<img alt="NBL Rd 19 - New Zealand Breakers v Illawarra Hawks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/aao2jU72JFSPlaLWSKBq0z0e6qg=/0x0:3350x2233/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73375335/1997207278.0.jpg">
Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images
The stats may not reflect well, but Johnson certainly passes the eye test. In the last five years or so, there have been a steady trend of American NBA draft prospects venturing not just across the pond but beyond to the far reaches of the globe to measure their skillsets against the pros — as opposed to the NCAA. Across this year’s draft, that number has seemingly skyrocketed. Today’s prospect, 19-year-old guard A.J. Johnson, is one of the latest prospects to try their hand at Australia’s NBL as a means to their development prior to the NBA draft.
Hailing from California, the 6-foot-5 inch Johnson (represented by Billy Duffy, who also reps Luka Doncic, Scottie Barnes and other NBA players) made the decision to venture to Australia with the Illawarra Hawks — the same team that helped showcase LaMelo Ball’s talents — where, despite Johnson’s talent, he didn’t see a lot of game-time in his first professional season of basketball straight from high school. This lack of game time is reflective in his stats for the season, which will paint a misleading picture.
Johnson averaged 2.8 points per game on 35% shooting from the field on three attempts, 27.8% from three on 1.2 attempts, 53.8% from the free throw line, 1.2 rebounds and 0.7 assists in an average of 8.3 minutes per game in 29 games played, per RealGM.
Those stats on their own would tell a not-so-favorable story that Johnson didn’t get much of an opportunity, and he didn’t do much with it when he got it. But when you load up the tape, it’ll tell you a very different story, so let’s do that right now and we can examine why Johnson is looked favorably in the draft despite those season averages. Johnson typically sports the afro and wears the number seven.
Offense/scoring
The majority of Johnson’s offensive package right involves two aspects: using his quickness going to the rim and three-point shooting.
When I say Johnson is quick on his feet, he’s quick — he has a wonderful turn of speed, and he’s got long strides that assist him in getting to the rim. Now, when he gets to the rim it’s a very mixed bag in terms of results, but that can always be improved — finishing technique can be taught — but what you can’t teach is the quickness Johnson possesses.
This clip is probably the crowning highlight of Johnson as he uses his quickstep to drive into the space, displaying his quickness, before using his athleticism to rise and finish at the rim with the explosive dunk plus the foul:
There are so many things you can get excited about in this one clip, but there’s lots more to like when it comes to Johnson that’s a little more understated.
You can see his quickness further on display here as Johnson gets downhill coming off the screen, and he displays his pace as he gets to the rim and uses the glass to score:
Here, Johnson rejects the screen and uses his quickness to skip inside and finishes at the rim, plus the foul:
On this play, Johnson sizes his defender up before lulling the defender and shifting through the gears to get to the rim where Johnson squeezes his runner home:
Johnson is capable of a bit more finesse too, as well as patience in his exploring his offense.
Here, Johnson receives the ball in transition and utilizes a nice step-through move to finish at the rim:
Coming off the screen, Johnson slows his momentum as he surveys his options before shifting through the gears and using the glass to finish at the rim:
Again coming off the screen, Johnson hesitates before deciding to go to his running floater, which he hits high off glass to score:
Shooting 35% from the field, it’s clear that Johnson has issues with efficiency, but he gets himself in good opportunities, such as this possession in transition where he shows his speed — but not the full extent of it — to get to the rim where he can’t finish:
This next clip will transition nicely into Johnson’s three-point shooting, but look at how he uses his pace to get himself to a good position — in this case the corner where he misses not only this three-pointer but the subsequent three on the offensive rebound:
In terms of shooting the ball, Johnson is very much a streaky shooter: he can light it up but at 27.8% on the season this is very much a shot that comes and goes for Johnson right now.
Let’s look at few of his makes, including this deep make from Johnson on the pull-up:
Coming off the pick-and-roll as the ball-handler, Johnson pulls up into a three after working himself into the room:
In a 1-on-1 situation, Johnson pulls up and drains the three above the break:
It seems as though Johnson fares a little better at this moment as a pull-up shooter than stationary shooting at this moment, which is obviously something you’d want Johnson to improve upon but, as a whole, when you’re shooting 35% from the field and 27.8% from three it’s safe to say everything needs improving in terms of efficiency. That efficiency, to be fair, is incredibly subject to the volume, which is just so small right now. For instance, we just looked at three three-pointers...Johnson hit 10 threes in total all season.
