When the Milwaukee Bucks selected Nate Ament, the general consensus was that he'd be a project player with little to no role in his rookie season. When asked about Ament potentially spending time with the G League affiliate, though, Head Coach Taylor Jenkins said he wants the young forward to focus on carving out a role with the Bucks and raved about the rookie's progress. Will Ament be one of the team's go-to reserves from day one? Will he be a spectator? There is simply no telling.
Ament's role with Bucks' among biggest mysteries
Complicating matters here is the ankle injury Ament suffered in the preseason, which limited his time on the floor. Just when he started showing signs of potential and making his case to be in the rotation for Jenkins, he got hurt. Yet, Milwaukee's coach has raved about Ament to media members, noting his growth behind the scenes, so it's not like the injury took him off the board altogether.
If he's healthy, Milwaukee's forward rotation makes it easy to imagine Ament working his way into the mix quickly, if he's not already in it. Kyle Kuzma and Jaime Jaquez Jr. will likely start, but behind them are Ousmane Dieng, Bogoljub Markovic, and Ament himself. It's one of the roster's weaker points, and if someone isn't performing, Jenkins won't hesitate to make a change of the fly.
Rather than taking a slow and steady approach like many speculated, Jenkins could opt for more of a trial-by-fire test, throwing Ament onto the court sooner than expected. There is so much speculation about Jenkins' lineup combinations, as his plans have largely been kept under wraps, so answers will finally arrive when the first game begins.
No matter what, Nate Ament must stay ready
In all likelihood, Ament's role won't be prominent from the jump, especially with the ankle injury from the preseason. Jenkins will likely utilize more experienced players like Jaquez, Kuzma, and Dieng to fill out the forward minutes. However, Milwaukee's new coach has highlighted the importance of fluidity and could make a chance at any given moment, meaning Ament must always be on his toes.
If Kuzma isn't performing as well as the Milwaukee Bucks would like, maybe Jenkins makes an early-season change to get the rookie involved.
No matter the case, Ament is firmly a building block for the Bucks. He is a player who will define this next era of basketball, good or bad. It'll be fascinating to see how his role unfolds.
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