Doc Rivers was officially introduced as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, and he fielded questions from the media.
One reporter asked about developing Milwaukee's younger players in rookie Andre Jackson Jr. and sophomore MarJon Beauchamp on this veteran-oriented team. To sum up his response, Rivers said, "One of those guys is going to have to help us." He added that he is excited to get in the gym with the youngsters and help develop them.
Doc Rivers gives welcoming answer when asked about the young Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee's young players have been a hot topic of discussion this season. In spurts, Jackson and Beauchamp have both shown glimpses of potential, but their opportunities have been inconsistent.
Lately, Jackson, a rookie second-rounder, has been the talk of the town. With each passing month, he's received more playing time, and despite issues with getting his fouling under control, he's been a positive addition to the rotation, particularly on the defensive end. For a team struggling on defense like Milwaukee has, giving him time on a nightly basis should be a guarantee.
However, over the last two games under interim head coach Joe Prunty, Jackson has logged just a single minute of playing time. That cannot happen, especially with the team so desperately needing strong perimeter defenders on the court. Rivers needs to understand this and continue giving time to Jackson like Adrian Griffin had been before his abrupt dismissal.
Beauchamp is a bit of a different story. Even before Griffin's dismissal, he'd been out of the rotation and actually spending time in the G-League to get extra reps. Still, the potential is there, as he's an athletic, lengthy, and hungry wing who can give this team a jolt on both sides of the ball; it just has to be unearthed under the right circumstances.
Despite their inexperience, these two can help this team. There will undeniably be growing pains along the way, but they could all be worth it if one or both of these players become key cogs in the rotation. Coach Rivers clearly has faith in them, and he's right; this team could very well need one or both of them to take a leap over the next couple of months.
It will be interesting to see how Rivers handles Milwaukee's younger players, especially if the team brings in other personnel ahead of the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline. One thing is clear: Rivers has no shortage of topics to tackle upon taking over.
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