Despite the heart-breaking last-second defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers, there were positives for the Milwaukee Bucks on display. Included in there was the first man off the bench, Andre Jackson Jr., who certainly had a mixed night but showed signs of what he could be.
Doc Rivers had been relying on the veterans throughout his time as the head coach of the Bucks, and it was clear that the team as a whole needed a bit of youth and energy to shake things up. Jackson brought exactly that and showed glimpses against the Cavs.
It was intriguing to see Jackson be the first man off the bench and play 15 minutes following his 18-minute game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Rivers clearly has seen a difference in what he brings, as the sophomore only played 13 minutes across the first four games of the season.
Against Cleveland, he finished with just three points, hitting one of his shots from three and grabbing just one board and one assist, but his impact will not always show up on the box score. The Bucks are obviously better with him playing more minutes.
The Good - Jackson knows his role and does it brilliantly
Some young players, when they enter the league, try too hard to impress and move away from what makes them good players and what got them to the NBA in the first place. Jackson knows his role is to bring energy and athleticism and just to ruin the flow of the opposition.
Defensively, the impact he has on the game is quite mind-blowing. Per NBA.com/stats, players are currently shooting just 1-of-12 with Jackson as their primary defender. Among players to appear in at least four games, his 8.3 defended field goal percentage (what percentage players shoot against him) is the best in the entire league.
The unbeaten Cavaliers were 0-for-5 with Jackson as the primary defender. Those numbers didn't come with him guarding someone who stood in the corner as a decoy. He guarded Donovan Mitchell for three minutes, and the All-Star missed both of his shots. Jackson forced him to turn the ball over once as well.
Without getting too deep into the conversation of Rivers and rotations, it does ask the question of why Jackson was not in the game to defend Mitchell on the game-winning shot. The outcome may have been the same, but Mitchell scored 10 points when guarded by Gary Trent Jr.
Offensively, he isn't the most skilled of players, but he knows what his job is, which is set screens and get the ball to Damian Lillard. The star guard finished with 41 points and tied the franchise record of 10 threes in a game.
Now Lillard was, of course, hot, but when guys know that and give him opportunities, whether it be through screens or simply getting the ball to him, he will thrive, similar to his time in Portland.
The Bad (kind of) - getting into foul trouble
It feels somewhat odd to put this as the bad with Jackson, as aggression is one of his best traits due to the pressure he puts on opponents. He does, however, find himself getting into foul trouble a lot, and that can hinder not only his team but also prevent him from playing more due to the risk of fouling out early.
Against the Cavs, he ended with three fouls, he had five in 18 minutes against the Grizzlies and he finished with four in eight minutes against the Boston Celtics.
The Milwaukee Bucks need the energy and aggression, but if Jackson can be a little bit cuter with it and clean up the fouls, there is no doubt he will be a stud for the Bucks.
They are different players, but P.J. Tucker was exactly that for the Bucks. He didn't provide a ton of offense but was just a defensive pest. Jackson is still just 22, so the offensive game can progress plenty in time.
The ugly - turning the ball over
Without a doubt, turnovers have been a real issue for the Bucks all season long. Being sloppy with their possessions has resulted in them averaging 14.5 turnovers per game.
That does have them as the 12th-best team in that regard, but contenders like the Dallas Mavericks, Celtics, OKC Thunder, New York Knicks and Cavs are all within the top seven of that category. Losing close games like Saturday night only goes to show one possession can make the difference in terms of who takes home the win.
Jackson turned the ball over three times against Cleveland, tied with Gary Trent Jr. and Brook Lopez, and the Bucks had 13 to the Cavs seven. What doesn't help the Bucks is they are tied for 28th in opposition turnovers with just 11.7 per game.
Turning the ball over is never good, but it looks even worse when you are consistently losing the battle and not forcing the ball away from opposing players.
It is clear the Bucks look better with Andre Jackson Jr. in the rotation. He is still young and will make mistakes, but he has shown glimpses of what he can be for Milwaukee and has a clear defensive impact that no other Milwaukee Bucks player is showing.
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