Dakari

Johnson

This is Johnson’s first blurb in over a year. That’s a clear illustration of both his fantasy value and relevance.

It’s a guaranteed two-year deal, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical. The 2015 second-round pick dominated in Orlando Pro Summer League, averaging 18.0 points, 5.5 boards, 1.8 assists and 0.8 blocks on those four games. OKC doesn’t have much depth behind Enes Kanter and Steven Adams, so Johnson could find minutes with an injury, especially after he did very well in the G League.

Johnson was overshadowed by Kentucky’s lottery big men but he had some decent output as a sophomore . In 16.3 minutes per game he averaged 6.4 points, 4.6 boards, 0.4 steals and 0.9 blocks. He has an imposing standing reach of 9’4", but his vertical leap and body fat measurements both dropped within the past year. Avoid him on draft day.

Johnson, the No. 48 pick this summer, has used his 7'0", 265 pound frame to rank top-five in rebounding during the Orlando Summer League. He’s also proven to be foul-prone, however, and at best he’ll earn spot-minutes off OKC’s bench as a rookie.

“I’m learning how to play pick and rolls, how to sprint into pick-and-rolls, dive, take my time and be patient with my moves. They do a good job of teaching me how to be a pro,” he said. Johnson is a bit of a project, but the Thunder love long-term investments who can come at undervalued prices.

With this blurb, you can safely ignore Johnson in all re-draft leagues.

He won’t play.

He rarely plays for OKC when Steven Adams is healthy.

Johnson has been up and down all season. He has appeared in eight games (all starts) with the Blue, averaging 24.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 blocks in 32.2 minutes. In 28 games (five starts) with the Thunder, Johnson has averaged 1.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in 5.4 minutes.

Johnson has appeared in seven G-League games, averaging 15.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 blocks in 32.0 minutes. In 26 games (five starts) with the Thunder, Johnson has averaged 2.0 points and 1.2 rebounds in 5.8 minutes.