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.
Pat Connaughton
To his credit, Pat Connaughton has been playing better basketball following the NBA All-Star break after he was shrouded in trade rumors for most of the season early on. However, his output is still inconsistent game by game, and there's no telling what he may be able to give the Milwaukee Bucks on the big stage. Connaughton should still play, but Jackson could eat at some of the minutes.
The biggest concern for Connaughton is how he will hold up with tough defensive assignments in the postseason when top-tier wings come to town. Since his calf injury prior to the 2022-23 NBA season, Connaughton has lost a step on that side of the ball, and taller and more athletic players have hunted him since coming to this realization in recent memory.
When one of those 6-foot-7, 6-foot-8 electric wing scorers are on deck, the Bucks could give the uber-athletic Jackson, who is also taller than Connaughton, some extra burn. The team still does not have a clear-cut wing defender, and while it would be hard to entrust that role to Jackson this late in the season, he has all of the tools needed to be successful in that role.
Again, Connaughton should still see solid time. Lately, he's been playing fairly well, hauling in boards, intercepting the ball and showing off his facilitating skills. The one area he has truly struggled in has been his shot, as he hasn't been able to get anything going lately. He can help this team, but it would not hurt if Jackson took some of his minutes in certain matchups.
Malik Beasley
For most of the season, Malik Beasley has been a welcoming addition to the Milwaukee Bucks lineup, serving as a solid fifth starter due to his excellent outside shooting. However, he's fallen victim to an incredibly troubling shooting slump, knocking down just 33.9 percent of his triples following the NBA All-Star break. If he cannot start hitting those, it could spell trouble for his playing time.
As a 3-point specialist, when his shot isn't falling, Beasley's impact lessens mightily. The Bucks have tried to turn him into a primary wing defender, but it hasn't quite gone according to plan. He's not an elite passer and also does not rebound much. Milwaukee needs that perimeter shot, so when it's not falling with any consistency, it makes it hard to give him considerable minutes.
Coach Rivers may have already initiated the process of using Jackson when Beasley is struggling, as the latter sat on the sidelines for a significant portion of the loss to Toronto while Jackson was on the floor - Beasley shot 1-of-7 overall in the game. Beasley still has time to snap out of this slump, and it would be a huge boost for the Milwaukee Bucks' title hopes if he could.
If he cannot, the team may have to explore some lineup changes. Hopefully he can see a few shots go through the net and break out of this horrific shooting slump.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.