Few people saw him being drafted at the start of the season, but today Johnny Davis is unanimously considered a lottery pick. What do we owe this to? Mainly to his mentally ill sophomore season which has changed the words of NBA scouts towards him. And as we say: “Only idiots don’t change their minds”.
# ARE PROFIL GROSSO MODO
- Age: 20 years old. The year of release of the second Harry Potter film at the cinema, yes it does not get any younger.
- Position : Back, true energizer.
- Crew : Wisconsin Badgers, or in French the badgers of Wisconsin.
- Cut : 196 centimeters
- Weight : 88 kilossame as Will Smith.
- Wingspan: 208 centimeters
- Statistics 2021-22: 19.7 points at 42.7% shooting including 30.6% from afar, 8.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 interceptions in 34 minutes of play on average over the season.
- Comparison : Devin Booker a ceiling, a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope a poster?
- Prévision TrashTalk : 10ème placethat these numbers there in our team.
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Jonathan Christian Davis was born and raised in Wisconsin, La Crosse to be precise. With a volleyball and basketball player mother, and a professional basketball player father – notably Spanish All-Star Game MVP in 1989 – the son already had the genetics to succeed in the sports world. In high school, Johnny was the popular kid in the clichéd Disney Channel movies: the quarterback of the football team and the best basketball player in the state (just that). It wouldn’t surprise anyone if he went out with the captain of the pom-pom girls at that time. After graduating from high school, Johnny Davis quit football and joined the Wisconsin Badgers college basketball program with his twin brother, Jordan. You see, the parents decided to give the name of their favorite stars to their two children: Michael Jordan and Johnny Hallyday. The first university season of the back does not go very well: 7 points on average over the year with only one start in 31 games, the rookie is clearly not the Badgers’ first offensive option. Johnny Davis still manages to be a member of the USA U19 final roster for the 2021 World Cup, but his performances in Latvia are similar to his freshman season. Back from Europe, the rear is called into the office of coach Greg Gard. In one summer, the dynamics of Wisconsin’s squad have completely changed: all of the experienced seniors from the past year have graduated and gone. The keys to the house now belong to one of the oldest in the squad, Johnny Davis. The mission is hard to assume, but the sophomore will work to the maximum to be able to assume this role. And there is the revelation: the new leader of the Badgers goes to 19.7 points on average over as many games as the previous season. Mr. Davis is elected player of the year of his very raised conference, the Big Ten, and receives the Jerry West Award, rewarding the best defender in the country. He is also a member of the AP All-American First Team, comprising the top five college players. Despite being eliminated in the second round of March Madness by Iowa State, Wisconsin’s season is more than successful. No one expected to see Johnny Davis play at such a high level on both ends of the court to lead the Badgers to the Big Ten regular season title, as well as a Top 25 program in the country.
Johnny Davis is one of the best in the business at disrupting passing lanes. pic.twitter.com/5Arh9ivjqY
— Will Morris (@w_a_morris) January 7, 2022
Johnny Davis does not weigh much but he is solid and has a very nice wingspan for his height. Position 2 is a real starvation on both sides of the field. We have before our eyes one of the most interesting and complete profiles of this vintage of Draft. What must have intrigued you previously is the average rebounds from the back: going to steal 8.2 rebounds per game when you are less than 2m, it’s very strong. The little thumb likes to sneak into opposing rackets and steal defensive rebounds from them, his six double-doubles achieved during this season show it very well. And when it’s not on the rebounds, he throws himself on the passing lines and the two-man catch to steal balls. His reading of the game without the ball, whether in attack or defense, is excellent. From an offensive point of view, Johnny Davis is almost unstoppable, he can be lethal from anywhere on the field. The Badgers fullback is known for his strong aggression on drives to the circle to cause fouls or posterize opponents, Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis can attest to that. On his coach’s game, which consists in offering him the maximum of favorable matchups, his very good mid-range shot gives him a huge advantage over his less mobile opponents who cannot follow him or who remain planted in the key. Conversely, if the play brings an opponent smaller than him to defend on him, it is an opportunity for the back to play him in post-up. After all that, if the defenders adapt, there’s still a little backing off and the fullback isn’t afraid to shoot from the parking lot at high volume.
Despite this great number of qualities, there are still areas for improvement in Johnny Davis’ game. As soon as he crosses the 3-point line, his game is fluid, fast, impeccable. But from the parking lot, shooting from the back is still not reliable enough. He needs to take more shots to vary his game, but now he has to get the ball into the circle. That being said, it is possible that in the NBA this percentage will improve without investigating shooting streaks in training. In Wisconsin, Johnny Davis was the Badgers’ top offensive option. In the League, depending on the franchise where he lands at the end of the month, this will not be the case: he will have teammates as or more talented than him, and he will no longer be the player that the defenses must imperatively stop to win the game. match. For example, at the Wizards, where the Badger has done a very intense individual workout, there will be Bradley Beal and other offensive options next to him. Also, even if he was a very aggressive player in the racket in the NCAA once morest physical less powerful than in the NBA, it is possible that in the first games, Johnny explodes on contact. To avoid this, working a little at the gym on the upper body would not hurt. Finally, Johnny’s biggest improvement point is playmaking. On his sophomore season on average, Mr. Davis lost more balls than he made assists (2.3 lost balls for 2.1 assists). The native of La Crosse knows how to serve caviars, especially on pick-and-roll, but he needs to take more care of the leather. By strengthening its handle, or by really taking the screens that are offered to it.
Johnny Davis is the king of rejecting screens pic.twitter.com/3aBs06Dbef
— Will Morris (@w_a_morris) January 5, 2022
# SO IF WE SUMMARIZE…
Points forts :
- Shooting at 3 levels
- Offensive and defensive off-the-ball play
- Aggression towards the circle
Weak points :
- Playmaking and leather care
- Defense on ball carrier
- Physique still to be developed (upper body)
WHAT DOES IT SAY IN THE MOCK DRAFTS?
- ESPN announces Johnny Davis in 10th position.
- Bleacher Report announces Johnny Davis in 10th position.
- The Athletic announces Johnny Davis in 14th position.
- Draft Room announces Johnny Davis in 10th position.
- Tankathon announces Johnny Davis in 12th position.
Many franchises in need of post 2 are seduced by the profile of Johnny Davis ready for the League and his wide offensive palette. And even if the Wizards need a leader more than a backup for Bradley Beal, the executives of the capital were seduced by the back during his individual workout. It’s possible for the Badger to wander between 8th and 14th place, but if it drops as low as the end of the lottery picksit will be a very good deal for the franchises unlucky in the Lottery.