Bucks fans are not totally sold about their rookie AJ Johnson who was picked 23rd overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. Some say the Milwaukee Bucks rookie is still raw or that he did not have enough credentials to be considered NBA material.
The team clearly has a different opinion. The coaches and GM saw his potential and are giving the 19-year-old point guard the benefit of the doubt.
However, they will not make it easy for him. Head coach Doc Rivers made it clear that point guards will have a hard time under his tutelage because he holds them to a higher standard.
“I was a point guard, and that’s probably not great for AJ. [Rajon] Rondo can attest to that: I’m not easy on point guards. Because they run the team. They do,” Rivers told reporters.
Johnson is expected to be mentored by Rivers’ former player Rajon Rondo who joined the Bucks as a guest coach this offseason.
Johnson getting drafted at 23rd is deemed too high by some analysts based on his pro outing in Australia where he averaged just 2.9 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game in 7.7 minutes.
AJ Johnson’s stats in pre-season
Rivers already declared that the team believes in AJ Johnson and they won’t mind if they overcoach him.
This is not a new territory for the Bucks as they once drafted an unknown player named Giannis Antetokounmpo from Greece who grew into a two-time MVP, one-time Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP, brining the team their first title in 49 years.
Johnson must work harder to earn the trust of the coaches. It is still hard to determine if he can be a rotation player based on his latest outings.
AJ Johnson’s stats in the pre-season are not impressive. He played in four games and averaged just around five points in 23.5 minutes. His best game was in loss to the Los Angeles Lakers where he scored 13 points in 12 field goal attempts.
The most minutes he played in a game was against the Dallas Mavericks where listed zero points and made eight assists.
For the latest Basketball Content
Follow us @HardwoodHeroics for the latest and trending news about NBA, college basketball, and more. Stay updated by reading more of our NBA articles by clicking here and college basketball by clicking here!
