AJ's point to prove

After being labelled as one of NBA Draft expert Jonathan Givony’s standout performers from Wednesday's Combine scrimmages, AJ Johnson has asserted he wants to prove his ability as a playmaking point guard ahead of the upcoming draft.

Johnson, 19, represented the Illawarra Hawks through the NBL Next Stars program last season, and although he found minutes hard to come by under interim head coach Justin Tatum, Givony says the guard has obviously improved his defence through his experience in the NBL.

6’6 AJ Johnson talks about being excited to to show NBA teams that he can play the PG and not just be placed in the 2 category. He also mentions competing on defense @aj_johnson04 interview by @JordanRichardSC
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— Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) May 16, 2024

“I feel really comfortable being on the ball,” Johnson told Swish Cultures. “I’ve been a one my whole life, I’ve been a playmaker who can make plays for myself and others.

“Being on the ball is definitely one of my strengths, but I feel like off the ball I can make plays and score.

“I feel like I can do a lot more with the ball than people have seen, and I’m excited to be able to do that.

“[I want to prove] I can really defend. It’s something I’ve been taking very seriously lately, especially in Australia, so I want to show teams I can defend.”