Gary Harris keeps getting minutes he hasn't earned while Andre Jackson Jr. watches from the bench, and it's become impossible to justify. Milwaukee's rotations are actively holding back their best perimeter defender because Doc Rivers can't let go of a washed veteran.
The past two games he's played tell the story perfectly. Harris racked up three turnovers and six personal fouls and looked every bit like a player whose best days are five years behind him. For the season, he's putting up 2.3 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game on 43.3 percent shooting from the field.
All the while, Jackson sits there ready to contribute, proven capable of impacting games on both ends, and Rivers just doesn't use him consistently despite him putting up solid production every time he does see the floor.
Gary Harris is taking minutes away from Andre Jackson Jr.
What makes this so maddening is Rivers has already acknowledged Jackson's potential as a play connector this season. He's seen what Jackson can do with the passing vision, the cutting, the way he makes everyone else better without needing his own offense. Yet that recognition hasn't translated into actual playing time.
The thing is, it's getting harder for Jackson to get going when his role is so inconsistent. One game he plays 29 minutes and looks fantastic. The next three games he barely sees the floor. How's any player supposed to develop rhythm or confidence when their minutes swing wildly based on nothing they can control?
Harris isn't providing anything Jackson can't match or exceed. The veteran "steadiness" everyone keeps citing doesn't exist—Harris is turning the ball over and fouling just like everyone else, except he's doing it while offering zero defensive value. At least Jackson makes opponents work for everything.
The Bucks look stuck in the mud, and Harris getting rotation minutes over Jackson is a huge part of why. Milwaukee needs energy, athleticism, and defensive intensity to survive without Giannis. Jackson brings all three immediately.
Rivers' loyalty to veterans has always been his fatal flaw. He trusts names and experience over production and fit, even when the results scream at him to make a change. Harris has the resume, so he gets the minutes. Jackson's just a second-year player, so he sits regardless of what he actually does on court.
This isn't about potential anymore. Jackson's already better than Harris right now, today. The defensive numbers prove it. The energy level is obvious to anyone watching. The only thing Harris has over Jackson is age and familiarity, neither of which help Milwaukee win basketball games.
Jackson deserves consistency because he's earned it. Every time Rivers gives him real minutes, he produces. The problem is those opportunities come randomly, sandwiched between games where he barely plays, making it impossible to build any momentum.
But anyone watching knows the truth is it won't. Harris (and perhaps Rivers, too) is what he is at this point: a veteran clinging to an NBA career despite being past his prime. Harris is still generally solid in limited minutes, sure, but Jackson is what Milwaukee needs at this point: a young, hungry defender who makes winning plays. The choice should be obvious.
But Rivers is stuck in his ways, and Jackson's paying the price for organizational stubbornness that's costing the Bucks games they desperately need.
The Milwaukee Bucks' best defender clearly still has the tightest leash. But with Giannis Antetokounmpo out with a calf strain, the coaching staff can't keep pretending it doesn't need Andre Jackson Jr.