MILWAUKEE, WI (WSAU) – The Milwaukee Bucks are hoping that their 2024 first-round pick, AJ Johnson, can continue to show the potential that he displayed on both sides of the ball during the team’s 107-102 loss to the Lakers on Thursday.
The Bucks gave Johnson an opportunity to improve upon his first game as a Buck against the Pistons, who struggled to score going just one for eight for the field in 18 minutes of play, and he stepped up against Los Angeles to score 13 points while shooting three for five from three-point range in 22 minutes played after he checked into the game for Damian Lillard, who rolled his ankle in the first quarter.
After the game, forward Bobby Portis Jr. said while Johnson showed off his abilities to make plays he needs to do more to improve his pace during the game, saying, “The biggest thing with him, man, is just trying to tell him just to slow down. Obviously, when you first get into the league, you’re kind of playing ultra-fast, and you don’t know that the game can be just slow.”
“It takes some minutes to find your rhythm; find your pace based on how you want to play it at your speed. Everybody has their own speed on the court, right? So I think his biggest thing is trying to find the speed that he needs to play at to be effective and to be a pro,” Portis Jr. continued.
Johnson is expected to play often for G-League affiliate Wisconsin Herd this season to continue polishing his game before seeing major NBA minutes, but fans may get opportunities to see Johnson this season if an injury occurs or a blowout happens.
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