The Washington Wizards suffered a tough loss against the Portland Trailblazers on Monday night. It was a brutal day for Washington, losing by 15 points to a Portland team that's struggling as well. However, one of the Wizards' rookies made a surging statement by making an amazing play.
AJ Johnson, a rookie acquired by the Wizards during the NBA trade deadline, recorded his first NBA block in style. After Johnson committed a turnover, the Blazers sprinted for the fast-break opportunity. Despite starting from the corner of the Wizards' basket, the rookie swooped in for the chasedown block on former Washington forward Deni Avdija.
This was an insane first career block for A.J. Johnson. pic.twitter.com/u18l6TRzZv
— Chase Hughes (@chasedcsports) March 18, 2025
Johnson was traded to the Wizards as part of the Kyle Kuzma-Khris Middleton deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. The 23rd overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, Johnson did not see much time in a Bucks team that is contending for the playoffs. The rookie's minutes remain limited in Washington, but he has been playing more rotational minutes instead of being a garbage-time guy, recording 15.1 minutes per game compared to 6.3 minutes in Milwaukee.
In the loss to the Blazers, Johnson logged 35 minutes in his first NBA start. He had a solid all-around performance, scoring eight points, grabbing seven rebounds, and dishing out four assists. However, his six turnovers put a damper on what was otherwise a solid start for the rookie.
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This story was originally published March 19, 2025 at 8:43 PM.