The goal of NBA Summer League was for the young players to get their feet wet and show what they can do. The Milwaukee Bucks' youngsters did just that. Though they didn't dominate the competition, this team flexed no shortage of potential. Let us break down four players whose stock either rose or sank during this last stretch of games.
Riser - Nate Ament
Everyone knew Nate Ament was raw the moment the Milwaukee Bucks took him in this draft. That is why Summer League was so important for him. It was his opportunity to showcase that despite that raw label, he could still perform at a high level. He did exactly that, putting together a few tremendous performances along the way.
In Milwaukee's win over Charlotte, Ament put up 23 points, six rebounds, and two steals, taking on a significant role in Brayden Burries' absence. He followed that up with 12 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in a win over Philadelphia. The rookie looked increasingly comfortable as time passed, and that's all the Bucks could have asked for. Ament's stock is up tremendously.
Riser - Brayden Burries
Burries' stock was already high heading into Summer League, but he found a way to increase it even further. In four outings, he averaged 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, two steals, and one block. His shooting was pristine, knocking down 50 percent of his total shots, including 36.4 percent of his triples. That's all about as good as it gets in Summer League.
If there is one thing he could have done better during this slate, it was the free-throw shooting. He hit just 66.7 percent of his shots in that regard. Yet, the guard, who is coming off a game-winning bucket against the 76ers, is already a two-way threat who should have a spot cemented in Milwaukee's rotation this coming season. He was unbelievably impressive.
Faller - Kasparas Jakucionis
Perhaps the most interesting piece of the Giannis Antetokounmpo return haul, Bucks fans were excited to see Jakucionis in action. The guard didn't show much, only appearing in two contests and largely struggling in them. In those matchups, he averaged nine points on 9.5 shot attempts while tallying five assists to 3.5 turnovers per game.
It wasn't all bad from the point guard. He did average 2.5 steals, flexing legitimate defensive instincts. Even with the turnovers, the guard's passing was strong. At just 20 years old, Jakucionis is still young. Mistakes are bound to happen. It would have been nice to see him play in more than two contests, as it's hard to judge him off such a small sample size.
Riser - Kam Jones
Even beyond the Wisconsin connections—Jones went to college at Marquette—picking up the guard made plenty of sense for Milwaukee. Why not pick up a former second-round pick on a two-way deal? Fighting for minutes on the Bucks' guard-heavy Summer League roster, the guard didn't disappoint, vindicating the Bucks mightily for snatching him up before anyone else could.
In his matchups, Jones averaged 10 points, five assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per contest. He was active on both sides of the ball, scoring at will while also finding his teammates often, in addition to staying active defensively. While the Bucks might not have room for him in their current rotation, Jones can certainly provide depth and stay ready to hear his name called.
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