Andre Jackson Jr. just got benched for a guy on a training camp contract, and that should terrify him about his future in Milwaukee.
Amir Coffey isn't even guaranteed a roster spot yet, but Doc Rivers gave him more minutes than Jackson in the Bucks' 117-111 preseason win over Detroit. It's only the preseason, of course, but for Jackson's sake, he's better off seeing that as a message, not simple roster experimentation.
For better or for worse, this is where we are now: the Milwaukee Bucks are in danger of giving up on another young player with potential yet again. And the worst part is, they're not exactly wrong to.
Andre Jackson Jr.'s future as a Milwaukee Buck is in danger
We all saw how last year panned out for Jackson. His defense, once his defining trait as the team's best on-ball stopper all season long, gave way to long stretches of offensive inconsistency. Suddenly, his lack of a consistent three-ball was, to the coaching staff, more cumbersome than the supposed effects of his defense.
Over time, his defensive energy started to matter less and less. As the season went on, Jackson went from losing his starting spot to falling out of the rotation altogether. The double-edged sword of his impeccable defense but severely lacking offense came to define him as a player for the remainder of the season.
And now we're here.
The production wasn't even close enough to justify it against the Pistons. Jackson put up four points and a rebound in 11 minutes. Coffey managed three points, an assist, and two rebounds in 15 minutes. Neither of the two lit the world on fire, but Rivers clearly saw something he liked better from the camp invite than the second-year player who's supposed to be part of Milwaukee's youth movement.
Jackson's role was supposed to be secure coming into this season. He more than showed flashes last year and proved that the defensive instincts he was credited with in college are real. But flashes don't mean anything if you can't consistently produce on both ends when your number gets called.
Now this writer has admittedly been the biggest Andre Jackson Jr. guy since the former UConn Husky first arrived in town. It has to be said that Rivers himself has some fault in this, too, for giving Jackson the shortest leash without putting him in positions to succeed.
Jackson could, for example, benefit from a more motion-based offense that maximizes the Swiss Army Knife-like tendencies of Jackson, who can handle, set screens, and initiate dribble handoffs to keep the offense flowing. The point is, being unable to shoot doesn't mean you're an offensive black hole, and it's unfortunate the coaching staff doesn't seem to understand that.
But at the end of the day, getting outplayed by a training camp guy in a preseason game is the kind of thing that can derail a young player's entire trajectory. Front offices notice when the coaching staff trusts the unknown commodity over the known one. That's how roster spots disappear.
The scary part for Jackson here is that Coffey isn't some random player fresh out of the G-League. He's got legitimate NBA experience and knows how to play within a system. If he keeps outperforming Jackson in these preseason games, Milwaukee has a real decision to make about who deserves the final roster spot.
Four points in 11 minutes isn't going to cut it when guys fighting for their NBA lives are coming in and matching your output while playing smarter, more disciplined basketball.
The wake-up call has been unmistakably delivered. Now Jackson has to prove he actually heard it while he still has time. After all, his days in a Bucks jersey might be running out.