From the moment the Milwaukee Bucks drafted 19-year-old AJ Johnson this past summer, fans have wondered when exactly he may get on the floor consistently.
It made sense for him to start the season on the bench, as there's no denying that he's incredibly raw as a prospect. Furthermore, the Bucks had an assortment of talent in the point guard slot, including Damian Lillard, Delon Wright and Ryan Rollins. However, with two of those names - Lillard and Rollins, currently sidelined due to injuries, some thought AJ Johnson could earn some valuable minutes.
Despite the lack of point guards, Johnson didn't log a single minute against the Detroit Pistons in the Bucks' last game. It wasn't overly shocking for Johnson not to play, especially when the Bucks rallied and ultimately went to overtime, but some thought there was still a chance. Media asked Doc Rivers if that situation played a factor in Johnson not seeing time despite the lack of healthy point guards.
"Yeah. Yeah, in that type of game. There's places we can use him, for sure, but I felt comfortable in what we were doing."
Bucks fans shouldn't expect Johnson to leap into the rotation
The Bucks clearly had the long view in mind when they selected Johnson, and that seemingly will not be changing, even with the team's laundry list of current injuries. In addition to AJ Johnson simply just being an inexperienced 19-year-old, Milwaukee's slow start to the NBA season is likely factoring into this decision, as, at 4-8, every game is critical. Developing a rookie in the middle of that is tough.
For a team that is all-in on winning this season, it is frustrating that the Milwaukee Bucks used one of their most prized draft picks on a player they think needs more time to develop before he plays in any consistent fashion, but again, this was a long-term move. The Bucks clearly believe they have a piece they can build up in AJ Johnson, but it will take time for him to get there.
Instead of Johnson, three players who may step up in the ball-handling department are Delon Wright, Pat Connaughton and Andre Jackson Jr. Wright is the only pure point guard of the bunch, and he's an experienced veteran who will shoulder the most workload. Connaughton and Jackson are makeshift point guards who can handle the ball when needed, making nice passes here and there.
With so many of his regulars out, Doc Rivers must get creative in his rotation-crafting. Yet, no matter what lineups he decides to utilize for the time being, it seems unlikely that AJ Johnson will be in them.
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