Highlighting Tre Johnson's Strengths and Weaknesses Ahead of 2025 NBA Draft

Texas didn’t have an ideal season, but if it wasn’t for their star freshman Tre Johnson, things would’ve been way worse. The 6-foot-6 wing led the SEC in points per game this season and played a key role on a NCAA Tournament team with him being the number one scoring option. Let’s dive into some of his strengths and areas of improvement.

Strengths

The most NBA-ready skill for Johnson is that he’s an elite all-around scorer. He possesses difficult shot-making ability and a score-first mentality. He doesn’t have to rely on ball-screens either as he has a very tight handle and can score out of isolation. Johnson has good positional size for a wing and combining that with his scoring chops, it will leave little doubt that his scoring ability will translate to the NBA.

Outside of being a difficult shot-maker and scorer, he’s also a great 3-point shooter. Johnson possesses a ton of shot versatility as he excels in catch-and-shoot situations due to his great shot preparation and footwork. The wing is an excellent movement shooter that can fly off of off-ball screens and convert on difficult moving jumpers. He also has a great pull-up from behind the arc with deep range so he really has the full package and could be considered the top shooter in this year’s draft.

Easily the most underrated skill in Johnson’s game is his playmaking and passing ability. Due to the teammates around him, the system he played in, and his role on the team, he wasn’t asked to be a playmaker, so we didn’t see a ton of passing highlights, but he did show flashes of making advanced reads out of the pick and roll and halfcourt this season for Texas. He even has the ability to pass with both hands at a high level. Johnson has true star potential.

Areas Of Improvement

The biggest area of improvement for Johnson is his defense. He didn’t make a big positive impact defensively this past season as he lacks engagement and his motor often fluctuates. His defensive rating this past season was terrible. Relative to defense, Johnson also is a poor rebounder for a wing, largely due to the lack of motor and his wiry frame. Adding strength to his frame will be key to improve his defensive ability and rebounding on the glass.

Another area of improvement for Johnson is his inability to pressure the rim. He struggles to put pressure on the rim, and when he does get to the rim, he struggles to finish through contact. He lacks ideal NBA wing explosiveness and is very upright when driving, which hurts his ability to get by defenders. To be a true NBA-level scorer with the full package, he needs to improve his ability to get more paint touches and convert on those paint touches when the opportunity presents itself.