Basketball

Johnny Davis Makes 2023 NBA Summer League Debut

Published

10 months ago

July 8, 2023

Apr 2, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Washington Wizards guard Johnny Davis (1) dribbles up court against the New York Knicks during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Former Wisconsin Badgers Star Johnny Davis debuted in the 2023 summer league this evening in Las Vegas.

Rookie Season

Johnny Davis, the Washington Wizards’ 10th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, had a shakey rookie season. In last year’s summer league and early on in his rookie year, the game seemed too fast for the former Badger star. He struggled to reach his spots, and his lack of three-point marksmanship showed. This led to Davis getting almost no game time in the team’s first half of the season. However, after the all-star break, Johnny’s minutes and production increased. Appearing in 15 games after the break, Davis averaged 10 points per game and 4 rebounds per game. Davis started the last few games of the season and had highlight moments, like his nasty dunk over Jrue Holiday.

The NBA summer league is an excellent time for young players to make a name for themselves. There is always the hype to see this year’s top picks; however, I think the best players we see are often the second-year guys returning to the summer league. Davis falls into this category. This year is crucial for Johnny, who finds himself on a full-blown rebuilding team in Washington after the Beal and Porzinigs trades. Johnny has the chance to show coaches and the front office all the work he has put in and what he can provide for this team moving forward. Tonight, in his first game, he did just that.

Johnny Davis: Summer League 2023 Debut vs. Indiana

Washington took on Indiana tonight, and for Johnny, that meant matching up with last year’s number 6 overall pick Benedict Mathurin. A tough matchup, as Benedict had a great rookie season last year and is a starter quality NBA player.

Johnny Davis finished the game with 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. An area that I really hope to see Johnny make a jump is his three-point shooting. It is so valuable in today’s NBA, especially at the guard position. Johnny went 1/1 from behind the arch tonight. Another area to watch for this summer is on the defensive end. Johnny has all the intangibles to be an outstanding defender. NBA teams are always looking for big guards who can defend. So, this can be another way for Johnny to see the floor. Tonight, he had 2 impressive steals and incredible energy on defense.

13 points so far for @JohnnyDavis 🏀 pic.twitter.com/Weu6BwqdNk

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) July 9, 2023

Continue to follow along with Johnny and the Wizards this summer league in Vegas. The next game will be Sunday, July 9th, at 6:30 PM on NBATV.

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