That said, as you can see, there’s plenty to like of Johnson, who is still 19 years old and doesn’t turn 20 until December.
Playmaking/passing
You might think that because Johnson averages 0.7 assists that there wouldn’t be much to show here, but that isn’t so. Johnson is an unselfish player with a lovely passing touch and flashes of high basketball IQ. Let’s look at a few plays which demonstrate these flashes of passing potential.
Here, Johnson gets by his man and weaves his way towards the defender which opens up a path for his teammate standing behind the defensive line to make the cut. Johnson delivers a nifty bounce pass for the assist:
On the three-point line, Johnson drives, draws the defensive attention and delivers the pass behind the line for the assist at the rim:
In transition, Johnson receives the ball in the corner and instead of chasing his own shot, which he could, he chooses to deliver a no-look pass to his teammate near the rim, but his teammate turns the ball over:
Johnson is good at making the right play, and he does so here as he waits for the cutter to make his move and delivers the pass for the assist:
Again, making the right play, Johnson makes a nice cut, and immediately makes the pass to the corner:
Obviously Johnson didn’t get a ton of opportunities to create but he did show his potential in terms of a secondary playmaker as he is more of a shooting guard-type than point guard/primary ball-handler at this stage. The difference in this could easily be opportunity as opposed to ability, but until we see more usage and minutes for Johnson it’s hard to make an assessment other than he has passing/playmaking potential. He makes good reads and has a nice feel for the game.
Defense
Johnson is an intriguing defensive prospect as his lateral quickness and long arms help him create disruption.
Johnson does so on this possession, coming up with the steal after getting his arms in the passing lane and he leads the charge in transition. However, his lack of experience and finesse shows and his attempt at the rim is missed:
Arms outstretched on the perimeter, Johnson nearly procures another steal but still succeeds in knocking the ball loose with his length:
This length is also well utilized by Johnson in getting effective shot contests up, such as this possession:
This can help Johnson cover ground, as he does here after getting around the screen and his length helps make up distance to contest and he does well to get a good contest up:
Here, Johnson uses his verticality this time to get a good contest up, and you can see the effectiveness of his length:
Johnson shows flashes of an active, disruptive defender as he has a couple of bites of the cherry before coming up with the strip, fueling a fastbreak opportunity and finding his teammate for the assist in transition:
On this play, Johnson flashes his lateral quickness on the defensive end but also shows his immaturity at times as he bumps the defender for the foul and the basket:
Johnson did recover well after that bump on the screen.
Johnson also showed some potential to be a defender who can switch, doing so on this possession as he chases the ball and puts up a good contest, however, the three is made:
Johnson shadows the offensive player and keeps pace with his lateral movement before switching on the screen:
In closing...
A.J. Johnson is an exciting young prospect at 19 years old in his first professional season. A shifty, athletic guard who didn’t get to showcase his talents in full last year with the Illawarra Hawks having featured in a bit-part role, his head coach Justin Tatum often dedicated timeouts during games to tutor Johnson when he did get game time. And when Johnson did get game time, he showed the flashes of a promising NBA prospect.
The physical tools are there: he’s got good size at 6-foot-5 inches, he’s quick on his feet, he’s got length on side, he’s athletic...there’s a lot to work with and a lot to like.
Offensively, Johnson can shift, both off the dribble or in transition — he is very quick. It would be so much fun to see him more in transition, both on and off the ball because I think he can be a blur with the ball if let loose. While he uses the glass well at this stage of his career, finishing at the rim can be a mixed bag at the moment, as his is his three-point shooting. Pull-up shooting seemed to yield better results, and his release isn’t to shabby at all, but his catch-and-shoot three-point shooting needs improvement.
In reality, offensively, everything needs improving across the board as the percentages were very poor, but in some cases, such as the three-point shooting, take those season averages with a pinch of salt because the sample size, in all fairness, was very small. It’s not to shy away from the fact that Johnson had a very inefficient season shooting the ball, but this is hardly too surprising when his role was what it was. What he did do in that role was more than enough to showcase his potential. Less may be more when it comes to Johnson’s NBA draft stock, because right now the word I would use is ‘tantalizing’.
