Tuesday was a dream come true for Nate Ament, who became the first Tennessee Vol off the board in the NBA Draft, going No. 13 overall to the Miami Heat. However, he is expected to be traded to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the Giannis Antetokounmpo deal.
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Given this, Milwaukee is in full rebuild mode after the trade. Sure, they got some solid pieces in return like Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez, but overall Milwaukee is not a team that will be better than New York, Detroit, Boston, or Miami. Could they be a play-in team? Sure, that’s not insane to think by any means, but they are not in a championship window. The Bucks are in a rebuilding state, and Nate Ament could be the perfect fit.
Nate Ament has shades of Giannis in his game
Is it fair to compare Nate Ament to Giannis already? No. Giannis is a potential top-25 player of all time, and Ament is just a No. 13 pick who has never stepped foot on an NBA court. But they do have a lot of similarities, and it's maybe even more than Bucks fans would like to admit.
Both players came into the league somewhat overlooked in terms of their games. In most draft classes, Ament would likely be a top-ten pick and possibly even higher. In the weak 2024 draft class, I would have taken Ament in the top three.
Not to mention,Giannis was a very raw young player coming out of Greece who was still filling into his frame. Sound familiar?
Nate Ament is exactly that. He has so much potential, one that could have him nearing an All-Star level, but with all the questions surrounding his game comes a lower floor. If it doesn’t stick for Ament, he likely projects as just a role player. However, if he grows into his very thin frame and continues to polish his game, Ament could undoubtedly become a future All-NBA player. We saw flashes of that in Knoxville.
In a league that values ball-handling wings who can score, Ament is a perfect fit. Plus, he can compete defensively and won't let his team down on that end of the floor. He has true two-way all 94 feet potential.
This is similar to Giannis, who in his first two seasons in the NBA was just okay, not yet the generational player he is today. In his rookie year, he averaged 6.8 points per game, and in his second season he averaged 12.7. It took him time to adjust before he eventually found his game and developed into a star. Bucks fans will need to have that same patience with Ament.
While it’s not likely that Ament ends up better than Giannis, he does have real potential and could become a star in the NBA. He has all the tools to become a future franchise player, but it will take years to see that fully develop. Who knows, Ament could even end up bringing Milwaukee another NBA title.
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