Opening Weekend Recap of Top NBA Draft Prospects

4.) Stanley Johnson-F, Arizona; Freshman. 13.0 ppg, 4-9 FGM-A, 7.5 rpg, 2.0 spg in two games

Mar 19, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Stanley Johnson (5) dunks the basketball against the Texas Southern Tigers during the first half in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Admittedly, this past weekend was my first extended exposure of Arizona’s Stanley Johnson. I had watched parts of a few Arizona games this season and caught some of his more highlight-worthy plays, but for the most part followed him via word-of-mouth. I was anxious to see how a player who, much like Towns, is a cog on a loaded team with National Title aspirations. Unlike Okafor and Russell, Johnson is not featured as much in the Wildcats offense and therefore it is more difficult for him to stand out game-in and game-out.

At 6’8″, 243 lbs, Johnson measures out as a wing player at the NBA level. Should he be able to consistently knock in shots from the mid-range and perimeter levels, that his where his career projects to. It is Johnson’s 6’11” wingspan and physicality that makes him an intriguing prospect who could sneak into the top-five when June rolls around.

Going into the weekend, I admittedly went in under the notion that Johnson is not a player the Sixers would have much interest in with their first pick. Given the pending arrival of Dario Saric and a frontcourt of the future already in place, Johnson just did not appear to be a player who fit in the puzzle that Sam Hinkie is putting together. That said, Johnson was one of the most impressive players in college basketball this season and didn’t earn his high praise on accident. Assuming that I’m way off base in regards to the Sixers future plans, I gave Johnson the benefit of the doubt.

Johnson scored a team-high 22 points in Arizona’s first game against Texas Southern before finishing with just four points in the Wildcats round of 32 win over Ohio State. Johnson did pull down 10 rebounds against the Buckeyes and did not hurt his team by trying to shoot out of his offensive woes on that given day (0-4 FGM-A). Johnson is not a player who will ‘unplug’ from the game if he is not a factor on the offensive end. Despite not having his best day on that end of the floor against Ohio State, the freshman maintained a level of intensity and activity that still allowed him to help his team.

What first jumps out at you when watching Johnson is how strong and physical he is. There are very few players in the country I can see matching up one-on-one with Johnson and not giving up a significant edge in that respect. He almost looks like a linebacker or running back who happens to be a tremendous basketball player to go along with it. It was good to see Johnson’s perimeter game on display against Texas Southern (4-5 3-PT FGM-A). He will have to be able to hit shots from the outside consistently if he wants to play as an NBA wing at just under 6’9″. Johnson is a relentless rebounder and a noticeable contributor on the defensive side of the ball.

Unlike Russell, whose struggles were magnified even more in defeat given how many shots he took, Johnson having an ‘off-night’ was hardly a story for Arizona. More like Towns, Johnson is enough of a contributor everywhere on the floor that scoring is not a necessity for him. The fact that he can pour in anywhere from 15-20 points on most occasions is what makes Johnson a sought-after draft prospect.

For the most part, I haven’t changed my opinion on Johnson when it comes to him possibly landing with the Sixers. He plays a position in a manner that makes him a potential redundancy in Philadelphia and I struggle to see Sam Hinkie making a selection like that unless it involves a truly special prospect like Towns or Okafor. Johnson’s Wildcats are still in the tournament, so there’s still time to change minds. For now, I’ll continue to enjoy his game as a fan and stick to my guns in regards to him as a prospect.