Why Johnny Davis Was a Bust For Wizards

Being a lottery pick in the NBA Draft brings forth a lot of pressure for any player coming out of college. That pressure is built up and intensified when these teams are depending on you to change things around for the franchise. Lottery picks really have a lot of pressure on them if and when they are drafted by a bad team.

Not having an All-Star caliber player on your team puts the prospect in a tough position because they are being asked to be a leader at a very young age. Time is required for these rookies to grow and mature to become the players they ultimately want to become. To be a great leader, one has to lead in a great manner. Coaching is important as well so these rookies can be properly groomed and developed in the NBA.

The Washington Wizards drafted Johnny Davis out of Wisconsin in 2022. He was drafted in the first round at No. 10 overall. He was an extremely talented guard in college, where he averaged 20 points in his sophomore season for the Badgers. With numbers like that, expectations had to be high as he came into the league.

His rookie season with the Wizards didn't go as he hoped it would. He barely received playing time for the Wizards and instead spent a lot of his time in the NBA G-League playing for the Capital City Go-Go.

At the time, the coach leading the Wizards was Wes Unseld Jr. Since then, he has been fired and he has taken on a less prominent role as an assistant coach with the Chicago Bulls. Unseld Jr. may have roots tied to the Wizards from his father, Wes Unseld Sr, however, they are two different individuals when it comes to making a difference.

Unseld Jr. wasn't the best-fit coach for the Wizards. He failed at developing talent. That played a factor in the struggles of Davis. The lack of playing time he offered Davis also played a factor. Additionally, he is a player who needs the ball. You can make the argument that he should be a point guard rather than a shooting guard.