A leap from Johnny Davis could save the Washington Wizards

After selecting Johnny Davis with the tenth overall pick in last year’s draft, the Washington Wizards had to watch him struggle to keep up even in the G-League. Unfortunately, this is not the exception for the Wiz as they fumble on draft picks more often than not.

While there are certainly other young players on the roster, developing Davis should still hold at least some sort of priority. He plays a valuable position and is already a great defender at the NBA level.

A big sophomore season from Johnny Davis could accelerate the Washington Wizards’ plans

Every year, there seems to be an unexpected player to figure things out and become a quality player. Why can’t Johnny Davis fit that bill this year?

He showed flashes toward the end of the season of being capable of scoring at a decent level. While he may not be a superstar, he could definitely develop into a player on the level of Lu Dort, a kind of development that Wizards fans would love.

The main things he would need to improve on are his jump shot and his driving ability with and without the ball. He’s already shown the ability to put pressure on the rim once he gets there, he just struggled to get there at times.

He shot over 70% from within three feet of the basket, but only around 14% of his shot attempts came from that range. That number should be much closer to 35-40% of his shot attempts with his current skills, even if it causes his efficiency near the rim to dip.

he can easily increase his shot attempt from that range by cutting more off the ball and adding the ability to drive to the bucket out of the triple threat. Both of these would give him not only more opportunities to score in an area where he excels, but it would also collapse the defense, creating opportunities for Davis to potentially find a shooter in the corner.

If Davis focuses more on getting to the basket and subsequently increases his three-point percentage up to around 30-32%, the Washington Wizards would be in a far better position going forward.

Johnny Davis making these changes could turn the Wizards’ luck around

The Washington Wizards have not won 50+ games in 44 years. This has been due to a nasty combination of poor draft luck and an excess of injuries. Having Johnny Davis turn into a hit would be huge in correcting course.

Again, he doesn’t need to become an All-Star caliber player, he just needs to grow into a high-quality role player.

A player like Davis would fit perfectly next to Jordan Poole should he figure out how to put points on the board. Developing him into a player like Lu Dort would be how to take full advantage of both players and their skill sets.

If Johnny Davis makes a sizable sophomore jump this season, it would make the outlook of the Washington Wizards future even better than it already is. Hopefully, the future is bright for the former Wisconsin Badger.