The Milwaukee Bucks were the talk of the town last offseason when they pried Damian Lillard away from the Portland Trail Blazers, a move that led many Bucks fans to dream about a possible championship. Since then they've worked out Isaiah Thomas and watched supporting star Khris Middleton struggle with new injuries.
The Bucks have gone on to fall short of expectations causing Coach Doc Rivers' seat to get hotter while placing the microscope firmly on superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
On Friday, the Bucks got an injury update on guard Andre Jackson Jr. that is of great importance.
According to the Bucks' official Twitter account, Jackson Jr. underwent successful surgery to repair a fracture of his left third finger. The fracture happened in Tuesday's Summer League game vs. the Clippers. Jackson Jr. is expected to participate fully in training camp with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Coach Doc Rivers and the rest of the Bucks, a silver lining on an otherwise challenging time for Milwaukee.
Jackson Jr.'s potential with Bucks
Jackson Jr. is a big body for a guard with a 6-foot-6 frame and enough athleticism to compete with Milwaukee alongside Antetokounmpo and company.
He played his college ball at UConn for Dan Hurley's Huskies and was quietly selected in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft.
Jackson Jr. shot 50 percent from the field and played his role for Coach Rivers' Bucks last season with season averages of 2.2 points and 2.0 rebounds. He doesn't appear set for stardom anytime soon but the Bucks need all hands on deck considering Antetokounmpo and Middleton's injury histories.
Coach Rivers is on the hot seat and the best way to get off it may be to start leaning on the younger guys like Jackson Jr. to pick up some of the slack for Lillard and Middleton while they ease their way into the season, instead of feeling pressure to go hard for an NBA title right off the bat.
Bucks' 2024 title chances
As ‘The Greek Freak,” Middleton and Lillard continue to tweak their games to fit together like pieces of a puzzle, the Bucks' title winning potential figures to go up. They now have a clear target to shoot for in Boston as the Celtics are coming off of franchise title number 18.
Sometimes the best a team can hope for is another team to raise their game, allowing them to sharpen their “spears” so to speak and strengthen their resolve. As Jackson Jr. and the rest of the Bucks get healthy, the stakes are sure to raise, and Coach Rivers' team has the talent to make a run if everyone works together in perfect harmony this fall.
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