3 Best Landing Spots for Johnny Davis in 2022 NBA Draft
By Peter Dewey
Johnny Davis is one of the safer NBA Draft lottery picks according to many draft experts, but he may not possess some of the potential that prospects like Jabari Smith, Jaden Ivey, Shaedon Sharpe and others have.
Stll, Davis did it all for Wisconsin in the 2021-22 season, averaging 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He’s a bigger guard and would fit well in almost any NBA backcourt, but he needs to become a better shooter (30.6 percent from 3 on just 3.9 attempts per game last season) at the next level.
Johnny Davis's at-rim craft is so impressive. Great touch with both hands, plays through contact, uses angles well, splits doubles, acrobatic finishes, and gets there in a variety of ways. I get he's not the most explosive athlete, but I have zero concerns with his at-rim scoring pic.twitter.com/0Rl2Wa4fM0
— Tyler Metcalf (@tmetcalf11) June 16, 2022
Right now, WynnBET projects Davis to fall out of the top 10, as he’s -250 to be selected over pick 9.5 and +200 to be selected at nine or earlier. Davis can lead an offense at the next level, but he was asked to score much more in his sophomore season.
Which teams would he fit well with? Here are a few potential suitors for Davis around his projected draft spot:
New York Knicks (No. 11)
The Knicks desperately need consistent guard play after cycling Kemba Walker, Alec Burks and others at the point guard spot in the 2021-22 season.
Davis could pair nicely alongside Immanuel Quickley, especially if the Knicks move on from some of their veterans in the offseason. Davis can create his own shot and has the size to be a plus defender in Tom Thibodeau’s scheme.
The Knicks are the Knicks, but the team has done a much better job with player development (Rj Barrett, Quickley, Obi Toppin) in the Thibodeau era.
New Orleans Pelicans (No. 8)
The New Orleans Pelicans could use some proven guard help around C.J. McCollum, but they are probably unlikely to take Davis at No. 8 given his odds to land in the top 10.
Still, I feel like Davis would be a great fit with an up-and-coming Pelicans team, and he’s a more NBA ready prospect that could help the team build off last year's playoff appearance.
McCollum and Devonte’ Graham are both smaller guards, so adding a scorer like Davis to the backcourt could be advantageous to get bigger defenders off of C.J. and allow the Pels to go small with McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and Davis all in the game.
It’s unlikely, but I wouldn’t mind the pick if he lands with New Orleans.
Washington Wizards (No. 10)
Yahoo! Sports’ latest mock draft has Davis landing with the Washington Wizards, and I really think it could be a good spot regardless of if Bradley Beal is on the roster next season.
The Wizards lacked a go-to scorer with Beal out, and Davis could get an opportunity to lead the offense with Kyle Kuzma, Kristaps Porzingis and Rui Hachimura flanking him.
The Wizards are in desperate need of a proven talent, and Davis could step in and contribute from day one.
Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record in the NBA this season here.