Andre Jackson Jr. impressed off the bench in the Milwaukee Bucks' defeat to the Detroit Pistons. After Cole Anthony's hot start to the season was extinguished very quickly, the guard is potentially going to lose his spot in the rotation.
Jackson may be an option at point guard for the Bucks
It is now four straight defeats for the Bucks, and with Giannis Antetokounmpo out injured, they sit outside the play-in spots and could be cut well adrift before their two-time MVP returns. Ryan Rollins has continued to impress in the backcourt, but Anthony has quickly found himself losing minutes.
It feels like a long time since his 23-point performance in the second game of the season, with him displaying everything the Bucks fanbase wanted to see from their new addition. During this four-game losing streak, he has totalled 13 points and finished Saturday night's game with five turnovers. Jackson, on the other hand, played 14 more minutes than his teammate, finishing with five assists and just two turnovers.
Even when Giannis was healthy, the Bucks' offense dropped off drastically when he went to the bench. Without him, they can't afford to commit turnovers as often as they do. They need to take advantage of every possession they get. Anthony provided a punch off the bench offensively, with great hustle on defense, fitting exactly what the Bucks were looking for this season.
Demoting Anthony could light a fire under him. Some players need something that can kick them into gear, and losing minutes may work for him. Granted, it can go the other way if he begins to lose confidence, but Milwaukee looks to be a team in trouble.
Jackson has found minutes tough to come by this season, but Doc Rivers is clearly willing to experiment with everyone on the roster to find a solution during this Giannis-less stretch. During his time in the NBA, we have seen the value he can bring to the team defensively. One performance that stands out is the NBA Cup Final triumph over the Oklahoma City Thunder, where Jackson was integral in slowing down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
There are still questions offensively, as his game hasn't yet developed, but if Anthony and others aren't contributing much, it is worth giving Jackson a chance. Five assists are not something that comes naturally to Jackson, with him matching that total on just two occasions in the 2024-25 season. Milwaukee won't be asking him to be involved with the playmaking that much, but he provides hustle on defense, and his athleticism is something the Bucks were looking for this offseason.
Without the Greek Freak, it was always going to be tough watching this Bucks team. Jackson looks to have risen in the pecking order and could become an integral piece of the team, potentially knocking Anthony out of the rotation or at least lessening his minutes.