Wiz of Awes
Fansided

3 reasons why Johnny Davis may never grow to his draft position

By Gibson Lowenberg

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: Johnny Davis #1 of the Washington Wizards handles the ball against the Indiana Pacers at Capital One Arena on February 11, 2023 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: Johnny Davis #1 of the Washington Wizards handles the ball against the Indiana Pacers at Capital One Arena on February 11, 2023 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next
Johnny Davis, Washington Wizards
Johnny Davis of the Washington Wizards runs back on defense after scoring against the Detroit Pistons. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Johnny Davis is not athletic enough at his size to truly make an impact with the Wizards

While Johnny Davis is quick enough and can jump high enough for a player that’s six-foot-eight, he only stands at six-foot-five. At his height and athleticism, he will continue to struggle at getting to and finishing at the rim.

While he did shoot 70.8 percent at the rim last season, only 14 percent of his shot attempts came from within three feet of the basket. Many of those opportunities were also break away shots in the fast break or errors made by opposing defenses late in the season.

He is below average in terms of quickness, speed, and verticality and is just straight up not very strong for an NBA player. He was able to cover this up at the collegiate level but has clearly struggled adjusting to the size and strength of the NBA.

Even with Wisconsin, Davis liked to settle for midrange jump shots a lot due to his relative lack of size and athleticism. This has continued into his NBA career where over 35 percent of his shot attempts come from between three and 16 feet.

His only issue is the fact that he is only average in the midrange compared to the rest of the league. This is really the only area where he is even close to average on the NBA level, and it is the least effective aspect of an offense.

Part of the problem for Davis is the fact that the three biggest weaknesses in his overall basketball ability make the other issues stand out even more.

While it may be impossible to see the future, right now Johnny Davis projects to have a career more similar to Jan Vesely than to Patrick Beverley. While it’s unfortunate, this one will likely be marked up as a failure for the Washington Wizards.

Next. The dream starting 5 for the Washington Wizards 5 years from now. dark

Home/Wizards News