks team. He may even be able to play with MCW given his shooting ability. He made 43 percent of his pull up jumpers and 39 percent of his spot up attempts this past season. That bodes well for Jones in the NBA.

Alas, his lack of defensive tools and physical attributes may make him a liability to play with on the other side of the ball. Jones will get bullied facing most starting point guards in the NBA today. His lack of effort on that end compounds his issues. His lack of strength contributes to his lack of ability to finish at the rim (44 percent) as well.

The Bucks may have the best situation to mask those issues, though. With a Hall of Fame point guard as a coach in Jason Kidd, Jones has the best teacher on for his future roaming the sidelines. He has a fellow guard in MCW that could guard the tougher defensive assignments on most nights. He can also play off the ball with MCW, easing his need to hunt shots in the paint (along with Jabari Parker’s role as the main scoring option and Giannis development as a swiss army knife).