The Milwaukee Bucks entered the All-Star break with a 29-24 record. As it has been the case throughout the Damian Lillard-Giannis Antetokounmpo era, the Bucks continue to be inconsistent night in and night out. Over the last month, they have been blown out by the Blazers, Spurs, Grizzlies, and Thunder immediately after winning eight of their last nine games. With an 11-15 away record, the Bucks are one of the worst road teams in the NBA, especially among playoff teams.
Overall, the Bucks are mediocre on both ends of the floor, ranking tenth on offense and 15th on defense, per CleaningTheGlass. They look nowhere near a title contender and obviously have to make some changes after the All-Star break.
One of those changes needs to come in the rotation and perhaps the starting lineup. Head coach Doc Rivers has to tweak the minute distribution and that has to start with Andre Jackson Jr.
Andre Jackson Jr. Needs to Be Phased Out of Bucks' Rotation
The second-year player showed intriguing flashes last season as a rookie. For a team desperate for defensive intensity and athleticism, Jackson was a welcome addition. He plays hard and is a solid defender.
At the same time, he failed to show any progress in his second season in the league and continues to be an offensive liability. He started in 43 of his 51 appearances this season, playing 17.3 minutes per game. He is only taking 1.4 threes per game in those minutes and averages 3.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists.
For a perimeter player who can't do anything else offensively, that lack of shooting is impossible to overcome. Teams leave him completely open, and he can't punish them. In turn, this messes up Milwaukee's spacing and makes things difficult for the likes of Antetokounmpo and Lillard.
As a result, it is no coincidence that the Bucks have a -2.8 net rating with him on the floor. The team is 6 points per 100 possessions worse with Jackson on the floor than when he is not.
It is time AJ Green, Taurean Prince, Kyle Kuzma, and Gary Trent Jr. started getting Jackson's minutes. The young shooting guard can still be a bench option as a defensive specialist but shouldn't play extended minutes unless he improves his offensive game.