Bucks Stock Watch: 3 Risers, 2 fallers from winless Summer League stint
By Dalton Sell
Riser - Chris Livingston
After scarcely playing throughout his rookie season, Chris Livingston had a lot to play for during the Summer League, and he certainly seized the moment. With the five games concluded, it's not overly far-fetched to say that Livingston was the Milwaukee Bucks' best player during this run and showed some impressive development.
Livingston led the entire team in points (14.8) and rebounds (8.6) per game, the latter of which being surprising as a 6-foot-6 player. However, he battled down low to fight for the boards consistently. In terms of scoring, he was efficient at the rim, but he also showed off his range by hitting 42.9 percent of his triples. He also looked solid on defense, using his bulky frame to hound opponents.
When it comes to Milwaukee's young wings, many were keeping a close eye on the two names in the fallers section as players who could possibly leap into the rotation next season. Yet, Livingston put up a more impressive showing than either of them and looked like a young, athletic, hustle-first 3-and-D wing who could have a place in Milwaukee's rotation.
Riser - AJ Johnson
Many people were baffled by Milwaukee's decision to select AJ Johnson on draft night, given his age, body type and subpar stats from his overseas stint last season. Fans were quite anxious to see if the guard could silence those concerns by showing what he could do against NBA talent, and though it was a bumpy ride, his stock did ultimately rise.
The most significant takeaway from Johnson's five-game showing is his quickness. He flies up and down the court every possession, which certainly helped the team pick up the pace. Offensively, he was hot and cold, but a 22-point effort against the LA Clippers showed he does have a few tricks in his bag, though he did also go scoreless courtesy of an 0-of-12 shooting game in the finale.
At 19, no one expected Johnson to come out and play like a polished prospect; there were going to be holes in his game. He needs to continue his development on both sides of the floor, but these five games showed that there is indeed a good amount of potential in his game and that the Bucks were not flat-out foolish for selecting him like many initially claimed.