Apr 9, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard AJ Johnson (5) dribbles the ball as Philadelphia 76ers center Adem Bona (30) defends in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Wizards Rookie Accomplishes Rare Feat in Season Finale

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Tyrone Montgomery | Last updated Apr 14, 2025 4:30 PM ET

When you don’t have anything to lose, it is often easy to look at a situation in a different light. When that is the case, many tend to give 1000% effort on the task at hand. That was the case for the Washington Wizards with a player they have special plans for.

The Wizards acquired rookie AJ Johnson midway through the season at the trade deadline. He was a rookie in Milwaukee playing alongside a top-five player in the league in Giannis Antetokounmpo. The time is now for the Bucks: they have been in a win-now mode this season as "The Greek Freak" expressed his frustrations early in the season.

Antetokounmpo wants to win another championship. It is extremely hard to do so with rookies, as there is always a learning curve. Considering there was no time for error in Milwaukee with Johnson, there also was little playing time for him there. Head coach Doc Rivers has been known to limit playing time for young rookies, so this was nothing new.

AJ Johnson Becomes The Only Player This Season To Play All 48 Minutes In A Regulation Game

AJ Finished With 14 Points, 8 Assists And 2 Threes https://t.co/7SKHSwPRnL pic.twitter.com/4rSnuOccyb
— WizardsMuse (@WizardsMuse1) April 13, 2025

With that being the case, the Wizards expressed interest in Johnson and were ultimately able to acquire him at the deadline for Kyle Kuzma.

Landing Johnson may have been a game-changer for the team. He is such a skilled and athletic player. He gives the Wizards a player they desperately needed, as he simply knows how to get buckets.

The Wizards have given Johnson the much-needed playing time he was looking for, and he has made the most of it. He made history this season by being the one and only player this year to play all 48 minutes in a regulation game. He finished the season finale against the Miami Heat with 14 points and eight assists. The Wizards most certainly have big plans for Johnson in their future.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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