Wizards Guard Completely Changed Offseason Approach

The Washington Wizards are entering the third year with Johnny Davis on the team.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 15, 2024

Oct 11, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Johnny Davis (1) holds the ball as Toronto Raptors center Bruno Fernando (24) defends in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

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Washington Wizards

Washington Wizards forward Johnny Davis has been a bust throughout his career.

As a lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Davis came into the league with high expectations, but he has been unable to fulfill it. Throughout his first two seasons, the Wizards forward averaged just four points per game and spent time with the Capital City Go-Go in the G League.

During the first two offseasons in Washington, Davis has been listening to coaches that have tried to change part of his game. However, that hasn't been the case this summer.

“The past two years,” Davis toldThe Athletic reporter Josh Robbins. “A development coach from each year has been tinkering with my shot, messing with it. So I came back into this year, and I said, ‘Nobody is touching my jump shot. I’m just going to leave it as it is, leave it comfortable.’ And they’ve left me alone about it. So, it feels really good right now. I’ve been working on it the whole summer, so I’m just glad to see it pay off.”

Perhaps this is what Davis needs to finally take a step forward with the Wizards. He has been focused on learning and developing for the past two years, and now he has a chance to play as himself without worrying about any of that.

Davis is approaching a big year for the Wizards since there is no guarantee that he will be under contract for another year. His fourth-year option must be exercised before the end of the month, but the Wizards have yet to commit to him beyond this season.

This means Davis is essentially fighting for his life in the Wizards organization and the NBA this year, so he should be ready to play his best basketball yet.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published Oct 15, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.