Kasparas Jakučionis—still just 20 years old—arrives in the Cream City via the Giannis trade as a young, intriguing guard prospect. Jakučionis is a 6’5” second-year guard who averaged 6.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 2.6 APG in just under 18 minutes per contest for Miami. Except for his three-point percentage (42%), most of his stats don’t jump off the page. That said, in games where KJ played over 25 minutes, he averaged 12.5 PPG and 4.5 APG. I hope that the (presumed) increase in usage and minutes with Milwaukee will allow him to flourish.
We saw Jakučionis debut for the Lithuanian senior national team before Summer League; he looked great, with 16 points, eight assists, and five rebounds. Jakučionis dominated in the pick-and-roll and showed some great potential as a lead guard. However, he struggled in Vegas, having major issues controlling the ball and getting quality looks at the rim.
Still, I think the Bucks have found something in Jakučionis; he has a solid baseline and a high ceiling. Unfortunately, considering the logjam at the guard positions, I don’t think we’ll see as much of him as we should early on. Hopefully he gets into the 15-20 minute range each game, and that can grow throughout the season as he proves his worth. There will be plenty of opportunities as the roster changes throughout the season, and if Jakučionis proves himself as a spark off the bench and a good point guard option, his role should expand from there.
Overall, I don’t see KJ playing a major role in Milwaukee immediately; young guys need time to grow and learn. I reckon we’ll see some of his best games in matchups where the main guards are out. We also need to be prepared for the highs and lows, and even the high moments won’t necessarily translate into immediate success and wins, but they are a key part of building for the future.
With Jakučionis now gone, who’s next?
