26. Brice Johnson, North Carolina Tar Heels
Position: Power Forward
Age: 21 (6/27/1994)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’9.5″, 185 pounds, 6’11”
Slash Line: .610/.000/.766
Season Averages: 27.5 MPG, 16.9 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 3.1 ORPG, 1.4 APG, 1.3 BPG, 1.2 SPG
Analysis
Brice Johnson has been on the radar for quite some time, but it wasn’t until 2015-16 that he truly arrived. The North Carolina Tar Heels senior has emerged as a nightly double-double threat, flashing the potential to contribute similar numbers at the next level.
You can’t teach explosiveness, and rebounding generally translates well from one level to the next, and Johnson has both of those traits working in his favor.
Johnson burst onto the scene after Kennedy Meeks suffered an early-season injury, and he hasn’t slowed down with his frontcourt partner back in the rotation. He’s active on the boards, has expanded his offensive game, and has all of the tools to develop into one of the better pick-and-roll finishers in the NBA.
He’ll need to develop an outside shot due to his rather underwhelming wingspan and the limitations it places on his post game, but Johnson is just a good basketball player.
Johnson’s motor has stabilized, and he’s looking to make plays for the team rather than seeking individual glory. He’s developed better vision as a playmaker, which should help him catch on as a rebounder who can kickstart the effort in transition via his outlet passes.
Johnson still has skills to polish and develop, but he should have a solid NBA career.
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