For many months, Milwaukee Bucks fans had been pleading for Andre Jackson Jr. to get minutes to infuse some speed, athleticism and hunger into this aging rotation.
Finally, with the Milwaukee Bucks playing sluggish ball against a dwindling Toronto Raptors squad on Friday night, Rivers gave the rookie a shot in the second half. Jackson proceeded to fuel the Bucks' comeback attempt, providing hustle, shot-blocking, pace and an immense amount of heart. Though Milwaukee still came up short, it was great to see the rook get some legitimate time.
Now, it's clear, well, even more clear than it was before, that Jackson needs minutes moving forward. If Rivers keeps him out of the rotation, it would be a mistake, particularly against faster and younger teams, which have typically had Milwaukee's number this season. If Jackson's minutes will increase, someone's will have to go down.
To be clear, the following ranking is not to say that Jackson should steal all of the minutes from these particular players, just that he could take some from them outside of the first entry.
Let's get to it.
Danilo Gallinari
Needing a big man to strengthen their frontcourt depth, the Milwaukee Bucks added Danilo Gallinari on a rest-of-the-season contract earlier this year. It was a fine move as an insurance policy, but he has played his share of legitimate minutes since coming aboard, and he hasn't exactly impressed.
In 16 appearances, he's averaged just 2.3 points on 37.9 percent shooting, including 20 percent from distance, while also struggling mightily defensively. Coming off an ACL tear and subpar stints with the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons, no one expected Gallinari to be Milwaukee's missing piece, but he's failed to much of a positive contributor.
When he's on the court, Gallinari is not helping Milwaukee's need for burst, athleticism and players to get out in transition. His bread and butter has always been scoring the ball, and he hasn't done much of that since touching down in the 414. Even though he is not playing a massive role, those minutes would be better served going to Jackson.
One thing the vet has over Jackson is height. At 6-foot-10, Gallinari has four inches on the youngster, which means something from time to time with particular matchups. However, the Bucks have three other big frontcourt options in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis, who could all give the team size when they need it in place of Gallinari.
Jackson simply offers Milwaukee more than Gallinari right now.