The Milwaukee Bucks wrapped up their 2024 preseason slate against the Dallas Mavericks Thursday, finishing with a 1-3 record across four games.
While the preseason is more of a time for players to get their feet wet before the real season begins, meaning performances are not the end all be all in terms of how one will perform during the regular season, it is typically crucial for a coach when deciding his rotations. Well, after these four games, Doc Rivers will likely have a better idea of what lineups he wants to roll out this coming season.
With that said, let's highlight three risers and four fallers in terms of stock from the Bucks' preseason.
Riser - Pat Connaughton
Many questioned whether Pat Connaughton had anything left to give at this stage of his NBA career. After all, he has looked like a shell of himself over the past two seasons, which has catapulted him to the top of the list of Milwaukee Bucks likeliest to be traded. However, after a pretty solid showing in the preseason, Pat Connaughton proved he might still have some fuel left in the tank.
Averaging 16.3 minutes across all four contests, Connaughton looked like the Connaughton of old with his do-it-all impact, tallying 6.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.5 steals per game while shooting 52.6 percent from the floor and 41.7 percent from deep. Sure, it's not the biggest sample size, but the guard looked incredibly comfortable and in great shape, seizing the moment.
If Pat Connaughton can carry this type of impact over into the regular season, his place in the rotation will be stamped. Just like they did when they won the title back in 2021, the Bucks need this shooting, facilitating and rebounding off the bench from Connaughton, and he showed in these games that he still has what it takes to provide it. His stock has undeniably gone up.
Riser - Damian Lillard
There has been plenty of chatter about Damian Lillard this offseason from the outside, with people doubting the guard can reach his lofty expectations with the Bucks. After working tirelessly to get into tip-top shape over these past few months, Lillard came out strong in the preseason and pushed back on the idea that the version of him last year is just who he is at this point.
Faller - AJ Green
If fans had to bet on one young Buck breaking out in the preseason, a majority of the wagers would have likely been placed on AJ Green. Coach Doc Rivers has been high on Green from the moment he took over last season, and it felt like he had a golden opportunity in front of him to capture a larger role with the Milwaukee Bucks next season. Yet, Green didn't do much to raise his individual stock.
Appearing in all four contests, the youngster averaged just 3.8 points while shooting 26.7 percent on his 3-point tries. Considering he was logging 15.7 minutes per contest, Green's production as one of the more experienced young players was simply not up to par. He could still get into the rotation once the regular season kicks off, but he has to shake off this grueling shooting slump.
Riser - Bobby Portis
Like Pat Connaughton, there was plenty of chatter about the Bucks possibly looking to move on from Bobby Portis this offseason. All of the chatter about how he doesn't fit with this roster seemingly put a chip on his shoulder, as the big man, who is also likely motivated by the fact that he is eligible for a new contract, came out swinging in the preseason.
In three games, Portis totaled averages of 16.3 points, four rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while hitting 75 percent of his shots, including an eye-popping 81.8 percent of his triples. Once everyone is in the lineup, Portis won't have as many scoring opportunities as he did here, but it was welcoming to see that he can still put the ball in the hoop efficiently, especially from the outside.
Faller - Andre Jackson Jr.
It's been a rough few months for Andre Jackson Jr. In the middle of a tough Summer League stretch, where he couldn't get himself going for the Bucks, he suffered a fracture in his finger, sidelining him. Thankfully, the soon-to-be-sophomore was ready in time for the NBA Preseason, but it appeared the young wing was still a bit rusty, as his struggles persisted.
In these four games, Jackson averaged just 1.8 points per game, which was 18th out of 19th on the entire roster. Jackson actually averaged more turnovers than points, tallying two per contest. He did have a positive impact on the glass with 3.3 boards, but that was not enough to prevent his stock from dropping in his 11.7 minutes per game.
Faller - AJ Johnson
Milwaukee Bucks rookie AJ Johnson has so much potential. However, at 19, it's going to take a while for him to unearth it. The best thing for him in the preseason was getting extended minutes to dip his toes into the NBA waters. While some thought he may have a legitimate shot to earn NBA minutes, he showed in the preseason that he will indeed need a good amount of time to grow before he's ready.
In 23.6 minutes per game, the most on the team, Johnson averaged 5.3 points, 4.3 assists and three boards while hitting a mere 17.4 percent from the floor and 21.4 percent from deep. Growing pains were expected, but the shooting splits are really what brings Johnson down. He looked confident but could not finish his shots more often than not. Hopefully this is a lesson for him.
Faller - Chris Livingston
With the Milwaukee Bucks needing to incorporate a bit of youth into the rotation, many thought that Chris Livingston was a dark horse to crack the second unit. After all, he was arguably the team's best player in the Summer League, where he certainly caught some eyes. However, he was unable to build off of that, struggling to further make a name for himself during the preseason.
The 21-year-old averaged just 7.7 minutes per game, the second-fewest on the 18-man roster. In that span, he averaged just two points, 1.7 rebounds, a turnover and a foul per game. Several of the team's two-way and Exhibit 10 players earned more time than Livingston, which was surprising. He still has a sizeable amount of potential, but it did not come out in the preseason.
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