A member of the SEC All-Freshman team, Keon Johnson earned a reputation as a tough defender on a quality Tennessee team. As a freshman, Johnson averaged 11.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.4 BPG, and 2.6 TOPG on shooting splits of 45/27/70. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: Keon Johnson
Height/Weight: 6’5 / 185
Wingspan/ standing reach: 6’7 / 8’1
Hand size: 9
Position: SG
College: Tennessee
Tools: Athleticism, defense, motor
Pros:
- Nice shooting form
- High motor
- Outstanding off-ball defender
- Great athlete
- Good mid range shooter
Cons:
- Tweener
- Should add more weight/strength
- Needs to develop left hand
- Game needs to slow down; plays out of control too often
- Unreliable jumper from 3
Overall:
Keon Johnson is a defensive-minded shooting guard with a raw skillset, but potential to be a high-level niche player. While Johnson is far away from being a productive and positive player, he has the athleticism, motor, defense, and potentially some shooting indicators on his side. What makes Keon hard to fully grasp is his lack of a left hand, his tweener status on the offensive end, and a heavily inconsistent jump shot. As an athlete, Johnson checks all the boxes with a 6’7 wingspan and a recorded 48 inch vertical at the NBA Draft Combine with excellent footwork and recovery ability. With a motor like his and the physical tools he possesses, Johnson is nearly a lock to be a good defender in the NBA.
Offensively, Johnson leaves a lot to be desired. He struggles to get to the rim with his left hand, and overall was a mediocre finisher at the rim. However, this is something that should be fixable due to his explosiveness. Once he learns how to play under more control and have the game slow down, his finishing will be the first area to see an uptick in production. The second area to benefit from playing under more control would be his playmaking. Too often, Keon is going full speed and throws off his teammates with an errant pass, or he charges into defenders in transition. Lastly, as a shooter, Johnson has a promising post fadeaway and overall mid range jumper; he floated near NCAA average from mid range for the season. However, a post fadeaway and mid range jumper for a 6’5 off-guard is not a reliable go-to scoring method, which remains a key area for Johnson to improve on offensively. Johnson needs the right team to develop him and to be patient with him for him to hit his ceiling.
Similar to: Marcus Smart, Bruce Brown
Projected draft range: 9-20
Expected role: Defensive stopper with some playmaking, finishing, and mid range scoring.
Unplayable if: Jump shooting doesn’t become at least respectable, and his shot turns into a liability.
Exceeds expectations if: Jump shooting translates and the game slows down for him.
Shot chart:
