There’s absolutely no doubt that the biggest roster addition for the Milwaukee Bucks this summer is Damian Lillard. After all, it’s not every day that you successfully swoop in on a player who many consider to be a future Hall of Famer.
Dame’s arrival makes it easy to overlook the fact that Milwaukee actually added a couple of rookies to their roster via the 2023 NBA Draft. One of them is 6-foot-6 shooting guard Andre Jackson Jr.
Milwaukee Bucks Coach Talks Andre Jackson Jr.
Jackson made his Bucks debut on Sunday in a 105-102 preseason win against the Chicago Bulls. The 21-year-old didn’t exactly take the basketball world by storm in his first game for Milwaukee, but at the same time, head coach Adrian Griffin saw a lot of positives from this young man:
“He plays within himself,” Griffin said. “If he’s open, he’ll shoot it. If not, he doesn’t try to force shots. He protects the rim, protects the whole board. He just loves defense. It’s hard to find guys that love defense the way he does. With his athleticism, he just finds a way to impact the game.
“That’s all you have to do. Especially with this roster, you just find ways to impact the game. I thought he did that. Really good plays that he made — drives, finishes. I think he’s gonna be a special player before it’s all over.”
Jackson finished with four points on 2-of-5 shooting, four rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block in just 17 minutes of action. It wasn’t a masterclass performance but as Griffin implied above, the rookie found ways to impact the game beyond the box score.
Andre Jackson Jr. Is a ‘Coach’s Dream’
Griffin wasn’t done with heaping praise on his young stud. As a matter of fact, the Milwaukee shot-caller considers it a dream to be able to coach a player like Jackson:
“He’s a coach’s dream because he’s extremely coachable,” Griffin said. “He’s smart. He knows how to pick his spots, he knows how to look good out there and help his team to win.”
Jackson won’t be vying for the Rookie of the Year this coming season. In fact, he might struggle to find meaningful minutes in his debut season. However, it appears that the Bucks may have unearthed a real gem in this second-round draft pick.
Andre Jackson Jr. will just need to patiently wait for his opportunities to come.
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