The Athletic Skeptical of David Johnson's NBA Future
(Photo of David Johnson: Paul Rutherford - USA TODAY Sports)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With the 2021 NBA Draft Combine squarely in the rear view mirror, we are now less than two weeks away from the 2021 NBA Draft, where the next crop of former Louisville men's basketball players officially begin their professional careers.
While Carlik Jones has been slowly but surely improving his draft stock in recent weeks, coupled with a good showing at the G League Elite Camp, the former Cardinal whose name we will likely hear the most on draft night is still guard David Johnson.
Even though he had a good performance at the 2021 NBA Draft Combine, scouts and executives are still torn on his overall draft stock. Some believe he is an early second round prospect who could easily creep up into the first round, while others seem to think he might go completely undrafted.
While the folks over at The Athletic don't quite fall into the category of people who think he won't get drafted, they are indeed skeptical of his abilities at the next level.
"Johnson rebounds well for a guard and has shown playmaking ability but remains a wild ride when he puts it on the floor (5.5 turnovers per 100 after averaging 7.0 as a freshman), plus he shot poorly inside the arc (42.6 percent for the season), and didn’t draw many fouls," senior NBA columnist John Hollinger wrote.
Hollinger recently released his "Top 70 Players for the 2021 NBA Draft" big board style piece, and ranked him as the No. 53 overall prospect in the draft class. He placed Johnson in a group which he categorized as "role players", alongside AJ Lawson, Justin Champagnie, Quentin Grimes, Joel Ayayi and Chris Smith.
But if Hollinger likes Johnson's playmaking potential and improved shooting, why is he ranked so low on the list? The answer: his defense.
"Defensively, Johnson wasn’t good," Hollinger wrote. "Watching him on tape, I was shocked how heavy his feet seemed – Louisville would try to hide him on 3s and 4s, and he’d get beat off the dribble even while giving considerable cushion. At 6-foot-3 ¼ in socks, he has to check 2s and 3s at the pros (a giant 6-foot-10 ½ wingspan helps), and based on the tape I’m not sure he can do it."
Even NBA staff writer Zach Harper isn't all that sold on Johnson. In his two-round mock draft released earlier this week, he has Johnson getting selected with the No. 55 overall pick held by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"Not sure if I’m buying David Johnson as a shooter at the next level, but he could do well to develop in the Thunder’s G-League program," Harper wrote.
Heading into this past season, the Louisville native was regarded to be a borderline NBA Lottery pick, and played like one to begin the season. Over his first nine games, the Trinity alum averaged 14.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 48.0% from the floor and 45.7% from long range.
But his performance in the second half of the season left many to wonder if he would leave early for the NBA or come back for another season. Johnson averaged 10.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists to 2.8 turnovers over his final ten games, while shooting 35.5% from the field and 33.3% on threes.
The 2021 NBA Draft is scheduled for Thursday, July 29, and it will be televised on ABC and ESPN starting at 8:00 p.m. EST.
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