Atlanta Hawks Draft Preview: Johnny Davis

Davis is NBA-ready.

Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

The 2022 NBA Draft is tomorrow, and the Atlanta Hawks have plenty of options. They have the No. 16 and 44 draft picks and are reportedly considering trading up in the draft. Today we conclude our series of draft scouting reports with former Wisconsin Badger Johnny Davis.

Vitals

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Johnny Davis

Position: Shooting Guard

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 194

Age: 20

Class: Sophomore

School: Wisconsin

Why Davis

Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

There’s a lot of special Top 10 talent entering this year’s NBA Draft that teams might want to trade up for. But there’s something quite remarkable about the dynamic shooting guard prospect Johnny Davis out of Wisconsin that has uniquely set him apart from his draft class: He brings a very complete package of strengths that no other rookie has.

Some of you might be thinking, ‘There’s a lot of elite Top 10 rookies that are complete; what makes Davis any different?’ And the answer comes down to not only his distinct physical skills, athleticism, and attributes, but also his mentality, dedication, and feel for the game. From his scoring to his rebounding to his defense, but also to his willingness to compete, improve, and beat on his craft, Davis makes for an enticing pick to go after, particularly for a team like the Atlanta Hawks.

Johnny Davis (25 PTS) TOOK OVER in crunch time for Wisconsin 🔥

No. 3 Badgers dancing on pic.twitter.com/nDqoroHteq

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 19, 2022

Should Davis fall outside of the Top 7, the Hawks ought to consider pursuing him, whether they choose to move on from power forward John Collins or toss in their 16th overall pick, or both in their trade package. Some rankings and mock drafts actually have Davis projected to land just outside the Top 10, which bodes well for the Hawks because they might have less to concede in return should Davis still be up for grabs come the 11th overall pick or later.

And talk about a great fit with Trae Young. Davis has the potential to be the backcourt mate the Hawks have been searching for all along, opening the floor with his scoring while tightening up the perimeter defensively.

Offense

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Similarly to that Iowa alum Keegan Murray, Davis had a quiet freshman season at Wisconsin before flat out exploding onto the scene as a sophomore. In 31 games played in his first season (he only started one of those games), Davis scored on average 7.0 points to go with 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 24.3 minutes per game. Though the signs of him being a talented prospect were somewhat on display that year, not very many (if anyone at all) expected Davis to get as hot as he did last season.

In all 31 games he started as a sophomore, Davis scored an average of 19.7 points in 34.2 minutes per game, gathered 8.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and bumped up his free throw percentage from 72.7 to 79.1, illustrating a deep set of scoring versatility that he flashed all over the floor. Davis went on to drop three 30+ point games on the year, which included a career-high 37-point game in a 74-69 win against Purdue in January.

Possessing a very well-balanced scoring style that’s characterized by a clean mid-range pull-up shot, an elusive driving game, and a solid shooters touch, Davis is also excellent in the open floor, bringing great pace, strength, grit, and vision that allows him to pick a part defensive schemes and play through contact.

What was also quite mindboggling to behold from Davis was his growth as a rebounder, using his bounce, sharp anticipation, and long 6’5” frame to come down hard on the boards. In fact, Davis had himself six double-doubles on the season, gathering a career-high 15 rebounds twice in back-to-back games against Minnesota and Illinois earlier this year. Despite being a guard, his prowess and aggressiveness with crashing the glass has led him to be one of the best rebounders in this draft class, regardless of position.

Because of his outstanding performance, Davis went on to be named First Team All-Big 10, Big Ten Player of the Year, First Team All-American, and he received both the Jerry West Award and the Lute Olson Award to wrap up a massive breakout season.

Defense

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Along with a lot of different areas of his game, Davis’ ability to play resilient defense (particularly along the perimeter) improved immensely in his sophomore season. Though Davis doesn’t have a whole lot of body mass, he’s a lot stronger than he looks and illustrated how tough of a defender he is in his two years at Wisconsin.

Averaging 1.2 steals per 36 minutes in his second season, Davis brings not only really sharp instincts and alertness but makes smart reads and diagnoses plays before they occur in order to force turnovers and closely contest shots. To add to it, Davis is exceptionally quick with his footwork and brings an overbearing competitive nature that makes him a challenging on-ball defender to work up against.

Despite having to carry a vast chunk of the offensive load in his second season, Davis was frequently tasked with guarding the opposing teams’ best guards, providing him with valuable experience that will transfer over into the NBA.

Johnny Davis is heading to the NBA 🤩

The former Wisconsin guard joined @malika_andrews on NBA Today to announce that he will enter the 2022 NBA draft and forego his remaining college eligibility. pic.twitter.com/cFPxMDZCaT

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 31, 2022

Upside

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At 20 years old, Davis has only shown us the tip of the iceberg with the talent he can produce on a regular basis. His growth from one season to the next was the product of his work ethic and tough mentality to set the bar as high as he could for himself, creating a drive that could grant him a successful tenure in the NBA.

But what’s also interesting about the upside of Davis is that he was the primary scorer and best defender on his team, shouldering the brunt of the two-way responsibilities. Because of such, it will be interesting to see how much better he can be should he join a team where he isn’t the main scorer, such as the Atlanta Hawks.

Lastly, because he’s such a versatile, dual-threat on both sides of the ball, Davis can fit into a lot of different roles in the NBA, granting himself the opportunity to refine his skills and live up to his potential no matter which system he joins.

Wisconsin was hyped after this Johnny Davis dunk ‼️ pic.twitter.com/5o78ykROdu

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 19, 2022

Downside

© MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL / USA TODAY NETWORK

Davis has two downsides he’ll want to improve upon entering the NBA. The first and biggest concern is his shooting efficiency from the field. After he shot a solid 44.1% as a freshman, Davis shot just 42.7% from the field during his breakout season. His struggles carried over to his shooting from behind the arc as well, finishing his sophomore campaign with just a 30.6% conversion rate despite capitalizing on 38.9% of his 3PT shots as a freshman.

The good news about this is that Davis averaged nearly ten more shots per game in his second year with Wisconsin yet still managed to keep his drop from the field to a minimal extent. However, the NBA is a different story, and Davis will need to straighten out his efficiency and produce a better shot selection output.

The second downside Davis has displayed throughout his two years is his unwillingness to pass the ball. In all fairness, Davis did get better at recognizing defensive trapping and collapsing situations, often using his vision to swing the ball out to an open man. But he will need to do more of that in the NBA and trust the weapons he will have around him as he faces better defenses. 

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