In a season full of storylines like Giannis Antetokounmpo potentially seeking a fresh start and Ryan Rollins emerging as a Most Improved Player candidate, it's easy to forget the small things regarding the Milwaukee Bucks. One of those is that former lottery pick and Wisconsin native Johnny Davis is playing for the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee's G League affiliate.
Davis, who spent the first three years of his career with the Washington Wizards, has had a fine year in Oshkosh. Yet, if he truly wants to make it back to the NBA, he needs to display more than just fine basketball potential. Well, that's exactly what he just did in the Herd's most recent game, a tough loss to the Motor City Cruise, where he had a career night.
Davis' career night for Herd grabs eyes
Against Motor City, Davis finished with 28 points and an impressive 17 rebounds to go along with five assists, three steals, and one block. The guard served as the ultimate Swiss Army Knife as he tried to do whatever he could to will this team to victory. It wasn't enough, as the Herd fell by five points, but it was at least nice to come away with one silver lining in Davis' play.
Davis was in attack mode all game, shooting 12-for-22 from the floor. Only two of those makes were from long-distance, with the guard doing most of his work from inside the arc, which has always been his bread and butter dating back to his Wisconsin days. It was a masterful display of his shot-making and ability to keep an offense afloat.
Of course, the 28 points stood out, but the 17 rebounds are the eye-catching takeaway. Standing at 6-foot-4, Davis isn't some oversized guard; he just fights for boards with tenacity. Circling back to his college days, Davis has never let his height stop him from being a strong rebounder, as he hauled in 8.2 per game during his sophomore season with Wisconsin.
Those two things would have been memorable enough, but the guard rounded out his performance by flexing his defensive tenacity with the steals and block, as well as his passing ability by dishing out five of them, a team-high. Talk about a complete performance.
Davis has plenty of potential waiting to be unearthed
Things didn't go well for Davis during his three years in Washington, but even when he committed to the NBA Draft, it felt like it was too early. He needed more time to develop, and that's exactly what he is getting with the Herd. Having just turned 24, he's still incredibly young and has room to grow even more if he keeps getting opportunities.
Davis won't get an NBA opportunity this season, but the Milwaukee Bucks should keep him in mind. Whether that means having him play on their Summer League team or even inviting him to training camp as an audition, keeping him around makes sense. This team has had plenty of success with finding overlooked hidden gems lately, and Davis could potentially be their next one.
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