Bucks rookie listed as probable ahead of season opener

During the Milwaukee Bucks’ second preseason game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, rookie Nate Ament suffered a left ankle sprain while going for a layup in the third quarter. Ament landed awkwardly and was down on the floor for a while, holding his ankle, before he finally got up and tried to walk it off.

He would shoot his two free throws after being fouled on the play and would head to the locker room, where he would stay and miss the rest of the game. Ament would miss the remainder of the preseason and would not play in the next three games against the Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers and the Chicago Bulls. 

On Tuesday afternoon, Milwaukee posted its injury report with an update on Ament ahead of its season opener agaisnt the Washington Wizards and listed him as probable.

The preseason is a big opportunity to evaluate players, especially for rookies, as seen with his rookie teammate Brayden Burries, but Ament was only able to suit up for two games. In the first game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he played 13 minutes, recording eight points and two rebounds while shooting 2-for-4 (50%) and making his lone 3-point attempt.

In a short spurt, it was a solid showing for the rookie in his first action against NBA-level talent as he was efficient and capitalized on his opportunities from the charity stripe as well. Ament tried to carry that momentum in his second game against the Thunder but struggled with his efficiency in his 10 minutes on the floor. Ament finished the game with three points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal while shooting 1-for-7 (14.3%) from the field before leaving the game. 

Head coach Taylor Jenkins mentioned at practice on Monday that he was a full participant at practice and looked good with his progression. 

“Full participant. Nate went through everything today,” Jenkins said. “Obviously, we had contact today. We'll see how he responds tomorrow, but made good progress over the weekend and looked good out there today. Just getting his timing back and whatnot, but overall he looked like he was moving pretty well.”

The addition of Ament is drastically important for both him and the franchise. Milwaukee was able to make two first-round draft picks after acquiring the No. 13 overall pick from the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, and took Ament. He was seen as a player who was going to need time to develop, as he’s still raw and needed to improve his efficiency.

During summer league, Ament showed that he was taking steps in the right direction, averaging 11.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game on 50% shooting from the field and 38.9% from the 3-point line in five games.

His presence will also help with the depth at the forward position. Kyle Kuzma, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Ousmane Dieng are the other primary forwards on the team, so with Ament gone, the rotation gets stretched, and Jenkins would have to turn to other players who may not have the size or skill set to replace him.

All Bucks fans want to see the how their young talent will perform this season, and with Ament listed as probable, there's a good chance they will see both rookies on Wednesday night.