Bucks lineup change actually worked, but it's probably not sustainable

The start to the 2024-25 season couldn't have been much worse for the Milwaukee Bucks. They began their season 1-6, with their only win coming against a Philadelphia 76ers team that did not have Joel Embiid or Paul George. They lost games to rebuilding teams like the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets. Rumors surrounding Giannis Antetekounmpo's future in Milwaukee surfaced. Vibes were at an all-time low.

In a desperate effort to shake things up, head coach Doc Rivers made a change to Milwaukee's starting lineup ahead of their game against the Utah Jazz, removing the struggling Gary Trent Jr. and inserting Andre Jackson Jr. to take his place. That change could not have worked out much better.

Jackson thrived in his new role. He might've only scored seven points in his 28 minutes of action, but Jackson chipped in three rebounds, four assists, and four steals. He was inserted into the starting lineup mainly to provide defense and energy, and Jackson did just that.

As if Jackson's performance wasn't good enough, the decision to give AJ Green more run has continued to make Rivers look smart. Green followed up his seven three-pointer game by hitting another four in six attempts in what turned out to be a comfortable win against a struggling Jazz team.

While yes, the Bucks looked much better on Thursday, it's hard to see this being so sustainable.

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Bucks lineup change worked, but doesn't feel like a long-term solution

Can this change work long-term? Potentially. Will it? We'll need to see more first before coming to that conclusion. Yes, Jackson's energy and defense came up huge for the Bucks, but this Jazz team is 1-7, currently holding the worst record in the NBA. It wouldn't have been shocking to see a win even with Trent in the starting lineup.

Jackson's defensive ability can help take some of the immense pressure off of Damian Lillard in the backcourt which is awesome, but Jackson even in this game showed that he doesn't do much on the offensive side of the ball. He looked pretty good as a facilitator, and hit his only three-point attempt, but he took four shots in 28 minutes. If Jackson is going to essentially be a non-factor on the offensive side of the ball, will their offense be able to function?

The reason Trent was brought in by the Bucks this offseason was because he had a reputation for being a 3-and-D kind of player. Unfortunately, he has struggled mightily on both ends thus far, which led to this change being made in the first place.

Jackson is far from a proven player at this point. He's in his second season, and has appeared in just 64 games (nine starts). The energy he provides is real, but who knows what he can do beyond that? It feels as if the Bucks will need more against better competition. With tough matchups against the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics looming, we'll see just how sustainable this lineup change actually is.