The Washington Wizards have high hopes for the player that Tre Johnson has the ability to develop into.
Entering his rookie season, Johnson was pinned as a legit candidate to make a run for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, especially following his showing throughout NBA Summer League.
However, to start the season, the rookie has dealt with the adjustment of his new role on an NBA team, where he found himself bouncing in-and-out of the starting lineup as head coach Brian Keefe continously altered the team's rotation to start the season.
Between the inconsistent lineup changes, early season injury setbacks and the adjustment of NBA competition, it took some time for Johnson to show the flashes of why the Wizards believe he could be a star in Washington.
Fortunately, with the team's recent point of emphasis to include Johnson more on the offensive end, the guard's confidence has seemingly grown which has allowed for him tio put together some of his best performances of the season as of late.
Averaging 12.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists, while shooting 45.9% from field goal range and 39.6% from beyond the arc, Johnson has proven to be a lethal offensive weapon, specifically his shot-making ability and marksmanship from downtown.
Still, Johnson's recent stretch of strong play hasn't allowed for the Texas product to climb the NBA's Rookie Ladder.
Although the rankings of the NBA Rookie Lader don't exactly mean anything at all, it's not that he hasn't climbed the rankings, but instead the fact of who ranks ahead of him within those rankings.
All that to say, the NBA may have just added more fuel to Johnson's fire if the rookie catches wind of the league's recent NBA Rookie Ladder.
Caleb Love ranks above Tre Johnson in NBA Rookie Ladder
Not to say that Caleb Love isn't deserving of his spot on the NBA Rookie Ladder, averaging 10.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists on 38.7% shooting from the field as an undrafted free agent from this offseason, but it's hard to clearly say that the Arizona product deserves to be higher on this list than Johnson.
Love is shooting less efficiently from both field goal range and beyond the arc on the season than Johnson and while he's definitely found himself in more of a winning situation following Portland's recent surge, it's hard to say that is more deserving of him to be higher on the list than Johnson,
At the same time, Love is in the midst of an impressive run, averaging 16.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists throughout the month of January off the bench.
Regardless of what side of the coin you fall on, it's clear that Johnson should at least take some motivation from these recent rankings and put his best foot forward to prove he deserves to be higher on the next update.