On Thursday, the Milwaukee Bucks hosted their third pre-NBA draft workout in a row, headlined by Nevada sophomore and potential lottery pick Luke Babbitt.
Milwaukee Bucks scouting director Billy McKinney, and to some extent Babbitt himself, gave a few hints why the tweener guard/forward has (literally and figuratively) shot up draft boards, and why he would be an asset to any team willing to believe the hype.
By Jake McCormick
“I can bring offense, spread the floor and shoot it, and go down on the dribble,” Babbitt said. “I’m known for my offense mostly, and I’m a guy that can help a team win.”
In his second year of college, the 6’8″ 215 lbs Babbitt showed he could score with Steve Nash-like efficiency (50% FG, 42% 3FG, 92% FT), but he is by no means a spot shooter with a dribbling deficiency. McKinney likened his skill set to a miniature version of David Lee, as Babbitt is able to play back to the basket and face up, with sneaky aggressiveness penetrating off the dribble. Babbitt makes up for a lack of an explosive first step with the ability to read and react to open lanes as they develop.
“The NBA is about mismatches and size,” McKinney said. “You watch a team play, and you see so many players playing hybrid positions. He falls into that category.”
The impressive thing about Babbitt’s shooting is that he excels in an area that has been fazed out of most NBA gameplans, and brings some surprising athleticism to the court. That label has to conjure up chest pains in Bucks fans that remember hearing the same thing about draft bust Joe Alexander after the Combine, but Babbitt is a basketball player with athleticism, rather than an athlete with some basketball skills.
“When you look at NBA games now, you see teams go for the long range three point shot,” McKinney said. “It’s sometimes feast or famine, the three point game or all the way to the basket. In my opinion, the midrange game is a game that has suffered a bit. Luke Babbitt has that nice midrange 15-17 foot pull up jump shot.”
Babbitt’s versatility could also work against him, as he has shown flashes of promise using his length down low to grab rebounds (8.9 in 2009-10 at Nevada), but doesn’t have the muscle to defend a true post threat.
He doesn’t give up on plays and always works to contest shots along the perimeter, but Babbitt isn’t quick enough to take on speedy guards or athletic forwards. If Milwaukee draft’s the combo guard/forward, it certainly won’t be for his defense, which can be improved with the right coaching. No doubt Scott Skiles is one of those.
“It’s a tough team, and it starts with the head coach,” Babbitt said. “How could you not like (the Brandon Jennings-Andrew Bogut combo)? You can build around those two guys for a long time.”
Milwaukee took Babbitt’s potential serious enough to bring him in for a solo workout on Tuesday as well, where he hit 80% of his shots and spent some extra time getting acquainted with the organization. Although that 80% came from one-on-zero shot attempts, McKinney said it still takes a lot of skill to make those type of perimeter shots, contested or not.
Babbitt’s next workout is on Sunday in Utah, who holds the ninth pick in the draft, and he has already been to Miami and San Antonio. Whether he’s available at 15 or not, his two day performance in Milwaukee indicates at least a good level of interest from the Bucks. Either way, Babbitt isn’t letting the hype get into his head.
“Whatever happens on draft day happens. Who cares about stock?” he said. “I’m trying to go to every workout the best I can and hopefully end up in a good situation.”