It took time, but Andre Jackson Jr. is showing he can break Bucks' draft curse

For more than a decade, the Milwaukee Bucks’ draft history has been, to put it mildly, uninspiring.

Outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo—a pick so transformative it masks the team's many misses—Malcolm Brogdon and Donte DiVincenzo (who one could argue only really blossomed after leaving Milwaukee), the Bucks' scouting report often reads like a cautionary tale.

From guys like Rashad Vaughn to D.J. Wilson to Jordan Nwora (two of whom are no longer in the association), the team’s track record in finding reliable contributors in the NBA Draft has been spotty at best. It speaks to a litany of issues within the front office and even the locker room. It's an inability to scout well but also an inability to develop well.

Yet, in Andre Jackson Jr., the 36th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Bucks might finally have found a player capable of rewriting that narrative.

Andre Jackson Jr. brings athleticism, defensive versatility to the Bucks

Jackson’s arrival in Milwaukee was met with tempered expectations. He wasn’t a polished scorer or a standout offensive talent in college, but his elite athleticism and defensive instincts stood out immediately. Now in just his second NBA season, Jackson is starting to show why the Bucks believed he was worth the gamble.

Defensively, Jackson has already become a trusted piece in Doc Rivers’ rotation. His ability to guard multiple positions, disrupt passing lanes and recover in transition adds a dynamic the Bucks have sorely lacked in recent years. Milwaukee’s defense, which ranks a discouraging 19th in defensive rating this season, has often struggled to contain opposing wings. Jackson’s emergence gives them a much-needed weapon to throw at the league’s top perimeter players.

The numbers back it up.

Per PBP Stats, Milwaukee is giving up an incredible -15.8 fewer points per 100 possessions when Jackson is on the floor versus when he's on the bench. His energy and instincts aren’t just things that make for a good show—they’re impactful, and it's clear at this point that they've been leading to winning basketball. He's no longer one of the best defenders on the Bucks roster; he's one of the very best in the league.

While Jackson’s defense is what keeps him on the floor, his offensive game is showing signs of growth. Known more as a slasher and transition threat, Jackson has started to display a willingness to attack the rim with confidence and make smart reads as a passer.

His shooting remains a work in progress—he’s hitting 39.1 percent from 3-point range, but the eye test suggests his shot has a long way to go. Evidencing this is the fact that many opponents are still willing to leave him open on the perimeter, and even incremental improvements would open up new dimensions for his game. On a team where floor spacing is critical for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, Jackson’s ability to stay effective without dominating the ball is a crucial asset.

In recent games, Jackson’s willingness to run the floor has been a game-changer for Milwaukee’s transition offense. The Bucks, long criticized for their sluggish pace, have been a middling team in this regard for a while now. Jackson injects the kind of speed and verticality that can turn defensive stops into easy buckets on the other end.

For the Bucks, Andre Jackson Jr. became the right player at the right time

Perhaps what makes Jackson’s development so exciting is how perfectly he fits the Bucks’ current needs. With Khris Middleton’s health uncertain and Milwaukee’s defense still struggling to find its identity, Jackson has the tools to fill critical gaps. His energy and versatility are invaluable in an aging rotation that often looks a step slow against younger, more athletic teams.

Still, it’s important to temper expectations, especially considering Jackson Jr still has to compete for minutes in a relatively crowded shooting guard and small forward rotation still missing Khris Middleton. Consistency is the next hurdle for Jackson, and the offensive side of his game remains a work in progress. But for a franchise desperate to find value in the draft, Jackson represents a rare bright spot.

It’s too early to crown Andre Jackson Jr. as the savior of Milwaukee’s draft woes, but the signs are promising. In a league where player development often separates contenders from pretenders, Jackson’s trajectory gives Bucks fans reason to believe their long-standing draft curse might finally be lifting.

Jackson's limitations are what they are, but make no mistake: going from 10 minutes per game in year one to starting and closing games in year two is absolutely a development success story from this Milwaukee Bucks team, especially for a player drafted in the second round.

If Jackson can continue to grow, the Bucks won’t just have a valuable rotation piece—they’ll have a symbol of hope that Milwaukee’s future, despite its past draft struggles, remains bright. The Thon Makers and the Johnny O'Bryants of the world would have been worth the risk if those picks led to the Milwaukee Bucks picking up their wing defender of the future in Jackson Jr.

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