For what seems like an eternity, the Milwaukee Bucks have been persistently searching for their ideal wing defender.
Through trade, free agency and the draft, the Bucks took flyers on players they believed could be the missing piece to the puzzle. They needed someone who could take on the toughest matchup on the defensive end and alleviate pressure from Milwaukee's stars. Time and time again, none of the once hopeful options truly lived up to expectations.
Until now.
As a rookie last season, it was clear that second-round draft pick Andre Jackson Jr. checked off all of the boxes in terms of what this team needed defensively. Early this season, he's proving it. If he keeps things up, there's a chance the recently-turned 23-year-old could make his way onto an All-Defensive ballot by the time the regular season concludes.
Andre Jackson Jr. has been a breath of fresh air for the Bucks
This season, players are currently shooting 34-of-114 when they are defended by Andre Jackson Jr. With just a 37.7 success rate, Jackson's defended field goal percentage ranks fifth in the entire NBA among players to defend at least 110 shots. Simply put, Jackson makes life tough for his matchup on every single possession, hounding them with his physicality, athleticism, length and sturdiness.
It must be noted that Jackson isn't doing this against end-of-the-bench players. Doc Rivers inserted him into the starting five because he wanted the wing to defend some of the best names in the game on a nightly basis. He's embraced the challenge thus far, showing no fear when he's given the task of going up against elite scorers who might typically overwhelm an inexperienced second-year player.
In their first meeting of the season, Detroit's Cade Cunningham shot 1-of-8 for three points and had two turnovers when defended by Jackson. In two games against Boston, Jayson Tatum shot 2-of-6 for five points. Cleveland star Donovan Mitchell went scoreless, missing three shot attempts, while logging two turnovers in two meetings with Jackson. He's making things difficult for star players.
If Andre Jackson Jr. keeps this type of intensity defensively with numbers to back it, there's no doubt he will be in the conversation for an All-Defensive nod. Yes, he will undoubtedly face competition, but he's proving that despite his age, he can hang with the best of them.
More important than the individual success is that Jackson's play is elevating the Milwaukee Bucks as a whole amid an early-season turnaround. The Bucks are now 7-1 over their last eight games, and the strong play on the defensive end has been a sizeable part of that. Inserting Jackson into the starting unit has been a game-changer, and the wing's importance has been on display since.
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