The Milwaukee Bucks made their Summer League debut against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, which meant 23rd overall pick AJ Johnson had the chance to play his first minutes with the team.
Bucks fans were anticipating the young guard's first test so they could get to know him better as a player, and he delivered an interesting performance that showed some flashes of what he could bring.
Johnson ended the game with 13 points, four rebounds and three assists, having an overall positive impact on the floor. Now, to break down his game, let's highlight some positives and negatives from his first time wearing a Milwaukee Bucks uniform.
Positive - Willingness
Some rookies like taking it slow when they jump into the NBA. That doesn't seem to be AJ Johnson's style.
From the first possession, he wasn't afraid of having the ball in his hands and running the offense. He was the Bucks player with the highest usage percentage at 29.2 percent, something that's probably good news in this kind of game since taking control early is a great way for young players to grow.
He looked like the kind of player who wants to make things happen, and that's something that could help him get ready for the league.
He was especially fearless in transition, where he shined the most and showed some good finishing skills at the rim. He also wasn't afraid to shoot, even when his percentages from three weren't all that good, which is also a good thing at this point. He will probably grow as a shooter, but he won't until he has some rough nights, so it's great that he's already taking some of them out of the way.
Some players with a lot of potential end up being disappointing because they lack effort. After one game, nobody can tell where Johnson will end up as a basketball player, but you can feel a lack of effort is not going to be a problem for him.