One of the big questions facing the Milwaukee Bucks this season is what they do with forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. The Bucks can help him go to another level with his unique play style by surrounding him with four shooters and boosting his productivity.
Bucks have a roster to aid Jaquez's development
As an inverted wing, he made 59.6 percent of his layups last season, even with Bam Adebayo clogging the paint. Playing him with four shooters will lead to more floor spacing and another successful season for Jaquez.
Playing with Myles Turner or Kel'el Ware at center will allow the Bucks to play to Jaquez's strengths. With the five-man opening up the floor, Jaquez can do what he does best by driving to the basket to get his shot off. If the defense collapses, his passing vision is strong enough to kick it out, and the Bucks will have four strong shooters waiting on the perimeter.
Jaquez is entering the final year of his rookie deal, with a projected four-year, $78 million extension potentially lingering next summer. Coming off a career year in which he finished runner-up in Sixth Man of the Year and averaged 15.4 points off the bench, he has seen his stock rise significantly.
Whether Taylor Jenkins sees Jaquez as a starter or uses him off the bench will be answered during the preseason. He may be competing with Kyle Kuzma for a spot in the starting lineup, with the two not being the strongest shooters, so playing them together may have flaws.
How will the Bucks line up this season?
What the Bucks have this season, compared to previous seasons, is a plethora of options at all positions. The Giannis trade brought in four players who are all capable of impacting the game right away. Brayden Burries impressed enough in Summer League to be given real minutes to start the season, and bringing back a guy like Ousmane Dieng gives them further depth and versatility.
The small forward and power forward positions likely aren't set in stone as of yet. Jaquez will be at the top of most people's lists for starting at the three, If so, finding a forward partner to start at the four will be something the Bucks have to test out. There are so many holes that Jaquez can plug for the Bucks on both sides of the ball, so giving him a prominent role would make sense.
What his role looks like will become clearer as training camp and preseason get underway. Jaime Jaquez Jr. is on an upward trajectory in his NBA career, and playing him alongside four shooters can boost his ascension, but also bolster the Bucks' efforts season.
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