NBA Draft: Texas Freshman Tre Johnson Looks To Showcase Offensive Upside

Tre Johnson has the potential to be one of the best scorers in this year's loaded freshman class and should showcase this throughout this season at Texas

Link Academy's Tre Johnson moves the ball downcourt as the Lions took on the Central Bulldogs in The Pit at Central High School on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. / Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK

Players who can score the ball are among the most coveted play styles in the NBA today. Whether they score by knocking down jumpers or attacking off the bounce, translating this success to the NBA is exceedingly rare. However, Texas freshman Tre Johnson looks like the next spark plug scorer ready to make an impact in the league. While putting the ball in the basket is not all he can do on offense, his apparent score-first role with the Longhorns should create a pathway to showcase his elite scoring versatility and potentially land him as high as the top five of the upcoming NBA draft.

Johnson has been one of the best one-on-one scorers in the nation throughout his high school and EYBL career. He put his feel and fluidity as a scorer on full display at last year’s McDonald's All-American Game, dropping 17 points on efficient 66% shooting from the field. Many fans were treated to a great first impression with much more to come. He excels at playing both on and off the ball along the perimeter, which should create multiple opportunities for him to stand out during his freshman season. Johnson has a good handle and great lateral explosiveness, allowing him to quickly create space before elevating over defenders and consistently knocking down jumpers from both mid-range and beyond the arc. While he has a somewhat slight frame, he may not be asked to handle too much of the offensive initiation, like driving the ball to create for others. However, he can navigate screens while moving off-ball and could be one of the better movement shooters in the incoming freshman class.

He also stands out in transition. Whether leading the break with the ball or running to his spots, he makes good reads and can score before defenses can get back. While his ability to playmake for others is still somewhat uncertain, he has made noticeable improvements over the past year and can get his teammates involved once defenses focus on trying to slow down his scoring. His vision is solid regardless of the offensive situation, but his connectivity is more efficient in the open court. He is unlikely to be a primary table-setter in his freshman season or early in his NBA career, but having this skill as a secondary option will allow him to make an impact beyond just scoring. He can struggle at times while pushing in transition using his left hand, but this is not uncommon for younger prospects and should improve as he adjusts to a higher level of competition.

While Johnson projects to be a secondary initiator and offensive spark plug at the next level, he has the potential to continue growing and possibly become a first option for NBA offenses. Although it is nearly impossible to project this before a single college game has been played, Johnson has the physical tools, skills and touch to become a top-tier isolation scorer with playmaking to fall back on. One high-end upside projection for Johnson is Devin Booker. Again, while it’s nearly impossible to predict which scorers will translate to potential NBA stars, Johnson’s ability to score in space combined with his shooting confidence could suggest a correlation between the two.

Time will tell just how effective a scorer Johnson will continue to be in the NCAA and eventually the NBA, but his upside is extremely intriguing. His role with Texas could take several directions early on, but as he progresses and becomes comfortable with his new team, he should be able to showcase his offensive game and continue moving up draft boards throughout the season.

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