NBA Insider's View On Hornets' Keyontae Johnson

Clemente Almanza of OKC Thunder Wire shares his insight about the newest member of the Hornets

Oct 9, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Keyontae Johnson (18) during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-Imagn Images / Rob Ferguson-Imagn Images

The Charlotte Hornets newest player, Keyontae Johnson, may not be familiar to many. If his name rings a bell, it's likely because of his on-court collapse in College or from Kansas State's NCAA Tournament run in 2023.

After being drafted 50th overall by OKC in the 2023 NBA Draft and signed to a 1-year two way contract, he played most of last season in the G-League before signing in Charlotte on an exhibit-10 contract as a free agent. The Hornets' appointment of former Thunder scout Ryan Lambert to their front office was a key link to Johnson signing with Charlotte. I reached out to Thunder beat reporter Clemente Almanza of the OKC Thunder Wire to get his insider view on Johnson's time in OKC.

The Good: Johnson did a good job last season at being a small-ball bruiser. He sliced his way through the paint doing most of his damage at the rim despite being undersized . He's also a quality outside threat and shot 40% from 3 on 3.7 attempts last season in the G League.

The Bad: His size puts him at an awkward tweener spot. He's 6-foot-5, which means he's a bit too small to play in the frontcourt but doesn't posses enough perimeter skills to be a guard. This puts him in an awkward position on the floor. A lack of NBA experience is also a major question mark. He didn't see much meaningful time on the Thunder and played almopst exclusively in the G-League. The Thunder have rarely moved on from a player after their rookie season, so that isn't a worrying sign for him.

Why it didn't workout in OKC: Once the Thunder drafted Dillon Jones this year, it felt like the end of Johnson's time in OKC was near. Both players have too many overlapping skills, which left Johnson being redundant. The Thunder eyed Jones for over a year, they were excited to add him to their roster. It was a bit surprising to see them not bring Johnson back on a two-way deal, but his forgettable summer league this past off-season rationalized that decision.

Through the first five Thunder Summer League games, the 24-year-old has averaged 7.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and one steal in 21.7 minutes per contest. Johnson shot just 36.8% from the floor overall and missed all seven of his 3-point attempts. He has also turned the ball over 15 times while dishing out just 11 assists.

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