In terms of passing and playmaking, Johnson has a good feel for the game and is an unselfish player. How good Johnson is in terms of making plays and whether he’ll be better served as a secondary playmaker or something more remains to be seen. At times, he brought the ball up the floor but didn’t make a ton of plays out of pick-and-roll, something which will be defining in the NBA when it comes to his playmaking. However, Johnson possesses a neat passing touch, capable of deft bounce passes — he was fun to watch when he did make plays. He could also make some plays as a result of his defense, where there is some potential for a switchable guard who is quick on his feet, possesses a good wingspan, instincts that can cause disruption on the defensive end.
If Johnson was selected in this draft, I think he would hugely benefit returning to Illawarra with a larger role. If not there, a situation where he absolutely is a regular member of a rotation that sees at least 20 minutes per game just to see what is what because, right now, there’s promise but not a ton of substance to back it up right now. It’s mostly about those flashes right now for Johnson, but he needs a situation where the world, and any team selecting him, can see if he is more than just that.
That’s my own assessment of A.J. Johnson, now let’s take a look at the views of those smarter than I am and what they say about Johnson.
Sam Vecenie of The Athletic mocks Johnson 40th overall to the Portland Trail Blazers. A fitting projection, as Vecenie made the comparison between Johnson and emerging Portland star Anfernee Simons. Vecenie had much more to say about Johnson when speaking with the NBL:
“I got to see Johnson work out in Santa Barbara, Calif., recently, and it was every bit as impressive as one could have hoped,” Vecenie said.
“Johnson’s ability to get to spots as a scorer in a fluid, on-balance manner is real. His jumper is mechanically sound, both off the catch and bounce … everything looks clean and pure enough to where Johnson should be a very high-level shooter down the road.”
Vecenie said Johnson had clearly had a growth spurt during his time in Australia, where he made 26 appearances in the NBL.
“If he’s grown into that 6-7 range as it seems he has, it opens up many more avenues for his success. Instead of being more of a guard, it can realistically slide Johnson down to the wing at some point in his career, especially given his wingspan that appears to be something in the ballpark of 6-11.”
Johnson has drawn comparisons with Portland’s Anfernee Simons, who came into the NBA with a lighter frame, before building into a “ready-made NBA scoring guard”.
“Simons is a bit more explosive than Johnson, but Johnson is bigger and might have a bit more potential on the defensive end,” Vecenie said.
“Johnson is going to take time. But seeing him in-person multiple times, as well as in that pre-draft workout, it’s clear the frame was his biggest impediment to success this season.
“Once his frame catches up to his gifts, Johnson has all the tools he needs to be this draft’s interesting high-upside swing in the late first or early second round.”
Quite a bit to unpack there, but fascinating insight, especially if Johnson is still growing. That would certainly open things up positionally where Johnson could dabble in the small forward spot, but as Vecenie mentions clearly needs to build his frame.
Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report mocked Johnson at 48th overall, with this to add of the guard:
AJ Johnson’s ball-handling and shiftiness, passing reads, athleticism at the rim and shooting range popped at the NBA combine. His on-ball creation, scoring and playmaking flashes looked enticing for a 6’4” (in socks) 19-year-old with a 6’8” wingspan.
He’ll spend next season in the G League at just 167 pounds and coming off limited minutes in Australia.
The only thing I’d add to what Wasserman has said is that Johnson, if he was coming back to the States, would have to spend the time in the G League, there’s no other way around it, that’s just how it would have to be.
Jonathan Givony of ESPN has Johnson ranked as high as 36th on ESPN’s Best Available list, which as is as high as I’ve seen Johnson projected. After the NBA Draft Combine, Givony and Jeremy Woo released a mock draft that saw Johnson projected at 34th overall.
I’ve seen Johnson mocked from as high as 34th to not even making The Ringers’ mock draft inside the top-58, and it’ll be fascinating to see who swings when to select Johnson because there is serious upside here...how long will a team wait to make a swing?
The Atlanta Hawks currently do not have a selection inside the second round of the draft as of right now, but that doesn’t mean this won’t change in the buildup to the draft. The Hawks will undoubtedly explore many potential options available to them, which may include receiving a second round draft pick. If any NBA team wanted to take a chance on a potential star of the future, to grab what could be the steal of the second round, A.J. Johnson could certainly fit the bill...
Plenty to be excited for, but how long will it take before the potential becomes too much to pass up on? We shall see...
