Draft Countdown: James Johnsson
Posted: Fri May 22, 2009 6:57 pm
James Johnsson is exactly the type of small forward that can complement the bigs we have in Bargnani and Bosh...So if BC is thinking about buying pick around 15-25, I hope he is looking Johnsson rather than Terrence william..
"Johnson is a 6-foot-8, 235-pound small forward/power forward type who averaged 15.0 points and 8.5 rebounds. He's an athlete, considered a good perimeter defender. He can face up, has a post game. He comes with a list of negatives, too: He needs strength, bulk, a better foul shot, more focus and assertiveness.
But there is one real appeal: He may be the toughest prospect in the upcoming draft."
"Johnson isn't the best player in the draft but his story is one of the most interesting. One of Wake Forest's assistants got a tip from a former college teammate about Johnson, then at a Wyoming high school. He gave a different scouting report, according to SI.com: "The kid's a black belt and at 6-8, 230, can do a standing backflip. He can run at the wall, put his foot on it and flip backwards. And his hands are lethal."
James Johnson
College: Wake Forest
Class: Sophomore
Position: PF/SF
Height: 6’9”
Weight: 245lbs
Accolades: Third Team All-ACC (08), ACC All-Freshman Team (08), Honorable Mention All-Freshman Team - CHN (08).
Scouting Report: A versatile, athletic combo forward.
Strengths: Very athletic, strong & tough - practiced martial arts his whole life. Versatile - can play multiple positions. Able to take his man off the dribble. Can hit the face-up jumper. Able to absorb contact and still score. Good wingspan. Very good size for the NBA. Explosive leaper. Good shot blocker. Gets plenty of steals.
Weaknesses: Inconsistent. Foul prone. Needs to work on his post moves. Still inexperienced - hasn’t been playing organized basketball for very long. Not good at drawing fouls. His game didn’t progress much from his freshman to sophomore seasons. Is already 22-years-old.
Projected 2009 Draft Range: Late first round pick.
Consensus: No doubt James Johnson has a future in the NBA. His combination of skills and size are rare, but the fact that he is already 22-years-old and hasn’t shown great improvements over his two years in college are red flags.
"Johnson is a 6-foot-8, 235-pound small forward/power forward type who averaged 15.0 points and 8.5 rebounds. He's an athlete, considered a good perimeter defender. He can face up, has a post game. He comes with a list of negatives, too: He needs strength, bulk, a better foul shot, more focus and assertiveness.
But there is one real appeal: He may be the toughest prospect in the upcoming draft."
"Johnson isn't the best player in the draft but his story is one of the most interesting. One of Wake Forest's assistants got a tip from a former college teammate about Johnson, then at a Wyoming high school. He gave a different scouting report, according to SI.com: "The kid's a black belt and at 6-8, 230, can do a standing backflip. He can run at the wall, put his foot on it and flip backwards. And his hands are lethal."
James Johnson
College: Wake Forest
Class: Sophomore
Position: PF/SF
Height: 6’9”
Weight: 245lbs
Accolades: Third Team All-ACC (08), ACC All-Freshman Team (08), Honorable Mention All-Freshman Team - CHN (08).
Scouting Report: A versatile, athletic combo forward.
Strengths: Very athletic, strong & tough - practiced martial arts his whole life. Versatile - can play multiple positions. Able to take his man off the dribble. Can hit the face-up jumper. Able to absorb contact and still score. Good wingspan. Very good size for the NBA. Explosive leaper. Good shot blocker. Gets plenty of steals.
Weaknesses: Inconsistent. Foul prone. Needs to work on his post moves. Still inexperienced - hasn’t been playing organized basketball for very long. Not good at drawing fouls. His game didn’t progress much from his freshman to sophomore seasons. Is already 22-years-old.
Projected 2009 Draft Range: Late first round pick.
Consensus: No doubt James Johnson has a future in the NBA. His combination of skills and size are rare, but the fact that he is already 22-years-old and hasn’t shown great improvements over his two years in college are red flags.