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Looking at the Milwaukee Bucks' roster, the team will be entering another season with mostly the same core group. Some notable free agents were acquired in the offseason, but all in all, plenty of familiar faces still make up Giannis Antetokounmpo's supporting cast.
Besides the integration of the newcomers, the Bucks are certainly hoping that their young players show more growth as the season progresses. The team has a couple of developing pieces with upside — those who aren't exactly part of the rotation but have the potential to earn a spot if they make forward strides.
Names such as Andre Jackson Jr., AJ Green, MarJon Beauchamp and Chris Livingston come to mind. While none of these players will be seeing the starting lineup anytime soon, they can still carve out niche roles for themselves in order to be utilized more often. And at the moment, one of the four could possibly have a breakout season this 2024: Andre Jackson Jr.
What Andre Jackson Jr. brings to the Bucks
Making a case for Jackson Jr. is not easy when one looks at the box scores. After all, the former UConn guard doesn't really score that much (2.2 points in 10 minutes per game last season). And in an offense-centric league like the NBA, vouching for such a player can attract doubts. But scoring isn't why Jackson Jr. might have a breakout year.
Here's the thing. The 22-year-old is an absolute energizer. Rebounds, hustle plays, defense — those are the areas he thrives at. If all five players on the court look sluggish and a coach needs someone to light a spark and turn up the intensity, Andre Jackson Jr. is the one to call.
While there are plenty of other players in the league who also take on the “workhorse” role, Jackson Jr. arguably has more upside than most of them. Just look at his physical gifts. He stands at 6'6 with a 6'10 wingspan and a 39.5-inch vertical leap. Due to his profound athleticism, Jackson Jr. made headlines this past March with a putback slam that saw his head go above the rim, causing everyone in the arena — as well as the Sacramento Kings' bench — to react in surprise. It's one thing when a player's own teammates react to a play; It's another when the opposing team does. Check out the highlight below, via the NBA's X account.
Andre Jackson Jr.'s head was ABOVE THE RIM on this putback slam 😳 pic.twitter.com/omVUf3TvTJ
— NBA (@NBA) March 13, 2024
So what's his possible ceiling? Combine the athletic abilities with the relentless motor and Jackson Jr. can undoubtedly be an elite defensive player — one that guards the opponent's best perimeter scorer every game.
Questions could be raised about him being a liability on offense. Understandable, since he has yet to have a notable game in the preseason so far. Regardless, improvements are already being made. Entering the league, Jackson Jr. shot just 28.1% from downtown in his senior year with UConn. Last season, he surprised people by raising his three-ball average to 37%. Consistency in this area is crucial to securing that go-to stopper role, as many renowned perimeter defenders nowadays are 3-and-D players rather than just one-dimensional pieces.
Furthermore, Jackson Jr. won't be asked to create lots of plays anytime soon. In a Bucks team with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis, a player like Jackson Jr. can make a living off the ball, such as scoring on backdoor cuts, in transition, and most importantly, on kick-out passes behind the arc.
Of course, there are more aspects of his game that also need polishing, such as cutting down on fouls and other errors. Improvements to those come along with time and experience. At the end of the day, it's up to Andre Jackson Jr. to speed up the forward strides and show that 2024 will indeed be his breakout year.
