Johnny Davis Is Making The Most Of Increased Playing Time
After a breakout sophomore season at Wisconsin last year, Johnny Davis sprung up draft boards. He was commonly regarded as a top-ten prospect, and many even had him pushing into their top five. His appeal stemmed from his potent slashing, versatile mid-range game, and dominant defense. Consequentially, the Wizards selected the then-20-year-old with the 10th overall pick.
However, the start of his NBA career has been shaky, to say the least. In both the summer league and in early regular season minutes, Davis appeared lost on the floor. It was like all the confidence he had gained from being one of the best players in college hoops just disappeared. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard was hesitant on jump shots, halted his drives when met with resistance, and fouled far too frequently on defense. These struggles were uncharacteristic given his excellence with the Badgers, but rookies struggling at the start of their career is a tale old as time.
As a result, Washington sent Davis to the Capital City Go-Go, their G League affiliate. He flashed some of his defensive brilliance early, but the offensive game took some more time to come to fruition. In his last six games in the G League, though, the Wisconsin native averaged over 18 points per contest, signaling to the front office that he was ready for a call-up, which he received.
Davis has appeared in six consecutive NBA games for Washington, and in the last five, he’s averaged 15.5 minutes and nearly 6 points. These numbers are far from spectacular, but they represent a drastic improvement from his early-season form. He’s been much more confident attacking the rim and a more willing shooter. Additionally, he’s been putting in work on the defensive end. For what it’s worth, he could one of the league’s top defensive guards in due time.
This mini-run from Davis has included the best game of his young career, in which he tallied 11 points against Detroit. Also, he gave fans his first jaw-dropping highlight with this gorgeous reverse layup versus Denver this Wednesday:
He’s far from a finished product, but Davis’ play as of late should have Wizards fans feeling optimistic about his projection.
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