The Milwaukee Bucks have got off to a bit of a roller coaster start by their standards in the NBA this season. They have a record of 3-2 and sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, and there are clearly teething problems as expected, with additions to the roster and a new head coach trying to implement his style of play on the team.
Ugly blowout losses to the Atlanta Hawks and the Toronto Raptors were recovered by a five-point victory over the New York Knicks in the first game of the inaugural NBA in-season tournament. As Adrian Griffin implements his ideas, there has been a mixed bag of individual performances so far and a number of players who will feel they deserve more time on the court.
Here are three Bucks who should be getting more minutes.
No. 1 – MarJon Beauchamp
This week, the Bucks picked up MarJon Beauchamp’s third-year option, showing they have clear faith in him being a part of the organization moving forward. In his rookie season he may not have seen much time on the court but so far this season he is averaging 15 minutes per game and has certainly shown what he can do on both ends of the court.
Through the four games he has appeared in, Beauchamp is averaging 8.3 points and two assists on an incredible 60 percent from the field and 54 percent from 3-point land, draining seven of his 13 attempts. Per Basketball-Reference, his per 36 numbers are also impressive, with him projected to score 19.2 points with four rebounds.
If we compare these numbers to Pat Connaughton, who can play a similar role to what Beauchamp does for the Bucks, the 31-year-old is averaging just five points in 22 minutes so far this season. Yes, his role may not be as a designated scorer, but with the sophomore averaging more points in seven fewer minutes, it makes you wonder what sort of impact he could have with a few extra minutes on the court.
It would be hard to suggest Beauchamp should start for the Bucks as four of the five are very much set, and Malik Beasley has been really impressive so far with his shooting and ability to stretch the court. When Khris Middleton sits or is on a minutes restriction, as already seen so far this season, Beauchamp would be an ideal player to have at the small forward position and allow him to play off-ball with Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
I think it is clear that all Bucks fans want to see more of Beauchamp, and with time I think he will slowly see more minutes without rushing him into a huge jump. So far this season, he has done more than enough to show why he deserves more time on the court.
3 Bucks who should be getting more minutes – Andre Jackson Jr.
It is no secret that the Bucks have really struggled defensively and currently have one of the worst defensive ratings in the league. This is down to many factors. Griffin’s new defensive system taking time to implement, a lack of drop coverage really exposing Brook Lopez to him being left defending players on the perimeter, and a real problem in terms of getting back in transitions, giving up a league-high 20.2 points per game.
Andre Jackson Jr. can bring real energy, and his youthfulness can actually be a tool off the bench for the Bucks. Allowing him to just be a disruptor, and if that means picking up fouls, then so be it, but just be an annoying presence for opposing players.
Milwaukee has allowed big games to guards. Jalen Brunson scored 45, Tyler Herro 35, Tyrese Maxey 31 and Dennis Schroder 24. With Jackson Jr. standing at 6-foot-6, there is the possibility of getting him to defend these ball-dominant guards and just to be a pest and disrupt their offensive flow. Use his big body and athleticism to get in the way and just be a bit more physical to deny these sorts of high-scoring individual performances.
One area that the Bucks have struggled and Jackson Jr. excels in is defending the 3-point shot. A league-sixth worst 38.1 percent is what Milwaukee is giving up from beyond the arc, and he can help lower this and again be a disruptor.
We have not seen enough yet from Jackson Jr. to say he should see a huge amount of minutes, but he has only played in garbage time of the two blowout wins when I think he can have a real impact in any game in short bursts. Offensively, as we know, there are things he can improve on, but that will come with time, and being given more minutes will allow him to grow into playing NBA ball and playing a variety of opposing players and offensive schemes.
3 Bucks who should be getting more minutes – Bobby Portis
Now this is a strange one as Bobby Portis is already playing 18.8 minutes per game off the bench, which seems like a lot, but he actually was averaging 26 last season. Prior to his four-point performance against the Knicks, Portis had scored double-digits in the first four games of the season and was one of the more reliable scorers on the Bucks.
He is currently averaging 10.4 points per game on 47 percent shooting with five rebounds. With the Bucks’ struggles so far defensively, his energy, and if Griffin persists with not dropping his big man, then Portis is a solid perimeter defender and would be more comfortable in those sorts of switches than Lopez.
Last season, he was close to averaging a double-double off the bench and put himself in the Sixth Man of the Year conversation, which he will hope to do again this season.
It seems as though Coach Griffin has swapped Portis’ minutes with Jae Crowder, with the latter now being the one to average 25 minutes per game. This is no dig at Crowder as he has started the season well, scoring 8.4 points and shooting 56.3 percent from three, which is vital to the Bucks along with his defense. It just feels strange that Portis has seen such a decrease in minutes, and yet he is still putting up strong numbers.
It is, of course, early in the season, and the Bucks are still getting used to the lineups and schemes so a month into the season, the minutes may have changed massively. Portis, I think, will see an increase as he continues to be effective in all aspects of the game. Beauchamp will slowly earn more and more game time, whilst Jackson Jr. can be a real asset to the Bucks and be used more often.
We are only five games in, so plenty can change. Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis throughout the NBA season.