Bucks gift AJ Green the perfect present to go with contract extension

After an offseason full of changes, the Bucks secured some stability by signing guard AJ Green to a four-year, $45 million contract extension. Green is a great fit with the current Bucks roster due to his excellent shooting, complemented by Giannis Antetokounmpo, and his small-town attitude that fits perfectly with Milwaukee. To symbolize this, the Bucks also added a nice cherry on top of his contract by gifting him a custom fishing pole.

AJ Green is the perfect role player

Green has worked hard to prove himself as an NBA player and endeared himself to Milwaukee fans in the process. His nickname of "Dairy Bird", a reference to the greatest small-town Midwest hooper of all time, is a testament to his popularity in the fanbase. Through determined hard work and an incredible jump shot, Green has gone from an undrafted rookie to a possible starter on the Bucks.

The Bucks have now locked him down at the perfect time. Although his deal may seem like a lot for someone who averaged just 7.4 points per game last season, Green looks to have an increased role this season. With the departure of Damian Lillard, there will be a lot more threes for Green and other Bucks guards to shoot.

Green has been remarkably consistent in his 3-point shooting efficiency throughout his career, even as his volume has ramped up. In the preseason, he flashed the next step in his shooting and scoring arsenal by averaging 11.3 points per game and shooting 46% from deep on 6.5 attempts per game.

Doc Rivers could be the perfect coach to maximize Green's impact with offensive sets to get him open. Rivers has previously worked with sharpshooters next to superstar players and helped both parties succeed in synergy. He will be calling plenty of plays this season to get Green open looks or use Green's gravity to generate easier looks for teammates.

Of course, there are two sides to the ball, and Green's impact is felt less defensively. Still, he's a solid positional defender who doesn't often make mistakes and can hold his own against most guards. At 6-foot-4, he's got the size to hold up against most guards but may have some trouble against bigger forwards.

The Bucks could experiment with having Green guard small forwards if they start a trio of guards next to Giannis Antetokoumpo and Myles Turner. Although Green is not the size of your typical small forward, his defensive tenacity should allow him to hold his own enough for Giannis or Turner to make plays as help defenders. Both Bucks bigs are excellent at helping teammates, so Green can slot perfectly next to them on defense.

AJ Green has been a great developmental story for the Bucks in the last few years, and it's nice to see him sign a contract that's mutually beneficial for him and the team. Green is an unselfish team contributor, and the Bucks will benefit from securing him across multiple seasons.