The Bucks began Thursday’s preseason game against the Pistons down 12 at halftime, but came all the way back to win. They quickly made up all the halftime difference in the first five minutes of the third quarter. And it all came on the back of an unexpected scoring burst from a surprise star: AJ Green.
AJ Green had a perfect night
Green was flawless in shooting the ball in this game. He finished 5-of-5 from the field, with all those attempts being 3-pointers, and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. Green is known to be one of the purest shooters in the league, and he backed up that reputation tonight.
Not only did Green hit his usual open threes, but he also made some contested ones and even earned himself some free throws in a smart fashion. On one play in the third quarter, he got three free throws when he was fouled on a long-distance attempt by Duncan Robinson.
Adding some more versatility to his scoring game shows that Green can potentially scale up his scoring beyond his limited role last season. He’s routinely been one of the most efficient shooters in the NBA during his career, but on limited volume. For reference, he averaged a career-high 7.4 points per game last season.
AJ Green always plays in the flow of the team offense, so him scoring more points doesn’t take away from others. Even in this one, he took up just 8 scoring opportunities (five field goals and three separate trips to the free throw line) while scoring a team-high 22 points. He’s also selfless on plays where he doesn’t shoot, especially through his contributions as a screener or off-ball decoy.
And the impact of Green’s scoring on the team's performance, too. The Bucks were +8 in his minutes, the best of any player on the team. On a night when many Bucks were hitting their outside shots, Green shone the brightest.
But this performance shows that Green can handle a bigger workload, especially when he’s on a hot streak. The Bucks might not have a solidified second star for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but they could have a rotating cast of players who step up on any given night. Hopefully, Green will prove capable of joining that cast and having more performances like this in the regular season.
AJ Green has typically been a very steady shooter in his young NBA career. He’ll usually give you two to three 3-pointers in a game on roughly 40 percent shooting, but he hasn’t been known for sudden explosions like this.
It’s rare for players to be both capable of flamethrower hot streaks and consistent shooting otherwise. But Green might be a good enough shooter to do both. Perhaps this game will show the Bucks that they need to give him the ultimate Green light.