It was fairly obvious from the beginning that rookies AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith would not play key roles for the Milwaukee Bucks in year one.
With both players coming into the NBA as 19-year-olds, they needed time to develop, which would be done primarily in the G-League with the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee's G-League team. Indeed, both of these players have spent plenty of time with the Herd lately, stocking up on valuable game reps that'll help in their development, just as Milwaukee's front office intended from the beginning.
Following the Herd's loss to the Motor City Cruise on December 11, this writer caught up with the rookies to get some insight into their development.
The Bucks' rookies are getting valuable reps in the G-League
First up was Tyler Smith, who discussed particular areas of his game he's currently working on in the G-League as he plays a prominent role in these games.
"I'm just trying to work on getting my shot more consistent and playing within the system, learning how to score within the system, making the right reads, stuff like that."
AJ Johnson made sure to highlight the importance of the reps he's getting, especially alongside his fellow 2024 Draft pick Tyler Smith, someone he's known for many years, even before they were both Milwaukee Bucks. While Smith was playing in the G-League last year, Johnson was overseas and not getting many minutes at all, so this has been a welcoming change of pace.
"I love getting the reps and stuff like that. Playing with my teammates from Summer League and having Tyler makes it easier."
These opportunities are simply not available to these two on the actual Bucks roster. While being around that level of talent makes a difference - more on that in a minute - there are few things better for a young player's game than legitimate game reps and live situations that force them to make decisions on the fly.
The rookies are learning from household veterans at their positions
When the rookies aren't on assignment and are with the Milwaukee Bucks for practice or a game, they both find themselves in a great spot due to the other players at their respective positions.
For Tyler Smith, he has Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis to learn from, who are three players with very different skill sets. Smith spoke about all three and highlighted what it's been like to learn from them daily.
"It means a lot. Playing with Giannis, that was my favorite player growing up. Just seeing how he grew in this system. Bobby, another guy I watched last year, that's who I was trying to play like a little bit last year, take part of his game. And Brook, him being a vet and him being in this league a long time, just asking him questions. It's pretty good."
As for AJ Johnson, there are an assortment of point guards he can learn from, including the likes of Damian Lillard, Delon Wright, Ryan Rollins, and even coaches Doc Rivers and Rajon Rondo. He spoke about their importance and what it's like being around them and what exactly stands out.
"I would just say their focus, their approach to the game, you know, it's really good. The way that they play is good as well, so I just try to take as much as I can from everybody on the team."
All of these game reps and time spent with the seasoned veterans are showing early promise for these two young players. Johnson has scored 20 or more points in two of his last four games, and he has tallied four or more assists in four straight games. Smith is still looking for his shooting stroke, but he has shown potential as a scorer and defensive threat, two reasons the Bucks wanted him.
As expected, both youngsters look unpolished in their rookie seasons. Yet, there's no denying that their potential is on display every single time they touch the court. The game reps in the G-League and the experience gathered from the veterans should help both players mightily as the pair of youngsters aim to grow into nightly contributors to this Milwaukee Bucks team.
Year one will be all about Smith and Johnson getting their feet wet in the NBA waters to prepare them for larger roles in the future, and right now, they are both right on track.
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