2019 NBA Mock Draft: Could the Hawks jumpstart their rebuild in 2019?
Kentucky. Keldon Johnson. 11. player. 18. . G/F
It’s inevitable watching Kentucky not to relate Johnson, the long, smooth, athletic wing, to last year’s late draft riser Kevin Knox, who played a similar finishing role in coach John Calipari’s slash-and-kick system. Johnson has the same craftiness around the basket that allowed Knox to succeed without great playmakers around him last year, a problem that consistently plagues Kentucky despite so many Wildcat point guards dotting the NBA.
Johnson can hit quick pull-up jumpers from anywhere inside the arc and has the length to finish at the basket. Against Vanderbilt on Saturday, that ability meant the freshman was Kentucky’s only source of offense to start the game. Kentucky looked uncomfortable against Vanderbilt’s zone for the first several minutes of the contest, but Johnson consistently punched into the middle of the defense for buckets. It was a keen, crafty display from the youngster.
While Johnson certainly looks the part on defense, he’s not quite as big or long as Knox or other premier wing prospects in the NBA. This will hold him back. It’s a balancing act — off-the-bounce pop will help Johnson survive at smaller positions while more versatile defense makes him playable at forward. NBA teams will have to sort through where they see him long-term and how he fits their roster.
Boston needs to think about this draft both as an opportunity to deal picks as well as a chance to build depth at key positions. The Celtics could well lose Marcus Morris, Terry Rozier and one of Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum this summer to trades or free agency. Adding Johnson, who looks ready to play immediately, would be a solid consolation.