After the results of Tuesday’s NBA Draft Lottery, it’s easier to narrow down the prospects that the Cleveland Cavaliers front office will likely be taking a look at. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve talked about a lot of the best wing prospects that may or may not be on the board when the Cavaliers decide who the 14th pick will be.
With his offensive arsenal, and his ability to help an NBA team right away next season, Bennedict Mathurin is a player I doubt will be available when the Cavs are on the clock. Ochai Agbaji is another prospect who has the ability to help whoever drafts him immediately next season, so the chances of him being available to the Cavs could seemingly be low.
On the other end of the spectrum, Jaden Hardy is definitely expected to be on the board when the Cavaliers pick in the late lottery. After he struggled to shoot efficiently in the G-League this now-past season, combined with his questionable shot selection, he’s probably a bit of a risk to a lot of teams. Personally, I think he’s worth the risk because of his playmaking abilities.
Another prospect I’d expect to be on the board is LSU’s Tari Eason. He’s an explosive athlete who tore up the best college basketball conference in the country this season. However, outside of fastbreak opportunities, he struggles to be effective in a halfcourt offense.
Today, we’re going to take a look at a prospect, who five months ago would have been a likely top-8 pick, but has started to dip in mock drafts of late. Johnny Davis out of Wisconsin is a dynamic guard who is a great shot creator, and has the potential to be an excellent defender at the next level. But, questionable decision-making and a lack of NBA speed have hampered him a bit early on in the 2022 NBA Draft process.
At the end of the day, I think Davis is too good of a shot creator and has so many good defensive traits, that he is unlikely to be on the board at 14. Even having said that, weirder things have happened on draft night.
Johnny Davis Scouting Report
Height/Weight: 6’5″, 196 LBS
2021-2022 Wisconsin Stats: 19.7 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.1 APG
3-Point/Field Goal/FT: 31%/43%/79%
Johnny Davis surprised most college basketball fans, including me, with how well he played this now-past season. He came out of the gates like a race horse.
After dropping 15 points in back-to-back games to start the season, he then dominated the Maui Invitational, leading Wisconsin to a championship game win over a good Houston team. He had 30 points in the win, including knocking down 4-of-7 from deep. There’s no doubt that Davis can score, as he hit double figures in 30 out of Wisconsin’s 31 games this season.
When Davis can get out in transition, his craftiness along with his physical finishing make him one of the most exciting prospects in the draft. In the halfcourt, he’s an excellent shot creator.
While Davis may not always get a lot of separation on defenders, he has an incredible ability to get to his spots, and pull up on a dime. Another underrated factor about Davis’ game, is his patience. Like I said, he isn’t the fastest prospect, but he bides his time to get great looks at the basket.
Another trait that is rarely talked about that Davis has is that he’s a great rebounder. It’s very possible that this doesn’t translate to the next level, but averaging over eight rebounds per game as a guard is impressive.
The Cavs ranked 15th in rebounding this season, but after Jarrett Allen went down to injury in early March. And it was a weakness that other teams exploited night in and night out, even prior to that.
Davis needs playmaking work, but his defensive ceiling would be too hard to ignore
One area of weakness for Davis this past season, is that his shooting was somewhat off and on.
In a January game versus Ohio State, he was 4-of-18 from the field, and struggled mightily on the offensive end. Then, three weeks later against a good Illinois team, he again struggled, going 4-of-19 from the field. However, in that game he got to the charity stripe 14 times, so he was more effective. Getting to the line is another thing that Davis does well. He averaged over six free throws per game in 2021-22, and hit them at a 79% rate.
Another weakness that Davis may have is that he really isn’t the best playmaker. Again, he’s a great shot creator for himself, but he won’t amaze you with his passing ability. But, even with the erratic shooting, and passing limitations, his defensive ceiling is incredibly high, which would make him a perfect fit with the Cavaliers by way of the 2022 NBA Draft.
The Wisconsin guard is relentless on the defensive end. He puts constant pressure on opposing ball-handlers, and loves to get in passing lanes. On top of that, his defensive technique is ready for the next level.
Rarely do you see a prospect who can come in and defend NBA players from day one. Davis reminds me a lot of the Milwaukee Bucks’ Jrue Holiday on the defensive end. He has the same type of constant motor that makes him a horrible sight for opposing ball-handlers.
Davis is a prospect that the more I watch him, the more I like him on this Cavalier roster. Even with his defensive ceiling being as high as it is, his shot creation on offense would help the Cavalier offense immensely. Honestly, the biggest question in my opinion is whether or not he will be available when the Cavs pick in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft.
Right now it does look unlikely, but now-President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman is known to have some tricks up his sleeve.