In the Milwaukee Bucks' Summer League loss to the LA Clippers, Andre Jackson Jr. was clearly in pain with a bandaged finger on the sidelines.
It was announced by the team on Friday that this was more than just a regular sprain, as Jackson had successful surgery to repair a fractured third finger on his left hand. On a positive note, the youngster is expected to be ready for training camp in the next few months, but not before a lengthy process to get back to full strength.
Bucks' Andre Jackson Jr. gets a curveball thrown in his summer
With an injury to his finger, it's going to be hard for Jackson to work on his craft much over the rest of the summer, especially in terms of shooting. Although it's to his non-shooting hand, he's certainly not going to be getting up as many shot attempts as he'd like. As he aims to burst into the Bucks' rotation, this injury could serve as a bit of a roadblock for the 22-year-old soon-to-be-sophomore.
If Jackson were to get on the floor for Milwaukee consistently this coming season, developing into a steady 3-point shooter was a key objective. He shot a respectable 37 percent during his rookie year, but it was a small sample size. This finger injury will hinder Jackson's ability to work on his long-range shot consistently over what's left of the summer.
Jackson will be competing with the other young Milwaukee Bucks to showcase that he belongs in his nightly rotations. A freak athlete with a knack for playmaking and tough defense, there's a lot to like in terms of what Jackson brings to the table, so he should undeniably see time this coming season. An improved 3-point shot could almost certainly cement his status in that regard.
Jackson joins Khris Middleton as Milwaukee Bucks to go under the knife this NBA off-season, as the forward reportedly had surgery on both ankles. Both are expected to be ready by the start of the upcoming 2024-25 season, which is positive.
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