<img alt="NBL Rd 19 - New Zealand Breakers v Illawarra Hawks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/aao2jU72JFSPlaLWSKBq0z0e6qg=/0x0:3350x2233/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73375335/1997207278.0.jpg">
Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images
The stats may not reflect well, but Johnson certainly passes the eye test. In the last five years or so, there have been a steady trend of American NBA draft prospects venturing not just across the pond but beyond to the far reaches of the globe to measure their skillsets against the pros — as opposed to the NCAA. Across this year’s draft, that number has seemingly skyrocketed. Today’s prospect, 19-year-old guard A.J. Johnson, is one of the latest prospects to try their hand at Australia’s NBL as a means to their development prior to the NBA draft.
Hailing from California, the 6-foot-5 inch Johnson (represented by Billy Duffy, who also reps Luka Doncic, Scottie Barnes and other NBA players) made the decision to venture to Australia with the Illawarra Hawks — the same team that helped showcase LaMelo Ball’s talents — where, despite Johnson’s talent, he didn’t see a lot of game-time in his first professional season of basketball straight from high school. This lack of game time is reflective in his stats for the season, which will paint a misleading picture.
Johnson averaged 2.8 points per game on 35% shooting from the field on three attempts, 27.8% from three on 1.2 attempts, 53.8% from the free throw line, 1.2 rebounds and 0.7 assists in an average of 8.3 minutes per game in 29 games played, per RealGM.
Those stats on their own would tell a not-so-favorable story that Johnson didn’t get much of an opportunity, and he didn’t do much with it when he got it. But when you load up the tape, it’ll tell you a very different story, so let’s do that right now and we can examine why Johnson is looked favorably in the draft despite those season averages. Johnson typically sports the afro and wears the number seven.
Offense/scoring
The majority of Johnson’s offensive package right involves two aspects: using his quickness going to the rim and three-point shooting.
When I say Johnson is quick on his feet, he’s quick — he has a wonderful turn of speed, and he’s got long strides that assist him in getting to the rim. Now, when he gets to the rim it’s a very mixed bag in terms of results, but that can always be improved — finishing technique can be taught — but what you can’t teach is the quickness Johnson possesses.
This clip is probably the crowning highlight of Johnson as he uses his quickstep to drive into the space, displaying his quickness, before using his athleticism to rise and finish at the rim with the explosive dunk plus the foul:
There are so many things you can get excited about in this one clip, but there’s lots more to like when it comes to Johnson that’s a little more understated.
You can see his quickness further on display here as Johnson gets downhill coming off the screen, and he displays his pace as he gets to the rim and uses the glass to score:
Here, Johnson rejects the screen and uses his quickness to skip inside and finishes at the rim, plus the foul:
On this play, Johnson sizes his defender up before lulling the defender and shifting through the gears to get to the rim where Johnson squeezes his runner home:
Johnson is capable of a bit more finesse too, as well as patience in his exploring his offense.
Here, Johnson receives the ball in transition and utilizes a nice step-through move to finish at the rim:
Coming off the screen, Johnson slows his momentum as he surveys his options before shifting through the gears and using the glass to finish at the rim:
Again coming off the screen, Johnson hesitates before deciding to go to his running floater, which he hits high off glass to score:
Shooting 35% from the field, it’s clear that Johnson has issues with efficiency, but he gets himself in good opportunities, such as this possession in transition where he shows his speed — but not the full extent of it — to get to the rim where he can’t finish:
This next clip will transition nicely into Johnson’s three-point shooting, but look at how he uses his pace to get himself to a good position — in this case the corner where he misses not only this three-pointer but the subsequent three on the offensive rebound:
In terms of shooting the ball, Johnson is very much a streaky shooter: he can light it up but at 27.8% on the season this is very much a shot that comes and goes for Johnson right now.
Let’s look at few of his makes, including this deep make from Johnson on the pull-up:
Coming off the pick-and-roll as the ball-handler, Johnson pulls up into a three after working himself into the room:
In a 1-on-1 situation, Johnson pulls up and drains the three above the break:
It seems as though Johnson fares a little better at this moment as a pull-up shooter than stationary shooting at this moment, which is obviously something you’d want Johnson to improve upon but, as a whole, when you’re shooting 35% from the field and 27.8% from three it’s safe to say everything needs improving in terms of efficiency. That efficiency, to be fair, is incredibly subject to the volume, which is just so small right now. For instance, we just looked at three three-pointers...Johnson hit 10 threes in total all season.
