AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith Introductory Press Conference | 7.2.24

AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith Introductory Press Conference | 7.2.24

good morning everybody uh thanks everyone for being here this is a lot of fun exciting time of year uh grateful to have AJ and Tyler sitting up here with us uh want to first thank Bill Duffy David mandress Joe Branch who’s here with us today WME for their partnership you know thanks for working with us and really helping to execute all this uh want to thank uh Tyler and AJ’s families for being here welcome welcome to Milwaukee Welcome to our family uh this is exciting for us this this is an opportunity to add youth athleticism skill Talent positional size High character high IQ individuals to our or our organization uh the draft at 23 and 33 we talked about it afterwards we had a lot of opportunities we had a chances to move up move out um move back but we got to spend time with these guys during the process fell in love with them and decided we want to invest in them and have them to be with us uh now going forward and so um great opportunity welcome to them to the Bucks uh welcome them you know you get meet these guys and have great conversation with them uh I’m going to pass it to Doc for a few comments and we’ll open for questions yeah echoing uh what John just said first of all welcome welcome to the families all right you’re now part of our family so uh you’ve been adopted uh they’ve been adopted uh one of the things that that we love about uh these two guys is is who they are and that comes from their family so we appreciate the work you’ve done done and now it’s our hand our job to get our hands on these guys and do some more work with them um you know this is not the end though I think a lot of times when people get drafted they think that this is the end of their goal and this is just the beginning uh one of the things we liked about both of them is their work ethic uh and and their drive you can see these two guys want to be great they don’t want to just come in here and and be potential players they want to be players and again we just can’t wait to get to work name uh Eric name the athletic um I guess a starting with you just kind of what do you like about Milwaukee being here and and kind of the opportunity that you see here yeah I would just say uh I like that um I’m a part of a winning culture and just like a great coach uh great teammates and I’m just really excited to just like learn from them Jim moari milwauke Jour senel welcome um doc uh since we didn’t get to speak to you after the draft just what was John had mentioned working with you for the first time through this process so what what were your impressions of AJ and Tyler as you kind of went through the interviews and that process leading up to their selections their skill you know uh when you look at their their ages uh when you look at their athleticism and when you look at their skill you know it all matched you know a lot of times we draft guys on their athletic ability them the skill part uh they are already have the athleticism they already have the skill and now it’s our job to try to teach them the game get them stronger get them ready uh but we’re we have a head start uh both of them are excellent Shooters uh they just have skill to the game and and that’s what drew me to them winon Jackson also Milwaukee Journal C welcome um both AJ and Tyler you both decide to play in professional League instead of college can you talk a little a little bit about that decision and how you feel your games group I mean I really it’s because I came from overtime uh I couldn’t go to college I lost eligibility so uh I feel like going to ignite it just prepared me for this level I mean just playing against Pros in the G League already and rookies that’s coming up and down I mean I could get no better choice than that so yeah I would say the same thing just like playing against professionals and just being around them I feel like it’s uh it was just really good for my development to just uh be playing against professionals every single day and just learn from them like straight out of high school so yeah uh Ben steel also Milwaukee Journal senal for both of you guys I mean the Bucks are Championship contenders how do you guys think you will fit in next season as rookies I mean just learn I mean we have a lot of great bets around us I mean we’re 19 years old uh we have a lot of time to develop here and I feel like we’re going to get better fast so just keep working and just see what happens yeah no I agree with he said uh the main focus is really just like uh working to a point where we like the coaches want to play us and like we can actually help the team win so like uh I guess we’re trying to get to that as fast as possible like learn and get as uh good as we can possibly get so we can get on the court as fast as possible and help the team win games Steve mcari Associated Press for AJ going back to the question about what you did going to Australia know you’ve been Comm committed to Texas I believe just how difficult a decision was that uh kind of decide to go across go across the globe instead and I know you didn’t play a whole lot in Australia but where did you get at was just the practices each day that kind of you benefited from to get you ready for the progame yeah no I definitely uh would say I benefited uh for the practices a lot uh it was a hard decision uh choosing to decommit from Texas and go to another route but uh just with my family and my friends just like uh yeah I just felt like it was the best decision for me so that’s what I just went with um Tyler I guess just for you uh as a big man you have a guy in Brook Lopez that is a great shooter can do you know protect the rim you have Giannis that can do all the freakish things that Giannis does just how excited are you to kind of learn from those guys and try to take things from them I mean I’m very excited you know uh Yannis and Brooke been in the league for a very long time I mean jannis has been with this organization since he came in the league Brooke just learning from him and just soaking up all the knowledge I can so good uh and then AJ obviously you have Damen Millard who’s shown the ability to kind of help Mentor young guards before how exciting of an opportunity is that for you yeah no I’m really excited to U be