After playing an important role to start the season, Kasparas Jakucionis slowly started falling out of favor in the Milwaukee Bucks' rotation in November. With his minutes dwindling, the point guard had the opportunity to showcase he could help the team as they visited the New York Knicks without top scorer Tyler Herro in the lineup. Jakucionis did not capitalize.
Jakucionis' struggles do not strengthen his rotation case
After playing just 29 combined minutes in his prior three contests, Jakucionis logged 23 against the defending champion Knicks. With Herro out, this was a perfect time for Jakucionis to show his worth with more touches, especially under MSG's bright lights. While he finished with 11 points (four more than he had in his last three games combined), he shot a lousy 4-of-12 from the floor to get there.
Four of his misses were layups close to the hoop. Of course, some credit goes to the Knicks, who are a great defensive team, as they made life tough for the sophomore constantly, but for a player looking to break through, those were shots that could have beefed up his case. It didn't help that his 3-pointer wasn't falling as much as he would have liked, either, making good on just two of his six tries.
To his credit, Jakucionis did dish out four assists, which was nice to see. Passing has always been his bread and butter. However, it would have been nice to see him pour in a few more points as well. Now, this audition leaves his short-term future in the rotation unclear.
Jakucionis' role with the Bucks will likely be fluid
Herro missed the last game due to a knee contusion, and there's no telling if he will be back in action for the second night of a back to back on Wednesday. It appears this isn't a long-term concern. When he returns, it wouldn't be surprising if Jakucionis' role shrinks once again. With Ryan Rollins playing in the second unit, he's absorbed most of the ball-handling duties that once belonged to Jakucionis.
If Herro misses Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Jakucionis will have a chance at redemption. Perhaps that could be his big breakout game, but we'll have to wait for the injury report.
As a sophomore, there are bound to be bumps in the road. No one is expecting Jakiucionis to be an All-Star. However, due to the glimpses of potential he showed to start the season and the opportunity to showcase himself on a greater scale, it's only natural to want to see him perform better. He has the keys to becoming a mainstay for the Bucks.
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