That said, as you can see, there’s plenty to like of Johnson, who is still 19 years old and doesn’t turn 20 until December.
Playmaking/passing
You might think that because Johnson averages 0.7 assists that there wouldn’t be much to show here, but that isn’t so. Johnson is an unselfish player with a lovely passing touch and flashes of high basketball IQ. Let’s look at a few plays which demonstrate these flashes of passing potential.
Here, Johnson gets by his man and weaves his way towards the defender which opens up a path for his teammate standing behind the defensive line to make the cut. Johnson delivers a nifty bounce pass for the assist:
On the three-point line, Johnson drives, draws the defensive attention and delivers the pass behind the line for the assist at the rim:
In transition, Johnson receives the ball in the corner and instead of chasing his own shot, which he could, he chooses to deliver a no-look pass to his teammate near the rim, but his teammate turns the ball over:
Johnson is good at making the right play, and he does so here as he waits for the cutter to make his move and delivers the pass for the assist:
Again, making the right play, Johnson makes a nice cut, and immediately makes the pass to the corner:
Obviously Johnson didn’t get a ton of opportunities to create but he did show his potential in terms of a secondary playmaker as he is more of a shooting guard-type than point guard/primary ball-handler at this stage. The difference in this could easily be opportunity as opposed to ability, but until we see more usage and minutes for Johnson it’s hard to make an assessment other than he has passing/playmaking potential. He makes good reads and has a nice feel for the game.
Defense
Johnson is an intriguing defensive prospect as his lateral quickness and long arms help him create disruption.
Johnson does so on this possession, coming up with the steal after getting his arms in the passing lane and he leads the charge in transition. However, his lack of experience and finesse shows and his attempt at the rim is missed:
Arms outstretched on the perimeter, Johnson nearly procures another steal but still succeeds in knocking the ball loose with his length:
This length is also well utilized by Johnson in getting effective shot contests up, such as this possession:
This can help Johnson cover ground, as he does here after getting around the screen and his length helps make up distance to contest and he does well to get a good contest up:
Here, Johnson uses his verticality this time to get a good contest up, and you can see the effectiveness of his length:
Johnson shows flashes of an active, disruptive defender as he has a couple of bites of the cherry before coming up with the strip, fueling a fastbreak opportunity and finding his teammate for the assist in transition:
On this play, Johnson flashes his lateral quickness on the defensive end but also shows his immaturity at times as he bumps the defender for the foul and the basket:
Johnson did recover well after that bump on the screen.
Johnson also showed some potential to be a defender who can switch, doing so on this possession as he chases the ball and puts up a good contest, however, the three is made:
Johnson shadows the offensive player and keeps pace with his lateral movement before switching on the screen:
In closing...
A.J. Johnson is an exciting young prospect at 19 years old in his first professional season. A shifty, athletic guard who didn’t get to showcase his talents in full last year with the Illawarra Hawks having featured in a bit-part role, his head coach Justin Tatum often dedicated timeouts during games to tutor Johnson when he did get game time. And when Johnson did get game time, he showed the flashes of a promising NBA prospect.
The physical tools are there: he’s got good size at 6-foot-5 inches, he’s quick on his feet, he’s got length on side, he’s athletic...there’s a lot to work with and a lot to like.
Offensively, Johnson can shift, both off the dribble or in transition — he is very quick. It would be so much fun to see him more in transition, both on and off the ball because I think he can be a blur with the ball if let loose. While he uses the glass well at this stage of his career, finishing at the rim can be a mixed bag at the moment, as his is his three-point shooting. Pull-up shooting seemed to yield better results, and his release isn’t to shabby at all, but his catch-and-shoot three-point shooting needs improvement.
In reality, offensively, everything needs improving across the board as the percentages were very poor, but in some cases, such as the three-point shooting, take those season averages with a pinch of salt because the sample size, in all fairness, was very small. It’s not to shy away from the fact that Johnson had a very inefficient season shooting the ball, but this is hardly too surprising when his role was what it was. What he did do in that role was more than enough to showcase his potential. Less may be more when it comes to Johnson’s NBA draft stock, because right now the word I would use is ‘tantalizing’.
