Plenty of Milwaukee Bucks fans felt like Andre Jackson Jr. could have played a decently-sized role in his rookie campaign.
While inexperienced, the second-round pick showed that he could help this team with his athleticism, defense and endless motor. Jackson had his shortcomings, but that is to be expected from a rookie. Now, entering season two, he will have an opportunity to leap into the Milwaukee Bucks' rotation for good and make a name for himself at the NBA level.
To do so, he'll have to show improvement in these three areas of his game.
Lessening turnovers
During his first regular season, Jackson totaled 28 turnovers or 0.5 per game. Some of them were the typical rookie mistakes, such as a moving screen or stepping on the baseline, but a good chunk of his giveaways were due to erratic passes. Many times, the pass was either too high, too low, too fast or just out of reach entirely for the man he was looking for. He'll have to tighten that up in year two.
As he did in college, Jackson could potentially serve as a makeshift point guard for the Bucks when called upon, taking on floor general duties at times. He certainly has the skills and instincts to do so, but as he grows as a player, he'll have to improve as a passer. Part of that simply comes with building chemistry with his teammates and knowing their sweet spots, which comes with more minutes.
Jackson's struggles with turnovers date back to his three-year collegiate stay at UConn, where he put up 1.8 per game over three seasons, including two per contest in his final two seasons, so this is not a new revelation. However, it's something that can be improved upon over time as he grows.
Finding his groove as a shooter
Entering the NBA, one of the prominent question marks surrounding Jackson was whether or not he could develop a perimeter shot, considering he shot 29.3 percent from deep during his three years in college. Well, it wasn't the largest same size - 17-of-46 - but Jackson shot a respectable 37 percent from 3-point territory during his rookie year. Now, the Bucks wing must prove that was no fluke.
If he's going to play more minutes, Jackson needs to sink his triples consistently, especially if he will be in lineups next to Giannis Antetokounmpo, who demands floor spacing. Having two players who struggle to sink their triples would clog driving lanes and create a pretty awkward fit. It's one of the reasons AJ Green, an excellent shooter, may have earned more time over Jackson last season.
Luckily for Jackson, playing alongside such talented players means most of his looks from deep will be wide open. Per NBA.com/stats, Jackson shot 16-of-41 (39 percent) on wide-open 3-point looks in 2023-24, accounting for almost all of his production. With quality looks like that, he must capitalize and sink them with regularity if he wants to stick on the basketball court under Doc Rivers.
If Jackson pairs his defense and impressive hustle with a reliable 3-point shot, his ceiling will reach even greater heights as a player.
Cutting back on the fouls
As good as he was throughout his rookie season, there's no denying that Andre Jackson Jr. had a frustrating tendency to foul opponents frequently. This is an issue he also had in college, averaging 2.7 per game during his three seasons at UConn. On a smaller scale, this issue hindered his ability to get on the floor with the Milwaukee Bucks at the NBA level.
He averaged 1.6 personal fouls per matchup, tied for the eighth-most on the Bucks 2023-24 roster despite playing the 13th most minutes on average. When given minutes in the NBA postseason, that number shot up to two fouls per game. Some of this could be attributed to rookie jitters, but if the wing wants to see a more prominent role, he must dial back the personal fouls moving forward.
Luckily, this is something Jackson can work on. Plenty of his fouls last season stemmed from him unnecessarily reaching or just being overly physical with his opponents. The 22-year-old has the basketball IQ and intangibles to work on this. Truly, part of his growth in this area may simply come with more consistent playing time and being able to learn from his mistakes.
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