Welcome to the 2017-18 edition of the Young Bucks Tracker. This year, we're taking a different tact. With Milwaukee now having a G League franchise, the Wisconsin Herd, each Thursday we'll either track the progress of the players who might be of help to the Bucks in the future or a current member of the Milwaukee roster. We'll also give updates on the other young players from the previous week.
This is the 4th edition of the 2017-18 Young Bucks Tracker.
SPOTLIGHT ON …
Guard Sterling Brown
A second-round pick by Philadelphia who Milwaukee acquired after draft day, Brown hadn't played much in the Bucks' first 26 games, appearing in just five contests.
The 6-foot-6 rookie guard played just roughly 29 minutes in those games, so it was hard to know what he was truly capable of doing. At SMU, the 6-foot-6 guard proved himself to be a solid defender who could shoot (50.4 percent FG% and 45.1 percent 3P% in his four years with the Mustangs).
Sent to the G League in November for a pair of games with the Wisconsin Herd and then on Dec. 1 for another, Brown averaged 21.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game while having a positive box score plus/minus in all three contests.
It took Brown a couple of weeks after his time with the Herd, but he got on the court for the Bucks on Dec. 15 against Chicago and earned playing time the next two games as well at Houston and vs. Cleveland.
Playing a combined 25 1/2 minutes, Brown made 5 of 9 shots (62.5 percent), including 1-for-2 from 3, collected a couple of steals and had a box score plus/minus of plus-15, with a positive in each game, from a plus-2 vs. the Bulls to a plus-5 against Houston and finally plus-8 vs. the Cavs.
As Jason Kidd continues to fiddle with his bench and the Bucks get healthier, perhaps Brown's time might continue to fluctuate. But last week, he showed he can have a positive impact.
BUCKSHOTS
-- D.J. Wilson, this year's top draft choice, was sent to the Herd to play Wednesday. He started, and in 33 minutes had 12 points on 5-for-12 shooting (2 of 6 on 3s) with five rebounds and two assists. Wilson was recalled by the Bucks on Thursday.
-- After seeing his streak of seven consecutive games scoring in double figures snapped against the Bulls, Malcolm Brogdon put up 20 on the Rockets and 16 against the Cavaliers. Brodgon hadn't reached 20 points in a game since he had 22 on Nov. 7 at Cleveland, which was the last of a three-game streak of 20+ games for him (and his only three 20+-point games on the season up until the Houston game).
-- It was great to see Jabari Parker practice with the Herd, but still his timetable for a return to the Bucks is February.
-- Cameron Oliver, a 6-foot-8 forward from Nevada-Reno, had a good week for the Herd, making 19 of 31 shots (61.3 percent) and scoring 24 points in 26 minutes in a Dec. 15 win over Sioux Falls.
