Throughout training camp and the preseason, Taylor Jenkins consistently raved about what he saw from Milwaukee Bucks rookie Nate Ament. To some, it felt like a coach simply hyping up a raw rookie to give him confidence as he dipped his toes in the NBA waters. Well, it didn't take long for Jenkins to put his money where his mouth is, as Ament has quickly been thrust into the rotation.
Dieng's struggles have put Ament in the spotlight
Milwaukee's forward rotation was littered with question marks throughout camp and the preseason, and answers are slowly being unraveled. Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kyle Kuzma are playing excellently, but Ousmane Dieng has regressed after last year's mini breakout. Despite signing a contract extension in the offseason, Jenkins has quickly pivoted to Ament as his go-to forward off the bench.
Understandably, Ament has struggled. Again, this is a player many thought wouldn't sniff legitimate minutes at all this year and is just 19. Yet, Jenkins clearly trusts him to log over 12 minutes per game in his two outings. He's not exactly doing anything to fight back against the "raw rookie" claims, as he is averaging four points while shooting 33.3 percent from the floor and 25 percent from the foul line.
Yet, this is all an early growth opportunity for Ament. Why wait to see what he's made of in a year if the Milwaukee Bucks need a boost at forward right now? Jenkins clearly trusts him to give the team a jolt off the bench. While the shot isn't falling and the defense is a work in progress, throwing him into the fire right away is an early test for Ament to see how soon he might be ready for a steady role.
Jenkins is doing exactly what Jenkins does
One of the reasons the Milwaukee Bucks hired Jenkins was his background in player development. As the coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, his squads were often competitive and full of life despite the vast majority of the roster being young and inexperienced. Once the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade went down, Milwaukee suddenly became one of those youth-oriented teams.
The early returns on Ament are what one would expect, but the more he plays and learns from being in Jenkins' rotation, the better he should get. If real growth takes place, Ament could completely flip the narrative about him not being ready for a few years right on its head. The glimpses are there early; he just needs to put the pieces together.
It's more than clear that Coach Taylor Jenkins is willing to give him the opportunity to prove himself.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
Add us as a preferred source on Google