3 Burning questions after Bucks' stunning decision to draft AJ Johnson
By Dalton Sell
It seems safe to say that not many Milwaukee Bucks fans had their jaws off the floor when it was announced they selected AJ Johnson 23rd overall.
To many, there were other prospects who would have fit a lot better and could have helped the team from day one next season. However, they instead opted to take a swing - a massive one at that - at a young prospect. The move has now created countless question marks, and let's break down three of the most prominent ones currently looming.
When will Johnson actually be able to contribute to the Bucks?
With the Milwaukee Bucks fully in win-now mode, everyone thought they would take a more seasoned prospect who could come in and help immediately. Instead, management took the complete opposite approach by adding a player who is just 19 years old and has plenty of question marks about when he may be ready to actually take an NBA court.
Johnson was among the rawest prospects in this entire draft class, which makes the decision to add him all the more puzzling. Yes, there is potential there, but how long until he's actually able to unearth it? One year? Two years? Even possibly three? Can the Milwaukee Bucks afford to wait that long with one of the oldest rosters in the NBA? The answer is likely not. Father Time is forever undefeated.
Bucks fans saw Doc Rivers typically not bat an eye at Milwaukee's young players last season, so the odds of him doing a heel turn with Johnson are slim. One could argue that Rivers' decision to rely on veterans was because he came in mid-season on the fly and rolled with experience, but the odds of him giving 19-year-old minutes remain far from a guarantee.
This writer would love to be proven wrong, but it feels as if Johnson is at least two years away from being able to make a legitimate impact at the NBA level.