After sending Ryan Rollins to the bench in favor of Brayden Burries, the Milwaukee Bucks' two leaders in assists per game are now in the second unit (Kasparas Jakucionis is the other). To keep the offense flowing smoothly, someone must step up as the floor general for the opening lineup. This could be an excellent opportunity for Jaime Jaquez Jr.—one that raises his value even more in a contract year.
Jaquez is a capable floor general
During his runner-up campaign for Sixth Man of the Year last season, Jaquez was one of the league's best reserve floor generals. He finished with 348 total assists, second in the entire NBA because the Miami Heat let him control the bench. His passing had been put on the back burner to start the year with the Bucks, but with Rollins now coming off the bench, it's time to dust it off.
While Brayden Burries and Tyler Herro can both handle the ball, neither are pure point guards who do their best in that situation. Both will certainly see more responsibility handling the rock now that there is no Rollins, but having a capable ball-handler like Jaquez will work wonders, taking pressure off the pair and allowing them to do what they do best.
He should certainly be more involved in the passing game than he had been to start the year.
Jaquez can raise his value higher
From the moment he set foot in town, Jaquez's contract situation has been an elephant in the room. He is due for a new deal next summer, and so far, he's looked more than deserving. The forward has taken his scoring to new heights already, and if he can do the same with his passing under these new circumstances, the eventual offer could keep climbing.
For this to truly work, it would be nice for Milwaukee Bucks teammates to pay off Jaquez's passing by knocking down some catch-and-shoot looks. The problem is that it's been a known weakness for this team early on. Only two Bucks are shooting above 38 percent on catch-and-shoot triples this season: Jaquez (50 percent!) and Gary Trent Jr., who is 1-for-1.
No wonder the Bucks' are having a perimeter shooting crisis.
An exciting opportunity awaits Jaime Jaquez Jr. He's already having the best year of his career; it's now time to see what he can do with an increased role in the passing attack.
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