The key player fits perfectly in the Milwaukee Bucks’ current lineup.
After an abysmal start to the 2024-25 NBA season — and plenty of alarms being sounded across the league fanbase and media — the Milwaukee Bucks have fully corrected their course and are on par to be a playoff team.
Right now, the Bucks are 24-17 and the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. They have climbed from being one of the bottom teams in the East to being a home-court advantage in the first-round level team.
With Damian Lillard being a star guard despite his age and Giannis Antetokounmpo being a franchise superstar, it’s no shock the Bucks are in a prime playoff spot, though it took a few key adjustments.
One tweak Bucks head coach Doc Rivers made was inserting Andre Jackson Jr. into the starting lineup. He’s started in 31 of his 39 games played this season. While his averages won’t pop out and prove to be a star in any regard, he’s a winning player and he has helped the team right the ship.
Former Bucks and veteran NBA guard Brandon Jennings opened up on Jackson Jr. and why he fits so well alongside Lillard and Antetokounmpo.
“I like Jackson Jr. He hostile. He a dog. He’ll run through the wall for you,” Jennings said. “I think him starting and just being that dog early, taking the pressure off Dame and Giannis, just being able to be out there and causing havoc, I think he’s a good option.
“He just got to shoot the ball.”
In an average of 17.3 minutes per game, Jackson Jr. is averaging just 3.6 points per game. Again, he makes plenty of winning plays, though he doesn’t show up in the box score often.
From a tone-setting standpoint, Jackson Jr. brings immense value and that makes him mighty important in the starting lineup.
“We need him to set the tone for us. We know Giannis is, who’s going to be that second or third guy,” Jennings continued.
The Bucks could work their way into the Jimmy Butler sweepstakes. A player like Jackson Jr. is going to set the tone and make winning plays — which is a massive asset to have in the lineup — but Butler could do the same while bringing star power alongside him.
Milwaukee would be willing to include Khris Middleton in said trade, too, which would make a deal much easier to strike. Initial reports claim that Butler doesn’t want to play for the Bucks, though he doesn’t have a no-trade clause and can’t determine such on his own.
When Lillard was being moved from the Portland Trail Blazers, Butler wanted him in Miami. Now is a good time for the two to pair up, though it’d come in Milwaukee. It’s more than obvious the Heat forward wants to be a member of the Phoenix Suns, though.
Still, the hypothetical move of Butler would provide plenty of what Jackson Jr. does, though alongside the counting stats to look better on paper.
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