He did very well to float in defense. After having “switched” to defense, AJ Green saw Damian Lillard get outpaced by TJ McConnell. The Bucks guard came to his aid and lowered his hands to steal the ball. The Bucks' counterattack allowed Gary Trent Jr. to score a 3-pointer in the process.
Long distance shooting specialist – he takes… 92% of his shots from behind the arc for 47% success this year – AJ Green is starting to build a solid reputation in terms of defense. His performance against the Bulls earlier in the week, in front of Zach LaVine in particular, had already earned him the congratulations of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“ His defense is incredible. He doesn't jump on feints. He uses his body very intelligently. Two years ago, he got into trouble with mistakes. He used his hands a lot, maybe jumped a little on the fake, which allowed the guy to shoot two easy free throws. But now it's solid “, described the Greek.
And this is how the non-drafted player can gain his playing time. Even on a clumsy evening like against the Pacers yesterday (5 points to 2/7 on shots in 23 minutes). Same again a few days earlier against the Rockets.
An underestimated profile
“ He moves his feet so well, he gets his body into position so well, he’s an underrated defender. He shows it in training, in matches… He is not a burden in defense, he is even one of the best defenders on the team », continues the star of the team.
Against Houston, the Rockets tried to target him on defense with Jalen Green. A bad bet according to his coach Doc Rivers: “ They kept targeting him and we were like, 'You're going after the wrong guy. This guy can defend'. But he's young, they don't know his name, they decided to attack him and it worked in our favor most of the time. »
The Bucks coach laughed about it, saying he hoped opposing teams would continue to try to target him, in vain. “ Everyone might be surprised because he's a 6'1″ white guy, but if you look at him, physically he's strong, he moves well. He's smart, tough and a good defender, so that might surprise people. », Judge Damian Lillard.
So many compliments which logically please the person concerned who says he is ready to take on all defensive challenges, including against the big names in the league. “ Every match, you have to have this mindset of wanting these duels and proving that you can stop these guys. So, yes, it's nice to fight and see what you have in your stomach », finishes Green.
| AJ Green | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2022-23 | MIL | 35 | 10 | 42.4 | 41.9 | 100.0 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 4.4 |
| 2023-24 | MIL | 56 | 11 | 42.3 | 40.8 | 89.5 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 4.5 |
| 2024-25 | MIL | 15 | 19 | 48.1 | 46.7 | 75.0 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 7.7 |
| Total | 106 | 12 | 43.5 | 42.4 | 88.9 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 4.9 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
