The Milwaukee Bucks continued chipping away at their Summer League schedule with a late-night meeting against the LA Clippers on Tuesday.
The two teams traded buckets early on, but then the Clippers pulled away and never looked back. While the Bucks put up a good fight and made a valiant comeback attempt, they came up short in their quest to finally earn a Summer League win. LA walked away 112-97 winners, moving to 3-0, while the Bucks dropped to 0-3.
Despite the losses piling up, there have been plenty of positives on display in these Summer League matchups, and this game was no different. That said, let's highlight three Milwaukee Bucks who raised their individual stock in this contest.
Chris Livingston
Throughout Milwaukee's first two Summer League games, one could argue that Chris Livingston was the best player on the team. Another well-rounded performance in this matchup against the Clippers continued to make that a valid argument; he continues showing considerable improvements in his overall game that make him a fascinating player.
Livingston finished with an impressive line of 13 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and one steal as he shot 6-of-12 from the field. The 20-year-old served as a jack of all trades for the Bucks, doing a bit of everything by playing strong defense, scoring the ball and, most noticeably, crashing the glass like a man possessed by Dennis Rodman every trip down the floor.
This type of do-it-all play should bode well for Livingston among Milwaukee's talent evaluators on the coaching staff. As the forward braces for his sophomore season, the style of play he's displayed over the course of these three games could very well get him on the court for the Bucks at some point in the coming future. Luckily for him, Doc Rivers was in the building catching the game.
Ryan Rollins
Despite a poor shooting performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Milwaukee's last game - to be fair, there weren't too many players with good shooting numbers in that one - Ryan Rollins has been one of the Bucks on the rise in Summer League. Rollins raised his stock even further with an impressive showing versus LA.
Coming off the bench, Rollins led the entire team with 24 points, showing off his versatility as a scorer by hitting shots from the outside, at the hoop and at the foul line. Even when met with stout defense, he looked comfortable under pressure and consistently sunk his shot. He shot an extremely efficient 8-of-12 from the floor, including 2-of-5 from behind the arc.
Rollins did far more than just score, as he stuffed the stat sheet with four rebounds, three assists and a block and steal apiece while playing strong individual defense. Like Livingston, the guard showed he is more than willing to embrace the Swiss Army Knife role and do whatever it takes to help the team, which is undeniably admirable as he aims to make a name for himself.
At the time of this writing, Rollins is on a two-way deal with the Bucks. If he continues playing like this, he could end up being a hidden gem for the team, as he's displayed that he has all of the tools to be a nice player at the next level. The Milwaukee Bucks don't have any open roster spots right now, but if a vacancy opens in the future and they need a guard, these performances may be taken into account.
AJ Johnson
From the moment he was drafted, there has been a lot of chatter about AJ Johnson. He had been hot and cold throughout the first two games of this Summer League slate. Well, on a positive note, he delivered his best and most complete showing of the three games thus far against the Clippers, firing on all cylinders to give Milwaukee Bucks fans something positive to take home with them.
As a scorer, Johnson was right behind Rollins, having finished with 22 points. One of the big concerns with Johnson since he was drafted is his weight - he's listed at 160 pounds - but his size didn't seem to bother him as he attacked the rim and finished through contact again and again. He also stretched the floor, knocking in three of his five attempts from the outside to show off his offensive versatility.
Like Rollins, he did far more than put points on the board, having also collected four rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal. With a line like that, Johnson obviously had his fingerprints all over this game, having been active all night long in just about every regard. There's no denying that he's a sparkplug and can create a highlight at any moment.
Through these first three games, the biggest thing that stands out with Johnson is his quickness. He has incredible speed, which he uses to blow by his opponents and get to the rim or create separation. That speed will end up being one of his greatest strengths as he develops his overall game further. It's that particular style of play that could make him useful in Milwaukee.
It'd be hard not to tip your cap to Johnson after such a strong showing.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.