An intriguing position battle for the Milwaukee Bucks

For this year’s Milwaukee Bucks team, there are not many positions that are guaranteed. The Bucks acquired several new pieces after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat, and while that gives the Bucks more depth, it also complicates things. 

One of those complications comes at the guard position. It’s sounds like a broken record at this point, but Milwaukee has an abundance of guards with two of them coming from Miami. Now in his first season as the Bucks head coach, it’s going to be up to Taylor Jenkins and his staff to determine roles for his rotation.

The point guard and shooting guard spots seem fairly locked in, with Ryan Rollins looking to continue where he left off last season after a career year as the team’s starting point guard, and Tyler Herro, arguably being the centerpiece of the trade, will start next to Rollins at the shooting guard spot.  

The No.10 overall pick, Brayden Burries, will be another key player for the Bucks and can play both guard positions. The real intriguing competition comes at the backup point guard spot. 

Kevin Porter Jr. returned to Milwaukee for another season after he exercised his $5.39 million player option this offseason. Porter was productive in the 38 games he played last year, averaging 17.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 2.2 steals per game, but missed the majority of the season due to injuries. 

His shot creation and playmaking skills make an impact when he steps on the court, and he generates offense for both himself and his teammates. In his first preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, things didn’t exactly go his way. Porter came off the bench and in his 19 minutes, he finished the game with 7 points, three rebounds and two assists while shooting 1-for-6 (16.6%) from the field and 5-for-9 from the free-throw line. 

It’s his first game in a long time for Porter, and a preseason game at that, so it’s important not to overreact to one preseason game, but it wasn’t the most productive showing. In that same game, guard Kasparas Jakucionis did not see the floor, as the 20-year-old was also acquired from the Miami trade. 

The Heat were extremely high on Jakucionis after a solid rookie season where he provided good minutes, displayed good 3-point shooting (42.3%), and showed off his playmaking skills. He was arguably the most highly regarded player from the Antetokounmpo trade, and many Milwaukee fans were excited to see him play.

After not playing in the first preseason game, his time came in the second one against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he caught people’s attention. He was one of the first players off the bench and proved to be productive in his first minutes as a Buck.

In 18 minutes, Jakucionis recorded 10 points, four rebounds and four assists on 3-for-7 shooting from the field and 2-for-6 from the 3-point line. The reasons why the Heat were so high on him were on display in his first game. He found his teammates on cuts and easy shot opportunities, while also finding his own shot from the 3-point line and at the rim.

Not bad for a first impression. He played for the Bucks during summer league and showed flashes, averaging 9 points, 5 assists and 2.5 steals per game, but struggled with his efficiency from the field as he shot 26.3% from the field. Now, after a solid game against the Thunder and with only a few more preseason games to go, the competition between Porter and Jakucionis is something to keep an eye on