The Milwaukee Bucks are only a week into the NBA season, and already coach Taylor Jenkins’ rotation choices are sparking major talk after a mixed 1-3 start. We’re not just looking at the final scores here, even though dropping those first two against the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls was tough, and then challenging the Philadelphia 76ers before finally beating the Indiana Pacers. It is about how they are getting there. How do we feel about Jenkins’ decisions so far, especially with those rotations?
Veteran Starters Leading the Charge
Jenkins has definitely leaned into veteran experience for his starting lineup, rolling with Myles Turner, Kyle Kuzma, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tyler Herro, and Ryan Rollins to kick off every game. These five guys combined bring a massive 34 years of NBA experience to the court, and you can see why Jenkins wants that to battle other teams’ top units. It isn’t just about the years, though. These players are all either at, approaching, or just past their playing primes. It’s a solid foundation of guys who know the league and can get things done.
The Bench Mob and a Sixth Man Surprise
Things get real interesting when Jenkins goes to the bench. He’s been running a tight ten-man rotation, and the biggest eye-opener has to be Kasparas Jakučionis stepping up as the team’s sixth man. And let me tell you, he is absolutely crushing it, playing the best basketball of his young career and legitimately looking like the Bucks’ best floor general on the court. After Jakučionis, Jenkins has been mixing it up, bringing in Ousmane Dieng for the first two games and then Nate Ament for the next two. Rounding out that rotation are Kel’el Ware, Brayden Burries, and AJ Green. These guys collectively have just 11 years of NBA experience, which makes it even more surprising that they’ve been getting minutes over proven players like Gary Trent Jr. and Caris LeVert, especially after what we saw from those two in the preseason. Talk about a curveball!
Who’s Riding the Pine?
Now, let’s talk about the DNPs, because that’s a stat no player wants to lead the team in. So far, Gary Trent Jr., Caris LeVert, Bogoljub Marković, and Jericho Sims have basically been glued to the bench. It’s an interesting mix here, too. You’ve got players past their prime like LeVert, guys theoretically in their prime but who haven’t been real needle-movers yet like Trent and Sims, and then the youthful projects such as Marković. Beyond those guys, it’s no shocker that the three two-way players,Pete Nance, Cormac Ryan, and Kam Jones,haven’t seen any action yet. These early rotation decisions from Jenkins are definitely setting the tone for the season, and it is going to be fascinating to watch how they evolve as the Bucks push deeper into this year.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Brew Hoop.
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