With a clear need for a forward, the Milwaukee Bucks reportedly pursued both Jonathan Kuminga and Peyton Watson this past offseason. They came away with neither. While the team still has their share of question marks at the position, rookie Nate Ament is showing glimpses of stellar play that make it easy to forget there were other (more expensive) options on the table.
Ament's potential is real
The numbers don't leap off the page. Ament is averaging 7.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per matchup. Both Watson and Kuminga are having better seasons. Yet, one has to factor in where everyone is in their careers, with Ament a raw rookie while the other two are still young but far more polished. In his rookie year, Ament wasn't even expected to play much. Now, he's a key contributor nightly.
Offensively, he's playing with confidence. The rookie has done a nice job attacking the hoop by hitting 14 of his 17 shots in the restricted area. His work in the paint (non-restricted area), where he has shot just 1-of-6, and in the mid-range, where he's 0-of-5, need some work, but that is to be expected. He's still getting a feel for the game and appears to be getting more comfortable daily.
Taylor Jenkins has talked about how important it will be for his players to embrace defense if they want to play prominent roles, and Ament has taken it to heart. While he's still a work in progress on that end, he has done a good job of holding his own. Statistically, players are shooting just 18-of-55 with Ament as their primary defender (32.7 percent!). He is making life difficult for his matchups.
Sure, getting day-one production from Watson or Kuminga would have been nice, but it would have come at a hefty price and also blocked Ament's development. The Milwaukee Bucks chose to play the long game, and the early returns make it hard to argue with that decision.
Ament's role should only grow
Unlike past Bucks coaches, Jenkins hasn't been shy about throwing his rookies into the fire. Not only has Brayden Burries moved into the starting five, but Ament's importance is climbing as well. He has already overtaken Ousmane Dieng in the rotation, and it feels like only a matter of time before Ament works his way up the ladder further.
Of course, everyone is keeping a close eye on Kyle Kuzma. The reason the Milwaukee Bucks looked into Watson and Kuminga was because they could be his replacement. Now, Ament feels like a clear choice to overtake the veteran forward. Whether it's this month, next month, or next season, Ament should find himself in Kuzma's role sooner or later, especially if he keeps flexing all his potential.
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