Andre Jackson Jr.’s Opportunity On The Milwaukee Bucks

What can the national champion add to Milwaukee’s re-vamped roster?

Earlier this week, the Milwaukee Bucks made the marquee move of the offseason. They acquired Damian Lillard in exchange for draft capital and all-star guard Jrue Holiday, who now finds himself on the Boston Celtics.

For Milwaukee, this transaction means a significantly improved offense. Their attacking unit ranked towards the middle of the league this year; Lillard will change that. He’s coming off of arguably his best season, in which he frequently delivered exhilarating performances en route to averaging a career-high 32.3 points and 7.3 assists per game. However, with the departure of Holiday, the Bucks now lack some perimeter defense. This is where Andre Jackson Jr. can bring some value.

Drafted with the No. 36 overall pick this June, Jackson Jr. comes into the NBA a champion. In April, he played an integral part in UConn’s national title run. As a Junior last season, the 6-foot-6 wing averaged 6.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per contest. These numbers aren’t necessary gaudy, but they do trace the outline of the New York native’s impact on the basketball court.

Jackson Jr. is currently not a productive scorer. He shoots at a sub-30% clip beyond the arc and barely scores from 2-point range either. However, he is a very good playmaker, especially in the open court. He can consistently generate open shots for teammates while running the break. Additionally, he crashes the offensive glass with fervor, notching 1.9 offensive boards per game last year.

While he does have offensive strengths as a passer and rebounder, these skills hardly mitigate the harm caused by a lack of scoring ability. This is especially important given what Jackson Jr. brings on the defensive end. He’s an athletic, rangy, perimeter defender who puts his head down to make hustle plays. He needs to bring enough offensively to stay on the court and provide defensive impact.

With Holiday and even Jevon Carter no longer in Milwaukee threads, the squad has a dire need for defensive talent on their perimeter; Jackson Jr. has the opportunity to step up and alleviate some concerns in this area, whether it be immediately or down the road as he improves upon his offensive ability.

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