Is Johnny Davis a lock for Washington Wizards rotation?

As things stand today, there’s a pretty good chance the Washington Wizards have their roster in place for the beginning of the 2022-23 season. That means we could find their early season rotation among the players they have under contract right now. One question that stands out – Is Johnny Davis a lock to start the season in the Wizards rotation?

It’s a question the front office, coaching staff and Wizards fan base wish wasn’t a fair one to ask. Johnny Davis was selected 10th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. If everything were to play out right, he would be a no brainer for some sort of a role early in the NBA season.

That’s even more true considering he was considered one of the more ‘NBA Ready’ players available when the Wizards got on the clock. After a disappointing Summer League performance and the Wizards clear expectations or goals for the upcoming season, his role is certainly fair to question.

Is Johnny Davis a lock in the Washington Wizards rotation?

Johnny Davis displayed some of the areas he needs to grow in during his short summer league showing. While that can’t be over valued, it must play some sort of a role in the bigger picture. We must also consider how the Wizards rotation could look early in the season and if there’s truly a place for him around some of the players that will be locked into early season minutes.

At the point guard spot, a position Davis isn’t anywhere near ready to play a significant role at, the Wizards will be relying on Monte Morris and Delon Wright to handle nearly all of the workload. Any remaining minutes, if there are any, would likely be put on the shoulders of Bradley Beal in the early parts of the season.

That’s good, as Davis shouldn’t be the primary ball handler early in his career. It’s a role he needs to develop into, and learning on the fly would not help the Wizards win games early in the season.

Where things get interesting is at the two spot, where Davis can at least handle some sort of a role and be a plus to the team while doing so. That obviously starts with Beal and the 30 plus minutes he’ll be eating night in and night out.

Behind him, one can assume second year shooting guard/small forward Corey Kispert is in line for a handful of meaningful minutes. His shooting is of great value on a team that struggled to shoot the ball last season. It’s easy to see his path to minutes being at the guard spot instead of the three spot due to the Wizards logjam of Forwards on the roster.

The small forward position is going to be occupied by a combination of guys that includes Will Barton, Deni Avdija, and even Rui Hachimura and Kyle Kuzma at times. Not to mention if/when Beal shares the court with Kispert or even two of the usual point guards.

Conclusion: Johnny Davis is not a lock to be a part of the Washington Wizards early season rotation