As expected, the Milwaukee Bucks are off to a rough start and are currently 0-3. Plenty of concerns surround this team and how competitive they can be in the Eastern Conference, but one player who deserves recognition is Jaime Jaquez Jr.
It's only been three games, so take this with a grain of salt, but Jaquez has been terrific, and he has been one of the Bucks' best players so far. If I were a Bucks fan, I would be genuinely excited about how he is playing with so much confidence. He has been so aggressive offensively, and what impresses me is how efficiently he is doing it.
We saw flashes of this version of Jaquez with the Miami Heat, but what we're seeing early in Milwaukee has me wondering how good he can become with a bigger opportunity.
I know we're only three games into the season, and it's way too early to start handing out individual awards, but is it really that crazy to think Jaquez could put himself in the Most Improved Player conversation?
Oct 24, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (24) drives against Philadelphia 76ers guard Vj Edgecombe (77) during the fourth quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Jaquez has always been crafty and has used his excellent footwork to create separation and scoring opportunities.
Those qualities were always there in Miami, but the difference I'm noticing early in Milwaukee is his willingness to attack and look for his own offense.
He isn't hesitating nearly as much, and when he sees an opportunity to score, he's taking advantage of it. He's been efficient, which is exactly what you want to see from a young player being given more offensive responsibility. His shooting splits are ridiculous in this small sample size; he is averaging 61% from the field and 56% from deep. Those numbers are not sustainable. His season averages are 20.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. If he can maintain those numbers, he will definitely be in the conversation for the Most Improved Player.
If he can average somewhere around 20 to 22 points per game while maintaining strong efficiency, I think people around the league will start paying attention.
The area he needs to improve the most is his three-point shooting. If he can become a reliable outside shooter, that would make his offensive game much more difficult to defend. As I said earlier, he is shooting 56% from deep, and that is not sustainable. If he can shoot around 36%, that would be very impactful.
The other thing is consistency, and that's probably the biggest test for him this season.
We've seen plenty of players get off to great starts before cooling down once teams begin making adjustments. Jaquez is going to have more defensive attention on him if he continues producing at this level, and I'm interested to see how he responds when opponents start treating him like one of Milwaukee's primary offensive options.
Can he still get to his spots when teams game-plan for him? Can he create good looks when his jumper isn't falling? Those are the things that will determine whether we're watching a nice start or the beginning of a legitimate breakout season.
The one thing Jaquez probably won't control is Milwaukee's record, and unfortunately, that could factor into his Most Improved Player candidacy.
The Bucks are 0-3, and I don't think anyone can reasonably point to Jaquez as the reason they're struggling. If anything, he's been one of the players doing his part.
Players on winning teams tend to get more attention, and if Milwaukee spends most of the season near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Jaquez could have a harder time getting the recognition he deserves.
This franchise is going through a major transition, and the most important thing Milwaukee can do this season is figure out which players are worth building around.
That's why I think Jaquez's early performances are such an encouraging development.
He's still young enough to improve, but he's also experienced enough that Milwaukee doesn't have to start from scratch with him. He understands how to play, doesn't need the offense built completely around him to contribute,, and has shown he can be productive when given more responsibility.
Based on what we've seen through three games, I think that's a realistic possibility.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/bucks/onsi as Could Bucks' Jaime Jaquez Jr. Contend for Most Improved Player? .
