The Bucks’ rough start took another turn Wednesday after their loss to the Lakers, and Taylor Jenkins responded by shaking up the rotation again. One of the clearest changes was Jaime Jaquez Jr. moving to the bench for Nate Ament. Jaquez still produced, but the switch also stalled what had looked like a possible breakout path for Kasparas Jakucionis.
Jaquez has been one of the few steady pieces in Milwaukee’s dismal opening stretch. Along with Tyler Herro, he has tried to carry the offense while the rest of the roster has struggled to find any real consistency. Even with the move out of the starting five, he delivered another strong outing, finishing with 25 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals while shooting 7-of-16 (43.8 percent) from the field.
It was his first game coming off the bench in a Bucks jersey, and the approach didn’t change. He played with the same aggression he has shown as a starter, and his defense stood out too.
When guarded by him, Lakers players went just 3-of-10 (30 percent) from the field. Jaquez is still in line for an extension, and his line of 16.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists a night only strengthens that case.
For Jakucionis, though, the rotation picture is getting crowded in the wrong way. With Jaquez and Ryan Rollins both coming off the bench, there isn’t much room for another ball-handler, and that has made it harder for him to carve out a consistent role. He has flashed some encouraging signs, but he has also shot just 23.3 percent from 3-point range so far, a sharp drop from the 42.3 percent he posted with the Heat last season on a similar number of attempts.
His early games had their positives, but lately he has been pushed into garbage-time minutes. Milwaukee needs patience with its young players, and that’s especially true in a season where the team’s veterans have also been uneven. Jenkins is trying to sort through a roster where, outside of Herro and Jaquez, nobody has been able to string together much consistency.
The bigger takeaway is that nothing about this rotation looks settled yet. Jenkins has already shown he’s willing to keep changing things, and that means Jakucionis’ opportunity isn’t gone. But if Jaquez keeps coming off the bench with Rollins, Jakucionis will have to keep waiting - and keep fighting - to get back into the mix.
In Other News...
Bucks Just Lost A Frontcourt Option Fans Were Starting To Notice
Johni Broome had barely gotten his feet under him in Milwaukees system before another team made a move. After signing with the Bucks and appearing in two games for the Wisconsin Herd, the frontcourt prospect is headed to Minnesota on a two-way contract, a quick turn that says plenty about how closely teams are watching the G League for ready-made bigs.
Broome had been productive in his short run with the Herd, averaging 17.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, enough to make him one of the more noticeable names in Milwaukees developmental pipeline. Now the Bucks will keep sorting through other frontcourt options in their G League system, looking for the next player who can push for an NBA promotion before another club gets there first. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Rotation Decisions Are Raising Questions Milwaukee Cant Ignore
With a 1-10 start and the second-worst net rating in the NBA, the Bucks are already in the kind of early-season hole that forces every decision into the spotlight. New head coach Taylor Jenkins is trying to install new strategies and a new culture at the same time, but the roster built after the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade is looking increasingly like a group with structural issues that go beyond a slow start.
The rotation has become one of the clearest examples. Myles Turner has been getting significant minutes even as his shooting has lagged and questions about his effort have surfaced, while Kel'el Ware has flashed some defensive promise without finding much offensive rhythm or consistent playing time. For Milwaukee, the issue is no longer just about who is playing well on a given night. It is about whether the Bucks can settle on a lineup that actually makes sense before the season slips further away. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Suddenly Face One Huge Question In Gary Trent Jr. Case
The Bucks offseason business has taken on an unexpected layer of uncertainty as the NBA looks into how the team handled Gary Trent Jr.s contract. What had been a straightforward move from a minimum deal to a four-year, $64 million extension is now under review, putting Milwaukee in the middle of a cap-related investigation that has quickly become one of the leagues more serious side stories.
For the Bucks, the concern is bigger than just a paperwork issue. Media analysts have already raised the possibility of league discipline if Milwaukee is found to have crossed the line on cap circumvention, with potential punishment ranging from a suspension for general manager John Horst to the loss of draft picks. However this plays out, it has the chance to linger well beyond the current roster and shape how the franchise is viewed going forward. [Read more 🡒]