When Milwaukee acquired 26-year-old center Jericho Sims ahead of last year's deadline as part of the Khris Middleton-Kyle Kuzma trade, it's likely the Bucks front office was hoping for a replacement-level energy big who could sub into games situationally when Giannis Antetokounmpo sat.
In a frustratingly injury-riddled campaign for the Bucks' superstar, however, Sims has been thrust into a much larger role of late and has made major contributions toward the team winning eight of its last 12 games in February, forcing Milwaukee to reconsider his potential fit next to Antetokounmpo long term.
With about a third of the season to go, Milwaukee now sits just two games out of the Eastern Conference Play-In bracket and has some positive momentum on their side as Giannis nears his return to action.
After Jericho joined the team last February, Damian Lillard asked if he had any nicknames he went by. "You know... J-Rock, Jumpman," the soft-spoken Sims replied, who up to that point had barely said two words to anyone. "I will never call you Jumpman. There’s one Jumpman that I’m going to acknowledge as Jumpman," Dame replied, referring, of course, to Michael Jordan.
With a 44.5-inch vertical jump at the 2021 NBA Combine, which tied for the third-highest leap in event history, it's clear where his self-proclaimed nickname stems from. Despite struggling to secure a significant rotational role with the New York Knicks early in his career behind their strong frontcourt depth, the former Texas Longhorn has always had a tantalizing blend of size and athleticism.
Those strengths have been on full display as Sims has suddenly leapt both Bobby Portis and fellow Texas alum Myles Turner in the Bucks' big rotation during the team's recent hot streak, even closing some games over Turner.
Jumpman gets boards, and it's helping the Bucks
The most evident impact Jericho has made on this undersized Bucks squad since getting some extended burn has been his contributions crashing the glass, particularly on the offensive end. With Sims on the court in February, the Bucks see a positive 14-point swing in net rating compared to when Turner plays.
It's no secret that the Bucks have been amongst the league's worst rebounding teams this season. Between Giannis's extended absences, a lot of guard-heavy lineups, and Myles Turner's known shortcomings on the boards, it's a weakness that's held them back all year.
Despite being one of the most efficient teams scoring the basketball, tied for second league-wide in effective field goal percentage (56.8%) behind only Denver, Milwaukee has consistently lost the battle on the boards by failing to end defensive possessions or secure second chance opportunities.
Adjusting for pace, the Bucks rank 25th out of 30 teams in field goal attempts per 100 possessions this year, sinking them to a bottom-half offensive team. Their 27th-ranked rebounding rate and league-worst offensive rebounding rate have a lot to do with it.
Since the calendar flipped to February, though, Milwaukee has ranked 11th in rebounding and 20th in offensive rebounding, respectively, while attempting the eighth-most field goals per 100 possessions. Their offensive rating has shot up to seventh overall in that span as well.
In that respect, Jericho Sims' impact has been undeniable. In February, he's averaging 6.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and two assists while shooting over 82 percent from the field, but the box score alone doesn't tell the whole story.
When he's on the court, the Bucks bring down 54 percent of rebounding opportunities, including 34 percent of their own misses. Those numbers drop to just 50 percent and 22 percent with Turner.
Sims' raw physicality and aggression in securing possessions off the glass, combined with his natural leaping ability, are a breath of fresh air for a Bucks team in dire need of a big man with his skill set.
Sims quickly earning an expanded role
Apart from his effectiveness in cleaning the glass, Jumpman has also shown some promising growth and chemistry with his teammates offensively.
One of Sims' biggest issues earlier in the season was his turnovers. Between getting called for too many illegal screens, dropping passes, and general indecision with the ball in his hands, he was mostly a liability on that end of the court.
As he's earned some extended run over the course of the past month, however, Sims has been a drastically different player. For one, he seems to be seeing the court a lot better and making quicker decisions with the ball in his hands, especially when operating out of the short roll.
A willing and physical screener in pick-and-roll actions, he's whipping quick passes out to open shooters or slicing decisively toward the basket, scarcely letting the ball hit the floor or holding onto it for more than a beat. The vision he's shown after collapsing the defense has allowed him to post a nearly 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in the month of February, a drastic improvement for him.
Though an admittedly small sample size, he's scoring 1.7 points per possession on scoring attempts as the roll man this season which would rank in the 98th percentile efficiency league wide. He has functioned as a legitimate, vertical rim threat helping get the Bucks' offense going downhill in the halfcourt, something it's sorely lacked in Giannis's absence.
Softer hands have also led to improved chemistry with his teammates. Kevin Porter Jr., in particular, who's having an impressive stretch in his own right, has developed a strong connection with Jericho operating out of both the pick-and-roll and looking for him as a baseline lob threat cutting from the weakside.
Sims is also doing a great job sealing off his own defender and opening up driving lanes when his pick-and-roll partner opts to score it themselves. Kevin Porter Jr. has been able to take advantage and dominate scoring in the paint lately.
These simple tweaks on the margins have really transformed Jericho's effectiveness on offense. In February, he leads his teammates by a large margin in offensive rating, a testament to the value of his rim-running ability.
Reconsidering Sims' role upon Giannis's return
While conventional wisdom would stress the importance of pairing Giannis Antetokounmpo with a stretch big like Myles Turner to better help space the floor in the halfcourt, it's possible that we've mistaken this singular offensive philosophy for a hard and fast rule.
It's true that the Bucks won a championship with Giannis initiating out of Mike Budenholzer's five-out offensive scheme alongside the floor-spacing Brook Lopez, but that's not the only archetype in which Antetokounmpo has found success in the past.
Before Lopez, Giannis still found success alongside interior scoring centers like Greg Monroe, John Henson, and even Miles Plumlee. Plumlee, in particular, who profiled similarly to Sims as an energetic rim runner, received a regrettable four-year, $52 million payday in large part due to his natural chemistry as a pick-and-roll partner with a young Giannis who had recently been handed the reins of the offense by Jason Kidd.
The game has obviously changed in the last decade of basketball, but some core principles remain constant. If Sims can maintain his current level of play against higher levels of competition moving forward, there's definitely an expanded role for him available on this Bucks team even after Giannis returns.
To be effective while sharing the court with Antetokounmpo, it will be critical for Sims to continue to be a willing screener, cutter, and passer while doing the dirty work on the glass. He's been surprisingly capable on the defensive end when switching out on the perimeter, giving the Bucks an incredibly versatile look if paired with Giannis, who can also guard all five positions.
If Jericho commits to staying active on offense off the ball, it will be much harder for opposing defenses to wall off the paint against Antetokounmpo without being made to pay for it, even though he lacks the perimeter shooting gravity.
It still probably makes sense for Myles Turner to start games alongside Giannis in the frontcourt. After all, the starting lineup data still looks very positive when those two share the court this year. Giannis makes up for Turner's deficiencies crashing the glass, while Turner has been a far superior rim protector to Sims this season.
However, "Jumpman" Sims has been true to his name lately and clearly earned the opportunity for a consistent rotational role, even when Giannis gets back on the court. Whatever theoretical ceiling there may have been on his long-term fit next to their franchise star, he's exceeded all expectations with the increased opportunities he's been given in the past month.
The Bucks will look to get back on track on the road in Chicago against the free-falling Bulls on Sunday afternoon after a tough loss to the Knicks on Friday. Sims has the opportunity to feast against a shallow Chicago frontcourt and widen the gap between the two teams in the Eastern Conference standings as Milwaukee pushes for the Play-In.