A.J. Green's drive to get better doesn't stop with new contract

Despite signing a new multi-year deal, AJ Green continues to have the same drive and ambition as ever before.

© Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Being undrafted out of the University of Northern Iowa, Milwaukee Bucks guard A.J. Green knows the uncertainty that comes with pursuing a career in professional basketball. For that reason, he's not letting his guard down despite recently receiving a three-year contract, with the first one being fully guaranteed.

"It's crazy," Green said. "It's always been the dream, the goal, but I still feel so new and like fresh to things that it's hard because I feel like I haven't done anything really yet. But like, in reality, I've worked my whole life for this and I'd like to think last year was a solid year for me."

Understanding how the game is played

Green did not see a lot of action during his rookie season, playing in just 35 games for the Bucks and averaging 4.4 points. However, his three-point accuracy stood out as he made nearly 42 percent of his attempts from behind the arc. He also put that marksmanship on full display in the G League where he drained four triples per game for the Wisconsin Herd and averaged more than 21 points per game.

All of these numbers aside, Green says he still has a lot to learn about playing the game at the NBA level.

"I think it's just the feel of things and understanding of how the game is played, the speed at which it's played at, what works and what doesn't in terms of my game offensively and defensively," Green said of his growth with the franchise. "I think it's that year of learning and being able to now apply it and work on it has just been the biggest thing that's helped the most I'd say."

A tough kid

Bucks coach Adrian Griffin says Green's shooting ability will bode well for a squad looking to bounce back after a disastrous postseason.

"He can shoot the ball – he can shoot it at a high level," Griffin said. "The way we play and our personnel, especially with Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and Khris (Middleton) and Jrue (Holiday) on the floor, you need some shooters out there. But AJ has some other things to his game. He's a tough kid. I think he competes on both ends of the floor. We're gonna need his shooting and his competitive spirit."