Bucks select Andre Jackson Jr. in 2023 NBA Draft: Reaction and analysis
By Dalton Sell
Heading into the 2023 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks only held the 58th overall pick.
Yet, that quickly changed after they made a deal with the Orlando Magic to acquire the 36th pick in exchange for a second rounder in 2030 and cash. Thanks, Orlando. Using their new pick, the Bucks took Uconn’s Andre Jackson Jr.
Bucks select Andre Jackson Jr. in 2023 NBA Draft: Reaction and analysis
It’s clear to see why the Bucks took Jackson with this pick. This off-season, the team needed more youth, athleticism, wings, defense, and secondary playmaking, and they just added all of that with the selection of Jackson. The 6-foot-6 wing can do a little bit of everything on the court, and as a three-year man in college, he may be more NBA-ready than other prospects. For a team like the Bucks with championship aspirations, that should help. Jackson has experience when it comes to winning, as he’s coming off a title-winning season with Uconn.
In three years at Uconn, the young wing averaged six points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and a steal per contest. His scoring might not jump off of the page, but Jackson’s ability to stuff the stat sheet everywhere else certainly does. Speaking of jumping, Jackson can jump out of the gym, which may lead to some fun fast breaks alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and MarJon Beauchamp next year. The thought of that alone should have Bucks fans giddy.
The primary concerns with Jackson are his outside shooting and looming injury woes. Throughout his three-year collegiate career, Jackson shot just 29.3 percent from the outside. For a Milwaukee team that is so reliant on its outside shooting, that’s not ideal, but that does not mean Jackson is destined to be a poor shooter in the league. He can always develop, especially with a head coach in Adrian Griffin, who is known for his player development skills. After Jackson was selected, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski stated that Jackson had some injury concerns heading into the draft, so that is something to keep an eye on.
Overall, this is a very quality pick by the Bucks, and they made a solid trade to get this pick in the first place. The 21-year-old could quickly become a rotational piece in Milwaukee next season if he can translate his collegiate game to the NBA and work on that long range shot.
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Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis on the team’s newest player.