Sorry this took so long, I had a maths test to revise for. Anyway this one of my favourite prospects in this class. I really love the skillset. Tell me what you think, come educate me.
Next on the list is VJ Edjecombe, if we get 5 likes on this, i'll get his out at some point soon, lets say 3 days, and we will get two reports next week. VJ is a much different prospect, almost the opposite to Tre yet they are back to back on my board, so it will be intriguing to see how you guys react to them both. I think Tre just fits the NBA skill set way better right now and has a higher floor of where he fits, with almost as good of a ceiling. VJ is a very boom or bust guy. Anyway, If you want more of my opinion on VJ edgecombe, like the post and I'll have it for you in 3 days.
Pros:
Off Ball movement
I love how Texas have used him off in bound plays, they've been creative and interesting with how they use him. He is a very able movement shooter and because of that they've been very effective off in bounds. In bounds are a very underrated part of basketball, being able to have a guy who can find an open shot and shoot at the clip of Johnson is very important and will win you games at any level. Almost every end of game situation ends in an inbound opportunity. A comparison to how he could be used is Gradey Dick who has seen similar use for the Raptors. Anyway, Tre Johnson can do more than just that, he finds his spots and is very efficient off the catch especially in transition. I expect this to be a huge pull factor for NBA teams as this should translate very well.
Shot Creation
He has a deep bag, one of the best things about Johnson is you can ask him to get a bucket with and without the ball on offence, he can get a stepback off or just pull up, he can get separation at the basket although he has problems once he is there. Not only that, he is an underrated passer. he has somewhat good court vision and ability, what he's missing is the decision making to go along with it and he definitely can do some passing duties for your team, but you have to let that develop if you draft him to be that player. Give him a vet to teach him some decisions making and he can run some point guard for you. He's shifty and definitely can create well, is he NBA polished? No, not yet still has work to do but he definitely shows the potential that this will be a useful skill and has the bag you want for a rookie so he can be immediately effective. but not ready to be your primary ball handler.
Three Point shot
Shooting 40% (JAN 20th) from three and has been shooting from NBA range. There is nothing that concerns me about this shot. I'd be extremely surprised if he isn't a top tier shooter off the bat in the NBA, especially if he has a playmaker to find him off ball, where I think he will be most effective in the NBA. Again he gets a shot on or off the ball at the college level, it's the main pull factor of his game and is one of the skills which a lot of prospects in this class is missing. that's somethin g that will drive his stock value.
Play IQ
One thing I love about Tre Johnson, and why i'm higher on him than most people, is his understanding of the game. he really is someone devoted to the game and because of that, has been really able to learn the plays given to him and seems very coachable. He played very well from the start point of the season and just seemed to fit in to this Texas team. This is obviously going to pull teams in. he's going to fit in to a team trying to compete very well, so if the pelicans or 76ers or spurs drop and get him with a pick you could really see him put meaningful plays in off the bat for a team trying to be competitive. He could have a very similar impact to how Jared Mccain was used to start the year.
Cons:
Shot Diet and Finishing
A part of his game that really needs to be improved. The biggest swing factor is how he gets his shots. He is a very good 3 point shooter and due to that he primarily looks to take threes. But when he does get his looks at the basket, he just doesn't look aggressive enough and gets swatted by bigger players. Now he does show flashes of getting tough buckets at the rim, but it feels like he's just not strong enough or aggressive at the rim to finish well and isn't consistent enough to be an efficient small guard at the rim. he doesn't take many flashy layups or anything very technical to help him get space from longer, taller players. He also seems to be too eager to take shots, he needs to take an extra second just to look around the court, scout out his teammates positions and look for a better shot before he takes them. All that really needs to happen, is the game needs to slow down for him and this is just very common among young players, but also just guard in general so im not too worried about this part. But if these sort themselves out, which I have some belief they could, he's a very complete offensive guy and could be an interesting modern offensive engine guard.
Defence
Its a continued factor Amongst these top rated guard prospects this year that they are just a passable defensive guy. And this continues with Tre Johnson. He Is just alright but has one significant flaw and its his help defence. He just is too eager to switch off his man and help on ball, leading to open looks form three and cuts to the basket that can hurt you. but everything else is fine to me. But again I'd wish some of these guys had just one thing I can point out and be like, he does this to a great level and maybe this develops and be a good defender. But no, I think if he solves this one issue, he will be average defensively in the NBA and will be tested somewhat but you're still fine with it when you see the offensive impact. I think it's a good trade off for his effectiveness on that side of the ball.
Interesting factor:
Archetype
A lot of people will be very quick to call him a Cam Thomas guy, a walking bucket, but I think he's much more than that. I think it's very ignorant to label him as that type of player. Im not big on Cam Thomas, I dont think he's an effective player to Championship team currently and I think he should be valued as a 6th man. Instead I have Comped Johnson to Herro, Vassell and Powell. All these guys have impressed me to varying levels this season. I think this is an archetype of player that can really fit and may become ideal to the modern game so i'm really interested to see if Johnson will fit in with these guys at the NBA level. I definitely buy into it. he looks to be a high intensity, three point focused guy with versatility off and on ball and that just suits the modern game very well. That's why I have him so high on my board. I'd also be surprised if he slipped much further either.
Conclusion:
Prospect ceiling: Perennial all star
Pick Range: 4-9
NBA Comp: Tyler Herro, Devin Vassell (don't be lazy and say Cam Thomas, he's different) you could even say Norman Powell
Best Fits: -
Washington
Brooklyn
Charlotte