Will Johnny Davis be ready for larger role with Wizards next season?
Will Davis be ready for larger role next season? originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
WASHINGTON -- It's easy to forget sometimes, as he does not have a strong Midwest accent, but Johnny Davis is Wisconsin through and through. He grew up and went to college there. Before he was drafted to play in Washington, he had never previously left the state for as long as two weeks.
When he was picked by the Wizards 10th overall in June, it was time to move elsewhere for the first time in his life, away from his family, including his twin brother. Davis recalls a message his mother shared with him before he left town.
"My mom told me it was time to grow up. It was time for me to go out and do what I need to do," he said.
Davis indeed did a lot of growing up over the next few months. He had his first child born at the onset of his first training camp, all amidst a struggle on the court to find his footing against NBA competition. Being a first-time father had an impact on that process.
Davis says he was the first player to leave the facility every day.
"Guys would be like 'Where's Johnny at?' Five or 10 minutes after practice, I flew home just because I wanted to be there for my daughter and girlfriend... I had to find a balance between basketball and having a baby, but obviously I'm going to be there for my family first," Davis said.
There were also injuries Davis had to battle through as a rookie, including a hip issue that sidelined him midway through the season. Having his mobility affected was not ideal as he tried to adjust to the speed of the NBA, especially coming from the more methodical style of the Big 10 conference.
Davis, though, got healthy and was able to finish his rookie season with some progress to build on. Over his final eight games, Davis averaged 14.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists. Though he shot low percentages (39.0% FG, 28.1% 3PT), it showed glimpses of how he can be effective at the NBA level.
Davis found ways to score and make plays defensively. The hope for Davis and the Wizards is that he will be ready to do much more of that next season.
Davis, 21, has on several occasions stated his goal of being a rotation player for the Wizards next year. That would certainly be ideal for the Wizards and not solely because they used a high draft pick to acquire him.
Davis could slide into an increasingly important role as Bradley Beal's primary backup at the two-guard position. Beal has missed 74 games over the past two seasons, which means a second shooting guard for the Wizards may have to fill in as the starter for extended periods of time.
If Davis can prove ready to assume that role, the Wizards won't have to seek help externally this offseason.
"Stay the course. He's put in a tremendous amount of work. I think he's starting to see the benefit, the payoff," head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. "Not just with the playing time, but with what he's able to do on the floor. He's a much more confident player."
Davis displayed a trajectory in college the Wizards would love to see paralleled in the pros. As a freshman with the Badgers, he averaged 7.0 points per game. He was not expected to be an NBA lottery pick one year later, but he developed into one after scoring 19.7 points per game as a sophomore as the Big 10 Player of the Year.
Davis says getting stronger over the summer between his freshman and sophomore years was key to him making a leap in his development. He believes the same focus could help this time around, as he plans to add several pounds of muscle this offseason.
As for specific skills to work on, Davis highlighted his outside shooting, free throw shooting and his ball-handling. He hopes to be better at creating for himself and others on the offensive end.
Wizards coaches and his teammates want Davis to continue being aggressive in looking for his own shot.
"You can see he's really confident in shooting midrange [jumpers]," Beal said. "He's getting to his floaters, he's getting to his one- or two-dribble pull-ups. So, obviously being more consistent at that, at off-the-dribble. Catching and shooting better, a little bit quicker. He's a really good defender, so that's what I really love about him. He's a willing defender and he's really good at it."
Beal wasn't the only one to praise Davis' defense as a rookie. Unseld Jr. consistently applauded Davis' ability on that end of the floor throughout this season.
Unseld Jr. sees Davis being a key contributor in that regard moving forward.
"We saw the defensive piece from Day 1. I think he can continue to lean in on that, which would be great," Unseld Jr. said.
Davis believes he turned a corner during his rookie season at the All-Star break when he went back home to Wisconsin to see family and friends. This summer will afford him plenty of time to reset.
Maybe he can come back a different player as a sophomore, just as he did during his college days.
