Not only did the Milwaukee Bucks miss out on the services of Damian Lillard and Brook Lopez on Tuesday night against the Phoenix Suns, but things took a turn for the worse when they lost a third started just eight minutes into the game. This was after Khris Middleton was forced to exit the contest after stepping on Kevin Durant’s foot in what turned out to be a nasty-looking left ankle injury for the three-time All-Star.
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers was left with no other choice but to make the necessary adjustments on the fly with three of his key players sidelined against the mighty Suns.
Doc Rivers Did Not Turn to Milwaukee Bucks Youngsters
Despite the lack of warm bodies available for the Bucks, head coach Doc Rivers still opted not to call on Milwaukee’s younger players. AJ Green did get another healthy run in this one, but both Andre Jackson Jr. and MarJon Beauchamp weren’t even able to get off the bench.
When asked about this decision after the game, Rivers acknowledged that the thought had crossed his mind. Nevertheless, he made the tough call of just sticking to a nine-/eight-man rotation throughout the contest.
“Definitely. But we don’t want too many guys on the floor, too many guys that haven’t played,” Rivers said, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “But Andre was probably the guy tonight that we looked at, but guys got going. I thought Beasley had it going. I’m trying to build Pat (Connaughton)’s confidence back.”
Rivers also hinted that Pat Connaughton is going to be a significant part of the rotation moving forward as Coach Doc sees his importance for the Bucks in the long run. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard got his first start of the season in Tuesday’s loss, and he could be in store for more minutes in the next few games as Milwaukee continues to deal with multiple injuries.
Things are looking stark for Jackson and Beauchamp, though, and it looks like they’re going to struggle to find consistent minutes under Rivers. Beauchamp, in particular, could be on his way out as trade rumors continue to hound the second-year forward.
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