Taylor Jenkins has already proven that he isn't shy about mixing up his rotations, promoting rookies Brayden Burries and Nate Ament while demoting Ryan Rollins and Ousmane Dieng. Yet, despite that leap into the starting five, Burries shouldn't unpack just yet, as sooner or later, Jenkins might need to make another tweak that involves getting a legitimate floor general out there.
Bucks' struggling with passing in new unit
While they can handle the ball, neither Brayden Burries nor Tyler Herro are pure point guards. Putting them side by side in the starting five was an interesting decision for that alone, as many wondered if that would plague the passing game. To a degree, it has. Since Burries took over two games ago, the Bucks' starters have 29 assists, which is 27th in the entire NBA.
Before the switch, when Rollins was still in the opening five, the Milwaukee Bucks were a middle of the pack team in this regard. While he's not a natural point guard either, he is better suited for the passing attack than Burries or Herro. Unless Jaime Jaquez Jr. puts his passing chops to good use, the Bucks could suffer from not having a true floor general in their starting unit.
That's where someone like Kasparas Jakucionis could come in.
A Jakucionis promotion would make sense
Jakucionis, acquired in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, is the lone pure point guard in town. He is spreading his wings with the Milwaukee Bucks thus far, averaging four assists per game, the second-best mark on the team behind Rollins. As Jenkins keeps handing his youth more responsibility, it may be wise to swap Jakucionis and Burries.
While pairing those two youngsters together might be the best approach in the long term, Herro is unlikely to lose his starting spot in the near future.
By separating Jakucionis and Rollins, the Milwaukee Bucks can have their two best passers taking on ball-handling duties at different times. Jakucionis can run with the main unit and help them start the games on the right foot, while Rollins checks in with the reserves and keeps things rolling. Instead of having both coming off the bench and limiting them, it makes sense to break them up.
Not only could this tweak fuel Jakucionis' growth in his second season, but it could also give Rollins more responsibility off the bench, potentially helping him get back on track. Burries can also play his natural position while Herro embraces an off-ball role, which he is comfortable in. It feels like only a matter of time before the Bucks embrace yet another tweak.
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