Bucks GM Jon Horst - Photo by The Athletic
MILWAUKEE, WI (WSAU) – Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst is weighing in on the team’s selection of Australian NBL guard AJ Johnson in Wednesday night’s NBA draft.
According to Horst, he and the rest of the Bucks scouting team were excited to get a player like Johnson late in the first round, saying, “Although he didn’t play a lot last year in a really competitive NBL in Australia, he grew a lot. Physically, he grew a lot. Mentally, he grew a lot. You could see improvements as you studied the film and watched him. Then having the opportunity to spend time with him during the draft combine process. We’re really excited about AJ. When he plays, how quickly he develops, and how quickly he earns his opportunities are to be determined. But this is a player with great athleticism, speed, talent…We love his mentality and toughness, so we’re really excited.”
When asked about taking a young developmental player like Johnson over a more experienced player who can contribute right away, Horst said, “I feel very confident about the group we have already, so that it gives us an opportunity for him to grow, develop the right way, and mature the right way, both physically and in his game. But he’s got incredible speed and some quickness. He’s got a passer’s mentality with a really high-level scoring game. So, I think he also fits within that group skill set-wise.”
Johnson averaged just 2.9 points per game and shot 37% from the field for the Hawks while only averaging seven minutes played per game, but was considered one of the more athletic players in the 2024 draft class due to his 38-inch max vertical and his incredible length with his 6’9 wingspan and 8’6 standing reach.
Horst further elaborated on how Johnson exactly fills the team’s immediate needs as the franchise looks to compete for another championship, saying, “I think our needs now will be our needs moving forward. And I think AJ’s a big guard with speed and athleticism who plays both sides of the ball. How well he does will depend on him, how hard he works, and how well we support him and help him grow, but whether we do that this season, I don’t know. But clearly, we have these needs, and we needed to address a component of drafting him. Beyond that, what things we’ll look for in free agency, trade-wise, 33 tomorrow? We just feel like we need to continue to add guard size and wing defense.”
Milwaukee will be drafting much earlier in tonight’s second round at 33rd overall, with several big names still available, including Duke’s Kyle Filipowski, Marquette guard Tyler Kolek, Swedish forward Bobi Klintman, G-league forward Tyler Smith, and Kansas sharpshooter Johnny Furphy.
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