Projecting the Milwaukee Bucks' ideal bench lineup in 2024-25
By Dalton Sell
Shooting guard: AJ Green
Doc Rivers has to get the young players more involved this coming season. He toyed with the idea of doing so last season, occasionally giving AJ Green minutes on the wing. When given consistent time, Green largely looked ready for the moment, and Rivers should aim to build off of that with a larger role for the soon-to-be third-year wing.
Green's greatest attribute is his perimeter shooting, hitting 41.2 percent of his career triples. He's one of the best shooters this roster has to offer, and the Bucks could always use more spacing around the core components like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. Over the years, plenty of shooters have had incredible success next to Giannis due to his gravity, and Green could be next up.
The looming question for the guard is his defense. At 6-foot-4, 200lbs, Green has a sturdy frame to aid him in taking on bigger matchups, but that doesn't mean he'll be a stout defender. He showed in brief spurts last season that he can hold his own defensively. However, the challenge now will be doing so on a much larger scale if he wants to receive consistent playing time.
Small forward: Andre Jackson Jr.
Sticking with the young guns, another player who could see more time this year is Andre Jackson Jr. The rookie played here and there last season, and he typically showed potential when he got on the basketball court, dazzling with his passing, defense and athleticism. All of those are attributes this Milwaukee Bucks team needs more of heading into next season.
Jackson's defense is primarily what could get him on the floor. The lengthy 6-foot-6 Jackson has the tools to bring more versatility to that side of the court whenever he touches it, something this roster lacked last season. If Jackson can bring that defense while building off a solid shooting showing in his rookie year - where he hit 37 percent of his triples - Rivers might be forced to utilize him more.
On that same point, transition scoring was a prominent problem for the Milwaukee Bucks last season, as they averaged the 28th-most fastbreak points off the bench. That was largely due to relying on the veterans too much, as they could not keep up with younger, more athletic players. Jackson, who is an uber-athletic, speedy player, thrives in transition and could give the team a spark in this regard.