D.J. Wilson finds the right fit with Milwaukee Bucks

About three weeks ago, D.J. Wilson decided it was time to get a new suit. Following his decision to forgo his final two seasons at Michigan in favor of the NBA draft, the 6-foot-10 forward figured he would need something to wear for his introduction to the National Basketball Association.

He settled on a dark green, three-piece suit that enveloped a white shirt with a banded collar. There was no way of knowing at the time, but he couldn't have made a better selection.

Sitting at a table beside head coach Jason Kidd and general manager Jon Horst, with Milwaukee Bucks logos covering the backdrop behind them, Wilson's suit meshed perfectly with the team's colors at his introductory press conference on Monday morning.

"Kind of a little bit of foreshadowing," said Wilson, whom the Bucks selected 17th overall in the draft last Thursday. "I think it was something that was just destined to happen."

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While it might have been destiny, there were few outward signs of the Bucks' intention. Milwaukee had Wilson on its target list for scouting and watched him on multiple occasions during the year, but during the pre-draft process didn't have many interactions with him.

The team talked with Wilson at the NBA draft combine in May before Wilson had decided to stay in the draft. Then the two sides had another short conversation during a private pro day held by Wilson's agent, Darren Matsubara of Wasserman Media Group.

"It wasn't much at all," Wilson said of his contact with the Bucks.

That level of interaction was on par with how Wilson handled every team over the past six weeks. He attended the combine but then eschewed the customary circuit of working out for teams, instead choosing to only participate in his agency's pro day.

When it came time for the draft, Wilson again chose to stay out of the spotlight. Instead of traveling cross-country to Brooklyn's Barclays Center, he watched the draft from home in California with about 15 family members and friends. When his name was called, he was the first player called who was not in attendance.

“We all kind of celebrated once I was picked, went out to dinner, then kind of stayed low-key and chilled for the rest of the night," Wilson said.

Wilson's contact with the Bucks might not have been much, but it proved to be more than enough. While he noted that in-house workouts and interviews are important, Horst pointed to those elements as just a small piece of the puzzle. Outside of that, Horst and his staff had compiled their own scouting reports, pored over film and done extensive background research to build a strong profile on Wilson to inform their decision.

“We felt very confident with the things that we were able to accomplish throughout this process that we were getting the right guy," Horst said.

Part of Wilson being the right pick at No. 17 was how the team saw him fitting in with the Bucks' identity and style of play. Over the past few weeks, Horst and Kidd have often pointed to the "Bucks DNA" of length, versatility, hard work and character, and they believe Wilson slots in perfectly with those traits.

Standing at 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan combined with good athleticism and footwork, Wilson certainly has the physical tools to fit in.

"Someone said (we have) seven players with a 7-foot or greater wingspan. That's what we're trying to build," Horst said. "We're trying to build a team that shrinks the floor defensively, that can do things around the rim offensively because of length and skill and talent."

Based on what they have seen, the Bucks believe Wilson has the perseverance and blue-collar mentality to grow as a player and make an impact on the court. At the very least, Wilson's going to get his chances to prove himself. Last year's rookie class of Thon Maker and Malcolm both got plenty of opportunities and ultimately started every game of the Bucks' playoff series against the Toronto Raptors.

"I think we're looked upon as the CYO team, the team that everybody gets a chance to play," Kidd said. "Everybody gets minutes. D.J. will have his opportunity. You look at Thon, you look at Malcolm and everything they could do for us last season — they were prepared, they worked and they were rewarded.

"I think the big thing for D.J. is he's just got to come in and follow the blueprint (of the other players). ... Thon's a worker, Malcolm's a worker, we all know Giannis (Antetokounmpo) is a worker."

Wilson, who will wear No. 5, has already heard from about half of his new Bucks teammates. He knows the expectation of hard work and that he's going to need to continuously improve his 240-pound frame. While at Michigan he focused on adding muscle and knows the effort it will take to add even more now that he's at the next level.

There won't be much time to settle in. He'll be one of the centerpieces of Milwaukee's squad for the Las Vegas summer league and his first game will be July 7.

Kidd's looking forward to seeing his newest versatile weapon suited up in green again and thinks his skills and the way they fit with the Bucks will begin to stand out during summer league.

"You're going to see someone who can take a rebound and bring it down," Kidd said. "He's very comfortable with the ball. You can see him starting the offense. Again, we talked about the fit of the DNA, he has a blueprint of Giannis and Thon and Malcolm in front of him and so we're not going to tell him not to bring the ball up.

"We want to see him at his best. He can find guys, he can shoot it, but we want him to be a basketball player. That's the plan this summer and to prepare him for the marathon once the season starts."