1 Characteristic shared among Bucks' standouts from Summer League opener

The Milwaukee Bucks kicked off their 2024 NBA Summer League slate against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday afternoon.

This was very clearly the first game for both of these teams, as there was plenty of rust to go around. However, someone had to win, and the Bulls walked away with a 96-89 victory. While Milwaukee lost, there were plenty of positives from this matchup, but by far the biggest was just the confidence that oozed from the Milwaukee Bucks' standout players.

Bucks young players display confidence in Summer League opener

AJ Johnson, picked 23rd overall by the Bucks in this most recent draft, earned the starting nod at the point guard slot. Although some rookies may have understandably been timid, Johnson's confidence was on full display from the opening tip.

Whether he was attacking the basket or letting it fly from long distance, Johnson showed that he has confidence in whatever shot he takes. This was evidenced by a smooth side-step 3-point jumper that the rookie buried in the first half. Some would call that a bad shot, but Johnson let it be known that he feels confident with that type of look.

At the end of the first half, the rookie had 10 points, tied as the game's leading scorer with Chicago's Matas Buzelis. Johnson couldn't keep that momentum going in the second half, scoring just three points on 1-of-6 shooting, but he never lost faith in himself. Even with the shot not falling, Johnson stayed aggressive and aimed to get himself into a groove. That's what Summer League is for.

In total, he finished with 13 points, four rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes as he got his feet wet as an NBA player for the first time.

Speaking of rookies, Tyler Smith also got in on the action. Coming off the bench, Smith struggled to start things, missing his first two shots, but rather than letting that hinder his confidence, he kept on firing. The big man sunk his next two triples in the second quarter and then rounded out his strong debut with a second-half effort of six points, five boards and a block.

One of the more eye-catching stats Smith logged was his five offensive rebounds. He was active in the post and chased down his own misses. That kind of hustle could bode well as he aims to make a name for himself at the NBA level.

In 19-and-a-half minutes, Smith tallied 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, six rebounds and a lone block.

Smith and Johnson are undoubtedly rookies, and they made rookie mistakes, but they never let it deter them the next play.

Perhaps no performance embodied confidence more than that of MarJon Beauchamp. On his third Summer League stint, he needed to come out and perform in an aggressive manner. He did just that, with the wing hunting for his shot while asserting himself on the defensive side of things, which created a handful of highlights early.

As the game went on, Beauchamp's performance was all over the place. He airballed several shots, and in the past, that could have destroyed his confidence. However, rather than dwelling on them, he seemed to erase them from his memory quickly, as he was ready to fire away the next trip down the court consistently.

That mentality helped him catch fire in the third quarter, where the third-year wing scored 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-3 from downtown. He looked unstoppable throughout the period, displaying signs of the player the Milwaukee Bucks have been waiting for him to become over these past few years.

Beauchamp led the team with a stat sheet stuffing performance of 22 points, five assists, five boards, four steals and a blocked shot. He didn't shoot it the most efficiently - 38.9 percent from the floor - but his confidence and do-it-all attitude helped keep the Milwaukee Bucks in this game and showed that Beauchamp has what it takes to be an impact wing.

Even Ryan Rollins, a two-way Buck from this past season, showed that he had something to provide, playing pesky defense while scoring the ball from various spots. He had 11 points, four rebounds, four assists, a steal, a block and just one turnover off of the bench, showing his confidence.

This is what one wants to see from their young players. Sure, it would have been nice to see them hit a few more shots, but with this being their first Summer League game of the year, the confidence they all displayed in their respective games was welcoming. With the jitters likely at least now dialed back, it'll be interesting to see what the young players produce in the next few games.

Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.