Just when he started showing his potential, Milwaukee Bucks rookie Nate Ament went down with an ankle sprain in a recent preseason showing. The forward missed the team's last preseason outing vs. the Charlotte Hornets and will likely miss the final two. Yet, Coach Taylor Jenkins is holding out hope that the rookie will be available for Milwaukee's first matchup of the regular season.
"Nate [is] progressing. Little bit more movement in the halfcourt, but definetly kinda constrained there but making some positive progress... He's on track, making progress. We're doing everything possible. He's doing everything possible to be available for opening night... Our goal is to, obviously, have him available."
Ament's preseason audition cut short
Obviously, it would be great to have everyone healthy heading into the NBA season. The Bucks have suffered at the hands of the injury bug plenty over the last several years. Outside of Tyler Herro being under the weather, which Jenkins said will likely be a short-term issue, everyone but Ament is healthy, so he is the lone question mark as this ankle sprain heals.
Ament's preseason overall has been a mixed bag, with the raw rookie expectedly showing signs of promise while also very clearly being unpolished. That's fine. It was simply nice to have him on the court to see what he was made of after his solid Summer League showing. Unfortunately, he likely won't be on the floor for the final two outings, meaning his case to earn a role will be put on hold.
Ament's role in Bucks' rotation is uncertain
Taylor Jenkins hasn't guaranteed anyone roles throughout the preseason, as the coach is looking at all of his options. Ament has been near the bottom of the list in terms of playing time, but he has still earned an opportunity to showcase his talent. The question is whether the team envisions him being in the rotation from the jump next season or if they will ease him into things over time.
With the forward rotation being among Milwaukee's weakest roster points, everything should be on the table. Though he's shown some fight in the preseason, Kyle Kuzma's struggles can take over any given moment. If he's failing to make an impact, maybe Jenkins would consider throwing the rookie out there to see if he can give the team a spark.
Ament getting injured in the preseason makes it harder to evaluate him, which stings, but Jenkins has been around him all summer. No matter what, though, the Milwaukee Bucks certainly will not rush him back into the lineup. Ament's development is entirely about the long game, and it would be foolish to push him to play if he's not ready. Slow and steady. It sounds like he's heading in the right direction.
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