It hasn’t been all rainbows and unicorns for the Milwaukee Bucks’ summer league team, as many fans expected. While Brayden Burries has shone as the lead guard, fellow first-round pick Nate Ament has had his fair share of struggles.
In his summer league debut against the Miami Heat, he only connected on three of seven shots for six points, three rebounds, two assists and one turnover in 17 minutes.
His next outing against the San Antonio Spurs was much of the same. He again made three of his seven shot attempts, this time for seven points, five rebounds, zero assists and three turnovers. It was another similarly unimpressive performance against the Phoenix Suns.
However, Ament showed flashes of his potential in his fourth summer league game for the Bucks, showing why Milwaukee used the 13th overall pick on him this year.
In 25 minutes against the Charlotte Hornets, he scored a team-high 23 points (on 7-for-13 shooting), six rebounds, one assist, and two turnovers.
Let’s hop into the film room to see how he was able to find success putting the ball in the hoop.
Mid-Range Game
There was a lot of debate during draft season about Ament’s scoring profile. He took many difficult mid-range shots in college, but some supporters wondered whether that was due to the offense they were running.
Only time will tell, but it appears he still likes his pull-up mid-range game in NBA summer league.
As Ament is pressured bringing the ball across the right side of halfcourt, he receives a high ball screen to his left that frees him of his man. This allows him to get into open space and attack downhill as he snake dribbles back to the right wing. With a sudden mismatch and space against a slower-footed big, Ament pulls up from around 15 feet and buries the jumper in the bottom of the net.
It will be intriguing to see how his shot profile develops in the NBA. Will he continue to rely on his mid-range game, or will he be able to score from more efficient spots on the court?
Strength
Standing 6-foot-10 and 207 pounds, it’s clear Ament desperately needs directions to the weight room early in his career. He has other physical tools, but strength is not one of them.
Some of that will come in time. For now, he’ll have to fight the good fight against more physical defenders. And trust me, these defenders are going to get physical with him.
He catches the pass on a stampede cut to begin the clip above. After one hard and one baby dribble to his right, he crosses over violently back to his left hand and toward the left elbow. He creates separation from his defender with this change of direction, but his man is able to body him up just below the free throw line and nearly stop the drive.
Ament immediately feels the pressure and nearly comes to a complete stop due to the physicality. However, he’s just long enough to get the shot up over the defender's outstretched arms and lay the bunny off the glass.
Here’s another example of how his lack of strength hurts him.
Ament is handling the rock just across half court when he hits his defender with a nifty left-to-right cross to create just enough room for a driving lane to the rim.
However, as he approaches the hoop, his defender puts his arms on him to slow him down. Again, this kills any advantage he created with his crossover and nearly ends the drive. And, again, he’s only able to salvage a bucket due to his length.
If Ament dedicates himself to the weight room, he’ll be able to drive right through this contact in a couple of years. Until then, he’ll have to rely on awkward-looking finishes that primarily feature his length.
Playmaking
Ament’s playmaking abilities may go a long way in determining what type of player he can become in the NBA.
Having a player with his height and length who can handle the rock and create for others would be a massive advantage for the Bucks. Ament can see over the defense to create shots for others while also showing off handles that allow him to take advantage of defensive mismatches.
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes raved about Ament’s unselfishness. Barnes praised Ament for putting the team first and representing the university on and off the court.
Getting a player with a team-first attitude is a great way to restart the Bucks after the Giannis era. Milwaukee will need as many players as they can gather who are smart, unselfish, and willing to make the right play. That kind of approach could help define the team’s next chapter.
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