In terms of passing and playmaking, Johnson has a good feel for the game and is an unselfish player. How good Johnson is in terms of making plays and whether he’ll be better served as a secondary playmaker or something more remains to be seen. At times, he brought the ball up the floor but didn’t make a ton of plays out of pick-and-roll, something which will be defining in the NBA when it comes to his playmaking. However, Johnson possesses a neat passing touch, capable of deft bounce passes — he was fun to watch when he did make plays. He could also make some plays as a result of his defense, where there is some potential for a switchable guard who is quick on his feet, possesses a good wingspan, instincts that can cause disruption on the defensive end.
If Johnson was selected in this draft, I think he would hugely benefit returning to Illawarra with a larger role. If not there, a situation where he absolutely is a regular member of a rotation that sees at least 20 minutes per game just to see what is what because, right now, there’s promise but not a ton of substance to back it up right now. It’s mostly about those flashes right now for Johnson, but he needs a situation where the world, and any team selecting him, can see if he is more than just that.
That’s my own assessment of A.J. Johnson, now let’s take a look at the views of those smarter than I am and what they say about Johnson.
Sam Vecenie of The Athletic mocks Johnson 40th overall to the Portland Trail Blazers. A fitting projection, as Vecenie made the comparison between Johnson and emerging Portland star Anfernee Simons. Vecenie had much more to say about Johnson when speaking with the NBL:
“I got to see Johnson work out in Santa Barbara, Calif., recently, and it was every bit as impressive as one could have hoped,” Vecenie said.
“Johnson’s ability to get to spots as a scorer in a fluid, on-balance manner is real. His jumper is mechanically sound, both off the catch and bounce … everything looks clean and pure enough to where Johnson should be a very high-level shooter down the road.”
Vecenie said Johnson had clearly had a growth spurt during his time in Australia, where he made 26 appearances in the NBL.
“If he’s grown into that 6-7 range as it seems he has, it opens up many more avenues for his success. Instead of being more of a guard, it can realistically slide Johnson down to the wing at some point in his career, especially given his wingspan that appears to be something in the ballpark of 6-11.”
Johnson has drawn comparisons with Portland’s Anfernee Simons, who came into the NBA with a lighter frame, before building into a “ready-made NBA scoring guard”.
“Simons is a bit more explosive than Johnson, but Johnson is bigger and might have a bit more potential on the defensive end,” Vecenie said.
“Johnson is going to take time. But seeing him in-person multiple times, as well as in that pre-draft workout, it’s clear the frame was his biggest impediment to success this season.
“Once his frame catches up to his gifts, Johnson has all the tools he needs to be this draft’s interesting high-upside swing in the late first or early second round.”
Quite a bit to unpack there, but fascinating insight, especially if Johnson is still growing. That would certainly open things up positionally where Johnson could dabble in the small forward spot, but as Vecenie mentions clearly needs to build his frame.
Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report mocked Johnson at 48th overall, with this to add of the guard:
AJ Johnson’s ball-handling and shiftiness, passing reads, athleticism at the rim and shooting range popped at the NBA combine. His on-ball creation, scoring and playmaking flashes looked enticing for a 6’4” (in socks) 19-year-old with a 6’8” wingspan.
He’ll spend next season in the G League at just 167 pounds and coming off limited minutes in Australia.
The only thing I’d add to what Wasserman has said is that Johnson, if he was coming back to the States, would have to spend the time in the G League, there’s no other way around it, that’s just how it would have to be.
Jonathan Givony of ESPN has Johnson ranked as high as 36th on ESPN’s Best Available list, which as is as high as I’ve seen Johnson projected. After the NBA Draft Combine, Givony and Jeremy Woo released a mock draft that saw Johnson projected at 34th overall.
I’ve seen Johnson mocked from as high as 34th to not even making The Ringers’ mock draft inside the top-58, and it’ll be fascinating to see who swings when to select Johnson because there is serious upside here...how long will a team wait to make a swing?
The Atlanta Hawks currently do not have a selection inside the second round of the draft as of right now, but that doesn’t mean this won’t change in the buildup to the draft. The Hawks will undoubtedly explore many potential options available to them, which may include receiving a second round draft pick. If any NBA team wanted to take a chance on a potential star of the future, to grab what could be the steal of the second round, A.J. Johnson could certainly fit the bill...
Plenty to be excited for, but how long will it take before the potential becomes too much to pass up on? We shall see...
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