Bucks' Damian Lillard praises two young wings for great impact amid Jae Crowder injury

14/11/2023 08:32

The Milwaukee Bucks have been uninspiring on the defensive end of the floor to start the 2023-24 season, with Damian Lillard, despite the offensive upgrade he brings, being a major downgrade from Jrue Holiday as a defender at the point of attack. And now, the Bucks’ defensive depth became even thinner after losing Jae Crowder to an injury that needed surgery.

As a result, the Bucks now have to rely on a few inexperienced players to fill in some minutes for the team on the wing, especially with Khris Middleton still under a minutes restriction. But to MarJon Beauchamp and Andre Jackson Jr.’s credit, they were both prepared to contribute for the team when head coach Adrian Griffin called upon their numbers, as the two both played important roles in the Bucks’ 118-107 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

The contributions of Beauchamp and Jackson did not go lost on Damian Lillard, with the Bucks guard showering the two with lavish praise in his postgame presser following their win over the Bulls.

“[Jackson] and [Beauchamp], the size, the length that they both have on the perimeter and what they can do on both ends of the floor is really good for our team, especially when they can come out there and play like they played tonight,” Lillard said, per Gabe Stoltz of Brew Hoop. “Tonight they came in and they’re taking advantage of the opportunity.”

Damian Lillard also shouted out Andre Jackson Jr. for displaying quite the mature disposition on the court for the Bucks despite being in just his first professional season.

“Dre is a pretty smart rookie. He understands our coverages. […] He understands what he’s out there to do,” Lillard added.

Bucks veterans Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis also joined the lovefest, expressing what they feel about getting tons of contributions from two of the team’s young wings.

“You can see the potential there. He’s a smart player that knows how to play, knows how to use his energy and athleticism the right way,” Middleton said of Jackson.

“They’ll get extended period of time to go out there and learn and grow. I think that can be really big going forward. You know, two athletic guys that can guard, man, and shoot the ball with confidence,” Portis added.

And with Jae Crowder out, those two should get plenty of burn in the coming months. Now it’s up to Andre Jackson Jr. and MarJon Beauchamp if they’ll sink or swim.

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