With the Milwaukee Bucks on a three-game win streak, AJ Green has silenced the narrative that he can only be successful alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. The sharpshooter has been hooping as of late.
AJ Green's development is huge for the Milwaukee Bucks
Green is the perfect player to have in a lineup with Giannis. The two-time MVP attracts so much attention that it creates opportunities for some as deadly from the 3-point line as Green. Also, his defense has stepped up massively from when he first joined the team on a two-way deal.
With many expecting the Bucks to start tanking and looking to the draft, the players clearly don't feel that way and have picked up three straight wins, albeit against relatively weak opposition. Green has been one of the standouts, averaging 17 points while shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from deep over the rousing win streak.
This is great to see as he continues to develop his skills and is beginning to create opportunities for himself rather than being an old-school 3-point specialist. After an injury early in the season, it felt like Green had been rushed back too soon, and there was a spell of games where he really struggled to have any sort of impact on the game. That issue has now cleared up, and the Bucks are reaping the benefits.
It will be intriguing to see how Milwaukee uses Cam Thomas in their rotations, with the former Brooklyn Nets guard now joining up with the team. Green is creating for himself more but thrives on catch-and-shoot opportunities. Thomas likes to have the ball in his hands and that could have an impact on what we see from other players, depending on how he fits into the offensive scheme.
Green is someone who will for sure be a long-term piece of this team, whether Giannis remains in Wisconsin in the long run. His 3-point shooting is essential to the modern NBA, but also to how the Bucks play with them looking to get up as many shots from beyond the arc as possible.
Like many Bucks, Green's season has been full of ups and downs and injury affecting performance. Right now, he is flourishing and is proving that even without Giannis alongside him, he can still be a great asset to this team on the offensive end. Once Giannis returns, his impact will likely only keep increasing.