Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 118-112 loss to Chicago Bulls
By Dalton Sell
Elijah Bryant and Justin Jackson make their Milwaukee Bucks debuts in loss to Bulls
Budenholzer’s undermanned rotation paved the way for two newcomers to make their official debuts with the team last night.
The first was Elijah Bryant, who made his NBA debut after spending time in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv over the past several years. Bryant undoubtedly looked confident throughout his first 32 minutes of NBA action as he scored 16 points on 6-for-13 shooting, including just 1-for-5 from long range. Also hauling in six rebounds and dishing out three assists, it was a solid first night for the guard.
The coaching staff is reportedly very high on Bryant after he played with them in the 2019 Summer League, and hopefully he can develop into a solid contributor for this team down the line. Jockeying for minutes in this jam-packed backcourt rotation will be a challenge for him, but he has the tools to help this team out without question.
Making his team debut alongside Bryant was Justin Jackson, who came aboard last month after signing a two-way deal. Not having played in a game since April 3 as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, there was some rust for the forward as he finished last night’s game with nine points on just 3-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-6 from distance in 33 minutes. Jackson’s sweet shooting is something that could help him earn more minutes and it was encouraging to see him let it fly with confidence.
Although it came in a loss, both Bryant and Jackson showed signs of promise regarding what they can bring to the table for the Bucks. While their minutes might be scarce when the roster is back up to par, they will be nice additions to bolster the team’s depth further.