Keyontae Johnson 2023 NBA Draft Profile for the Cleveland Cavaliers

Johnson’s weaknesses and his possible fit with the Cavs

Even though he did have a stellar senior season, and looks to have an easier-than-normal transition to the NBA, Johnson still has some areas of weaknesses, and aspects of his game that he need to improve.

The first area that comes to mind, is turnovers. At times for the Wildcats he was erratic with the ball in his hands. While Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell are superb floor-generals, in a lot of the Cavaliers losses this year, turnovers were a huge part of the story.

Finally, and this can be the case for a lot of college prospects, Johnson’s shot selection was a bit shaky at times. For the most part, that can be coached at the next level as players learn their roles. However, if he continues to shoot over 40% from three in the NBA, I can handle a couple heat-checks.

As for his fit with the Cavs, it should be pretty straight-forward for Johnson. The Cavaliers desperately need shooting on the wing, and, hopefully, in volume. While he only shot three per game in college, there’s a good chance Johnson is asked to shoot more at the next level from deep, if he eventually receives a steady dose of looks.

If you look at the Cavs first-round pick last year, Ochai Agbaji, who was eventually part of the Donovan Mitchell trade, Johnson has a lot of similar traits to the former Jayhawk. Both are great set shooters, and got better as slashers in college. Neither are super fast or quick, but get to the hoop in their own way successfully. I wouldn’t put it past Johnson to have the same type of impact that Agbaji did in his rookie season; we’ll have to see on the chances for Johnson, though.

With the 2023 NBA Draft only three weeks away, there are a lot of prospects that could be a fit for the Cavaliers in the second round at their 49th pick. For instance, Santa Clara guard Brandon Podziemski would be another great wing addition, but his stock is rising fast.

With that being said, if Koby Altman is looking for a quick-impact wing player, Johnson checks all the boxes.

He can shoot from all levels, he’s solid in transition, and he can defend multiple positions. Overall he could help fix some of the issues the Cavs had at the end of the season.