Stat shows Bucks youngster could be needed against athletic opponents

One could argue things would have been different if the Milwaukee Bucks had their freak of nature best player, but as things went, they were too unathletic to keep up with the Pacers in the playoffs.

Younger players like Tyrese Haliburton, Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard and Myles Turner were too much for Milwaukee's older players. One player who briefly helped combat this issue was rookie wing Andre Jackson Jr. When given minutes, he infused some energy into Milwaukee's lineups, providing a boost with his endless motor, helping the team get out in transition and hauling in rebounds.

How Andre Jackson Jr. helped the Bucks

The most prominent thing that stood out was Jackson's defense. Young and athletic himself, he stood a better chance against several of Indiana's players than the veterans, and the numbers show that. Per NBA.com/stats, Pacers players shot just 7-of-26 (26.9 percent) from the floor when being defended by Andre Jackson Jr.

Among players to defend at least four shots in the playoffs last season, Jackson, by far, had the best percentage. The next closest was star guard Damian Lillard, who held his matchups to 42.5 percent shooting (17-of-40). Alone on an island by himself in terms of defensive impact, it's clear that he should have been on the floor more in that series, as he can help against these types of teams.

Milwaukee's athletic opponents aren't going away anytime soon. While the Bucks went out and added quality defenders this offseason in Taurean Prince and Delon Wright, both are over 30, so they might even have trouble keeping up with the young players at times. Throwing a fresh-legged, 22-year-old Jackson in there to hound these opponents like he did in the playoffs could help combat this.

Even beyond just defense, Jackson can help this team, making it all the more obvious he should get an extended look in the rotation. He has the passing chops to play a bit of point-forward, he's a nice spark in the transition game and he showed as a rookie that he can legitimately shoot. All of this just adds to the desirability Andre Jackson Jr. possesses entering his second NBA season.

Of course, Jackson is not without his faults heading into year two. The prominent flaw holding back the youngster is his constant fouling, which gets him in foul trouble. He needs to work on that, but it will come with experience. Again, he's just 22 years old.

It'll be worth monitoring how Doc Rivers uses the young Milwaukee Bucks wing this season.

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