No. 3 – Rayjon Tucker brings potential as a second-unit scorer, which has proven to be a prominent flaw for the Milwaukee Bucks
It is no secret that one of the Milwaukee Bucks’ most notable flaws this season has been the lack of scoring from the second unit. According to NBA.com/stats, Milwaukee’s bench ranked 27th in points with 27.8 per game this year, which plagued the team. Some of this could be attributed to Bobby Portis having to start at center for a sizeable chunk of the season and Pat Connaughton’s month-long absence following surgery. Yet, it remains clear that the Bucks could use some added scoring off the bench, and Tucker brings potential in that regard.
With the Herd this season, Tucker served as the team’s primary scorer with 22.1 points per game while shooting 53.1 percent from the floor, per Basketball Reference. Having shot an impressive 65.9 percent from 2-point range, Tucker consistently worked inside the arc by attacking the hoop with authority, which led to a handful of highlight-reel dunks or any array of tough jump shots. If Tucker can indeed start to develop with the Bucks, perhaps he could help patch up these scoring woes in the second unit down the line, as the guard can flat-out score the basketball at will.
The one area that Tucker will have to work on at the NBA level is his 3-point shot, as he has hit a mere 32.3 percent of his triples at the G-League level. Given that he has averaged 5.5 attempts per game in that timeframe, Tucker is certainly not afraid to take them, but the success just has not been there to this point. The Bucks are always looking for more 3-point shooting, so if they can get some of it consistently from Tucker, it would boost his chances of carving out a role for himself even further.
The guard undoubtedly made a strong impression during Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, as he scored 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including a perfect 3-of-3 from deep. His potential was on full display, showing what he could bring to the table in his minutes.
In short, the Milwaukee Bucks’ acquisition of Rayjon Tucker is a solid one from all standpoints, and it has hidden potential written all over it.