able to work with somebody like Dame you know he’s um considered one of the greats in the point guard position and um I’m just excited to just soak up as much information as I possibly can from him learn as much as I can um go back to you um as as AJ kind of said we’re we’re young we have time hopefully we can do things to play yet as you sit under the banners right that that’s the goal for this year so how have you approached this process both of not just selecting these these two young men but even the other roster spots in general of just like okay what’s the mix and balance yeah the balance is what it is you know we wanted young Talent uh we did um we think that skill development in our league is becoming more and more important um and the more of the young Talent you can get to bring up with the veteran Talent the better uh and and that’s what we’re going to do all summer uh you know free agency is here right now and and now we’re looking for other guys you know uh more veterans to add to the mix so uh I like the mix of guys I think we’re going to end up with uh and and it’s exactly uh the ratio that we want right now Dylan Hunter Carter 620 WTMJ radio um for both of you guys first of all welcome to Milwaukee um given your play Styles the skills that you already bring to the table that were attractive to the team how do you envision your role with the team and fitting in with a veteran lineup That kind of already has a core in place I mean my skill set I could space the floor shoot the ball I mean right now just probably Sprint Corner play defense do what I can just to help the team out right now you know yeah yeah I would definitely say probably like just use my energy and my athleticism like defense like Tyler said uh my playmaking ability uh my ability to like just move like play fast and stuff like that like even if it’s just like getting a rebound then just getting up the floor fast like I feel like um a lot of kids in this generation like they want a lot play faster so I feel like that’s something I can help with the team uh doc you’ve been around the league a long time what you what do you like to tell rookies before their first season um to be competitive uh don’t be all struck uh look everybody in the eye uh respect all veterans and then try to kick their butt uh that’s what I tell all young guys like I get it uh you’re in the gym with with Damen Lillard right and Giannis um Bobby Brooke uh but you know it’s funny this is a competitive league and the competition starts in this gym first and then against the opponent second and so I want them to be as competitive as possible uh I think is very important for them hi guys I’m Melanie Ricks I’m the team sideline and digital reporter John doc really great to see you both so for you guys culture it’s a really big thing here with the Bucks organization I’m curious for both of you from a personality standpoint even what do you feel like you’re going to bring culturally to the team and what are you excited about as far as getting to know these guys and getting to know the culture of the city uh I feel like uh we’re or I’m going to bring excitement to the team uh like entertainment uh I don’t really know the season hasn’t started so I don’t really know what to expect but I mean all I can say right now is just good energy around the gym I mean yeah for doc I both these players are very young 19 just what can you expect out of them this coming season are they development guys or they I don’t know I I think we’re going to get in the gym and and what I just said is you know I the one thing I love about young guys around veterans it’s like it’s always a push pull you know the veterans pull these young guys along right uh with their knowledge you know with teaching the young guys uh but then the young guys push the veterans with their energy and with their willingness to want to play every night so I I just like the combination of the two I can’t tell you uh that’s up to them uh we’re once we start practicing and playing what they can give us this year it’ be hopeful uh that they can give us something they they’re both skilled uh and they will be quick Learners I think uh l z fox six Milwaukee for Tyler and AJ welcome to Milwaukee um I think for guys getting drafted you’re not sure where you’re going or you’re going to be drafted with but for you guys just being two 19y olds how much does that help just having each other kind of in this process Lear learning a new city and of course a new NBA team I mean it helps a little bit I mean ninth grade we play with each other too uh a so three years ago yeah gez something like that I mean but we knew each other for a minute so I mean it should be pretty easy just get on find stuff out yeah no I definitely agree with him like just having somebody that um you’ve known for a while and that you’ve been playing against and stuff like that um having him with you uh going into an environment like this I feel like it’s uh really good uh John DCA kind of mentioned striking the perfect balance here of having you know that’ss at the top young guys the bottom um bottom of the roster five or six young really young guys um how do you kind of Envision that working out and I guess what do you like about it that the roster is kind of like that yeah here here’s what we like about it it’s it’s intentional right we’ve got six returning core guys um that we know are ready now to compete at a high level and take us where we want to go we’ve got three returning young vets that contributed last year excuse me and should take another jump this year in Mar John uh AJ and Andre Chris Livingston had a great first year with us he’s working his ass off and he’s going to be ready to contribute also and now we’ve got Tyler and AJ pushing there and we’ve got three spots on our roster right now in free agency as soon as we’re done with this press conference that we’re going to go and figure out the best balance and how they fit the rest of that group but when you talk about playoff rotations being you know nine or 10 and shortening as you go deeper regular season rotations you know that’s that’s docs wheelhouse but the the balance is intentional you we’ve got we’ve got really great core depth at the top we’ve got Young Veterans that can come in and help and contribute like they did last year and we’re going to add more to this team through free agency and we’ve got these guys who are