One notable takeaway from the Bucks' Halloween loss to the Cavs is that the rookies are impactful already and may take minutes away from the veterans. Brayden Burries has started the season well, and that continued against Cleveland, while AJ Green had a very quiet evening. It feels like a matter of time before Green loses minutes to the ascending rookie.
Burries strong start continues despite defeat
It was another impressive performance from the guard off the bench, tallying 14 points and three rebounds on 4-of-7 shooting (57.1 percent) from the field in just 20 minutes. In that same time on the floor, Green took just one shot attempt from deep but added three rebounds and two assists to his tally.
This has taken the rookie to 8.8 points in 16 minutes per game this season. His 47.1 percent success rate from the field is strong, but he has struggled from deep, shooting just 29.4 percent from behind the arc. Green's shooting has remained efficient, but in more minutes than Burries, he is averaging just 6.7 points.
Defensively, there isn't much to separate the two players, with them both holding players to around 45 percent when guarded by them. Burries has been able to add more than Green so far as extra help crashing the glass and has generated a couple more turnovers.
It feels very similar to the Nate Ament and Ousmane Dieng swap; for both the present and future, it may make more sense to go with the young guy. There is still a role for Green in this rotation, but he hasn't developed his overall offensive game enough that, without finding 3-point opportunities, he finds it tough to make an impact on the game.
Bucks rookies ahead of schedule
Burries felt as though he would be ready to have some form of impact from the start of the season, but at his level, where he is now playing 17 minutes or more each night, that may be a little surprising. The same for Ament, who has already become the most impactful wing off the bench following his 14-point performance against the Cavs.
It leaves Taylor Jenkins in an intriguing spot where leaning into the rookies now will certainly help their development, and they have shown they can help the team. However, there is still a clear plan to try to increase the value of some of the veterans in order to get a better return for them as the team continues to rebuild.
The team is still young, and there will be ups and downs throughout the roster. Jenkins will have changes to make as the season goes on and he experiments with rotations. Right now, Burries is certainly ascending, and it wouldn't be surprising if he took minutes away from Green as his development continues.
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