Andre Jackson Jr. started for the third time in five games for the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. He’s earned a lot of head coach Adrian Griffin’s trust of late and the rookie was handed another opportunity to show what he could do with the starting unit against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Unfortunately for Jackson, he had an uninspiring performance against the Cavs in what turned out to be a very disappointing 135-95 blowout loss for the Bucks.
Milwaukee Bucks Rookie Andre Jackson Jr. Gets Spot Start With Giannis Out
Giannis Antetokounmpo was unable to play on Wednesday due to a shoulder problem. This was just the second time the Bucks talisman was sidelined this season, and for a second time, it was Jackson who took his place in the starting five.
Jackson was whistled for a foul in the very first possession, which was pretty much a preview of what was to come for the 22-year-old that evening. He then shot an airball from beyond the arc, committed a turnover, and failed to get back on the defense in transition.
Jackson did salvage his night after he checked back in late in the game — when it was already well out of reach — finishing with six points and eight rebounds.
Adrian Griffin Comments on Jackson’s Performance
Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin had no intention of justifying Jackson’s lackluster effort against the Cavs. However, the rookie shot-caller still chose to praise the rookie amid the disappointment:
“There’s always going to be highs and lows, there’s always going to be a learning curve,” Griffin said, via Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “The biggest thing with young players is finding consistency. To do that you gotta put them out there. You gotta let them learn from their successes and some of their shortcomings. One of the things with ‘Dre is he’ll learn is defending without fouling so he can stay on the floor and I can keep him on the floor. But again, he has a great motor. He was making plays on the offensive end, he pushed the ball. He’s going to be an extremely good player this league.
“But I do feel an obligation to get him minutes and get him ready for if we need him in the playoffs. I gotta get him some minutes out there, because I think he can help us.”
Griffin clearly hasn’t lost faith in his young stud. If anything, it appears that Coach Griff is even more determined to give Jackson more opportunities in the near future. It’s now up to Jackson to make the most out of them when they come.
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