D-League Watch: Dakari Johnson

Dakari Johnson, Oklahoma City Blue, Center, 7’0, 255

(2015-16, 29.4 mpg, 18 games) 12.1 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 0.8 spg, 1.2 bpg, 1.5 tpg

48.5 FG%, 58.4 FT%, 51.9 TS%, 48.5 eFG%

18.4 USG%, 11.4 OREB%, 20.9 DREB%, 15.9 TRB%

DOB: 9/22/1995 (20) College: Kentucky

Before the D-League

Johnson played two seasons at Kentucky, and then was drafted in the 2^nd round, number 48 overall, in the 2015 NBA Draft by Oklahoma, who sent him to the Oklahoma City Blue as a Draft Rights player. Johnson played on two Final Four teams at Kentucky, and averaged 6.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 16.3 minutes per game, while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from the free throw line.

What has he shown so far?

At 7 feet tall and over 25 pounds, Johnson has the build, and the game, of a classic back-to-the-basket big man, but his game has taken big steps already since his Kentucky career, even if the numbers don’t exactly show it yet. Johnson has continued to develop on the offensive end, showing the ability to set up on either block, and while he still doesn’t have many go-to moves, his footwork and patience have gotten noticeably better. While his touch around the basket and any sort of speed or finesse in his movements are still a work in progress, Johnson doesn’t back down, and will surprise with an occasional smooth move, but he has some trouble finishing around the basket, and you’re often left wondering how a player with that big a body can show so little power. The most surprising improvement to Johnson’s offensive game has been the expansion to the mid-range area. While not very consistent yet, he has shown this year both the ability to knock down the 10 to 20 foot jumper, as well as the ability to drive to the rim from 12 to 15 feet. Johnson’s ballhandling isn’t very pretty, but if he has an open lane to his right, he can make a pretty swift move. Johnson has also made some improvement in the pick-and-roll game, showing good ability as a screener, as well as being able to open up well to the ball and finish at the rim. With Johnson’s patience in the post has also come some improved passing ability, showing that he can read the floor well and find the open man out of the low post. Johnson has done a good job on the offensive boards so far this season, using his big body well to clear space around the basket and staying active after missed shots. He does a good job drawing contact around the basket, and gets to the free throw line at a decent rate, about 5 times per game on average on somewhat low usage, though he needs to work on his stroke from the line.

More from Hoops Habit

Defensively, Johnson has also shown improvement in the short time since college ended, but still has a ways to go. He uses his body well in the low post, looking to move his man off the blocks. His footwork has improved, but can be awkward, and he is particularly vulnerable to quicker/more skilled post players facing-up out of the low post, where they can knock down the jumper or beat him off the dribble. Johnson also has some struggles defending in the pick-and-roll. He can still be unsure of his positioning when away from the basket, especially when hedging on screens, but the foundation is there for him to improve on. Johnson is a decent help defender around the basket, getting into position fairly quick, and though he doesn’t show much leaping ability, he gets his long arms up to try to block or alter shots. He does a good job looking to box out on the defensive boards, but he could do a better at going strong after the ball once he has position.

What does he need to show next?

Johnson really didn’t seem to develop much in his two years at Kentucky, so he is playing a lot of catch-up now in some critical areas. His conditioning as a sophomore improved, and he looks like it has continued early in his pro career. Still, both sides of the floor need a lot of work. As a low post scorer, Johnson’s footwork and ballhandling both need to be tightened up a bit; many of his moves can be slow to develop and he spends a lot of time pounding the ball into the floor. Also, Johnson’s never really shown much touch around the basket, which limits ways in which he can score off his moves. I like how Johnson’s mid-range game is coming along, and with some more shots he should hopefully find some consistency. The biggest thing for Johnson on the offensive end is to be more aggressive. At 7-foot and over 250 pounds, he should be able to exert his will on many of the smaller/lighter players he goes up against. Defensively, Johnson has made some strides in the low post, especially learning how to use his body and move his feet, but he can be a bit slow to react and he doesn’t have the foot speed to make that up. Improving his ability to get out on the pick-and-roll consistently should also be a priority, especially a bad tendency to leave big gaps for the ballhandler to find room to create something.

Where does he go from here?

Johnson’s first year in the D-League seems to be accomplishing what it should. He’s getting acclimated to the speed of the pro game while also honing a lot of his skills which were left untouched at Kentucky. Johnson just turned 20 a few months back, so there is time for Oklahoma City to set a multi-year D-League plan for his development. Even if they needed him next year, I’m still not sure he’d be ready to really contribute, but Year 3 should be the target to get him on to the NBA Roster.