One selection before the OKC Thunder acquired Ousmane Dieng, the Washington Wizards selected Johnny Davis from the University of Wisconsin in the 2022 NBA Draft. For years, neither player lived up to the hype, considering how high they were selected. Yet, with Dieng suddenly looking like a piece for the Milwaukee Bucks to build with, perhaps they could look to bring the best out of Davis as well.
The 2022 NBA Draft has another player worth taking a flyer on
Johnny Davis already has one foot in the door. Prior to the season, Milwaukee's G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, acquired the guard via trade, clearly believing the Wisconsin native had something in the tank. He's been playing solid basketball in Oshkosh this season, and perhaps the Bucks could aim to get a closer look at him.
Davis was selected 10th overall in his draft, one pick before Dieng, and never quite justified the pick. In his three years with the Wizards, he averaged 3.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per contest. It was fairly obvious that he could have used another year of college to further get his game ready for the NBA level.
Yet, there is a reason he went that high in the draft.
In his sophomore season with the Badgers, the 2021-22 Consensus All-American guard averaged 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. There was plenty to like about Daivs, whether it was his tough shot-making, exceptional rebounding for his size, or defensive instincts. All of those things are still in his game and could be worth exploring for a team like Milwaukee.
Sometimes, all a player needs is a fresh start. People were labeling Dieng a bust, given that he never broke through for OKC. However, in the short time he's been with the Milwaukee Bucks, he's been an overnight success. Could Davis follow the same path? It's not a guarantee, but the Bucks found a gem in the 2022 lottery once; why can't they do it again?
Bringing up Davis to get a closer look at him would be incredibly low-risk, considering that the Bucks have an open two-way slot (which has strangely been vacant for over a month). With no room left on the standard roster, Milwaukee could add Davis on a two-way and still have him spend time down in the G League but also get the occasional burn with the Bucks.
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