As Iowa Native Stars for the Bucks, Fans Call for Bigger Role

The State of Iowa has a rich history of sending talent to the NBA, and one contending franchise is reaping the rewards of a young Iowa native seeing increased playing time.

AJ Green, who starred at the University of Northern Iowa, and is a Cedar Falls native, joined the Milwaukee Bucks back in 2022.

After seeing the court sparingly in his first two seasons, he is beginning to carve out quite the sizable role on the Bucks this season.

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Through 14 games this season, Green has seen roughly 19 minutes per contest, a large increase from just 11 minutes per game last season.

Fans and analysts alike have taken notice of the Iowa native's impact on the Bucks this season:

Green was a state champion in high school for Cedar Falls, and was a 2x Missouri Valley player of the year while at UNI.

Teammate Damian Lillard recently went to bat for Green's defense when speaking to the media:

Green is averaging nearly 8 points per game (a career high), but it's his defense prowess that the Bucks and others are taking notice of.

This season, he has seen an increased role in participation and has been one of the catalysts for the Bucks' resurgence from a tough start.

As seen below, after logging double-digit minutes in just 2 of the first 5 games of the season (Bucks were 1-4), Green has been on the court for at least 12 minutes in each of the last 9 games (5-4):

We'll have to wait and see just what kind of role Green may have down the stretch of the season, but for now, it's great to see one of Iowa's own make such an impact on one of the most talented rosters in the league.

The Milwaukee Bucks are 6-9 and take on the Pacers tonight at home at 7:00.

Sources: Bucks on Twitter, Bill Simmons on Twitter and Basketball Reference