Thunder select Dakari Johnson with No. 48 pick in 2015 NBA draft
The Oklahoma City Thunder selected Kentucky center Dakari Johnson with the No. 48 pick in the NBA draft Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Johnson was a rare sophomore for John Calipari at Kentucky this past season, when he averaged 6.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per game. The 19-year-old came to Kentucky with a NBA-ready fame and is only stronger at 7'0", 255 pounds.
Johnson projects as a solid backup center in the NBA. While he has the size, Johnson lacks the explosiveness that would have made him a first-round pick. His 14.9% body fat was the highest recorded of any player at the NBA draft combine, leading to concerns about his conditioning. Johnson also did not average more than 16.3 minutes per game in either of his seasons at Kentucky.
Johnson was the sixth Kentucky player drafted on Thursday, following Karl-Anthony Towns (No. 1, Minnesota Timberwolves), Willie Cauley-Stein (No. 6, Sacramento Kings), Trey Lyles (No. 12, Utah Jazz), Devin Booker (No. 13, Phoenix Suns) and Andrew Harrison (No. 44, Suns).