going to push them every single day and it’s on them it’s on them how hard they want to work and and they have the opportunity to contribute and play you know when they do that how quick they do it how they do it it’s really up to them and how much they work at it um off that John I mean on Wednesday night when you met with us I mean free agency might have still been hypothetical to a degree now that it’s here you’ve gone through a plus two days um a little different surprising just the way the pace of it or just the the intentionality maybe you’ve had to have with roster availability caps you know uh apron rules etc etc what has this been like for you at the start it’s all one day just for the record like it hasn’t started or stopped um but it it’s I don’t know but surprised I think free agency is always kind of a domino effect and there are certain big chips or dominoes that always have to fall and they kind of unload the next phase of it and so you know we’ve seen a couple of those fall so far there’ll be a couple others that fall today and you just do your work in between it and kind of navigate it as best as you can but we have a great playing opportunity winning opportunity uh culture opportunity coaching opportunity in our organization and and we feel very confident that we’ll be able to get the right fits to finish off this roster guys for you obviously like uh Lily mentioned you’re both two 19 year olds and it’s great that you have one another as you’re coming into the league what’s it like for you though seeing the change in the NBA and knowing like you’ve got such a stacked roster and yet these guys they really do they have so much they want to utilize you for as far as your skill goes your youth your athleticism Etc what’s that like for you coming in and knowing you can make such a big impact on a team that’s already so stacked already um you know just like I said earlier just being around vets learning from them and then using my youthness– just to combine that and just contribute as much as I can really yeah no I agree with what Tyler said um I feel like it’s a blessing for us to be in a position like this for the organization that uh wants us and I feel like it just gives us a really good chance to be uh great NBA players like we want to be so AJ I know we down here uh I know you’re tied with Jaylen green just what have the conversations been like with him about learning how to play in the league yeah yeah uh we haven’t had too many uh conversations about it yet but uh I feel like the main thing he’s been telling me is just like to compete you know to work hard and like earn everything uh just to bet on myself every single day so I feel like that’s the main thing uh he’s kind of been like telling me since I was younger so DOC for you I think in your coaching career you’ve coached some 19y olds before I think like Al Jefferson SGA just a couple of guys that are on the younger end of things what do kind of see is the difference between someone that is that young and coaching up a 22y old who went through college that’s a good question I mean I’ve had Mike Miller um you know Al Jefferson uh Shay all turned out to be pretty good players uh I would say uh the separator has been character uh and love of gang uh you get in this league if you don’t love it it it eats you up it’s too much work it’s too much competition um and if you don’t have High character that means you’re not willing to to listen and learn to get better uh so those are the biggest factors all three of those guys had that Tyrese Max is another one you know so all four of those guys um you know still four of my favorite players because of that because they were so young uh they had so much energy but they wanted to learn uh they were willing to go through the knock which I think uh separates them from everyone else so both Tyler and AJ obviously it takes so much to make it League a lot of hard work so I was just wondering where your motivation comes from my motivation uh really just my family seeing me do better I mean my little brother coming up too so just trying to show him the way like he could do it too so really D yeah no I would definitely say U my family is one of my biggest motivations but also just like I feel like just my like Obsession of just to be like an Unstoppable basketball player and I feel like that’s a goal that I want to reach so that’s like my ultimate motivation every single day Dennis Cy Spectrum news one for Doc a couple questions have you finalized your coaching staff and who will Coach the summer league team uh Pete Dominguez will Coach the summer league team um with a lot of our skill development guys as his assistant uh yes um I think uh yeah we’re good yeah we’re finished you know uh so Dave jger is back uh darving ham uh Greg Buckner uh will be the three and then the uh Pete and Rex and the other guys that we had last year will be behind the bench so yeah I love our staff uh I think it may be one of the best staffs I’ve ever uh had uh because we have head coaching experience on the staff with me and I’ve I’ve always like that um again for AJ and Tyler for you guys you’re you know getting coached by doc river is one of the most established coaches in the NBA what are you looking forward to most about learning from him I mean everything I mean he’s been coaching for a pretty long time and really just everything really just talk about knowledge I can so yeah no I agree with Tyler I feel like uh he has a lot of experience and I’m just really excited to just learn as much as I can from him Tyler Quick followup I know you’re big into bowling tell us why you got in the bat and have you scoped out bowling alleys here in Milwaukee already so I was in Vegas this year it’s like really nothing to do out there especially for us like in Vegas yeah we for like I can’t I can’t do nothing keep that mentality that’s good so me so me and my teammates like a couple of us would just go bowling sometimes when we like came back from a road trip or something we have nothing to do we just go bowling randomly so that’s when I fell in love with have fun good bowling here no not yet I seen a bowling alley over there I think it was like by the arena I think I seen that yeah thanks guys thanks

Rookies AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith speak to the media for the first time in Milwaukee.

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